Stoke Gifford CC 1st XI 152 beat Frampton Cotterell CC 2nd XI 150 by 2 runs
Stoke Gifford 1st XI recorded an astonishing two-run victory over Frampton Cotterell 2nd XI in an Eighth Division North thriller at home, prevailing in a low-scoring classic that went down to the very final over.
After winning the toss, the visitors asked Stoke Gifford to bat first. Ryan Edwards fell early with the score on 7, but Ian Semple (29) and Matt Semple settled the innings, taking the score to 67 before Ian was bowled by Alex Macdonald. Matt Semple played a key anchor role, scoring 48 off 90 deliveries with seven boundaries. He found an aggressive partner in Lewis Jefferies, who blasted 36 from just 22 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes to push the total toward a commanding position.
However, the game turned on its head at 131. In an extraordinary middle-order collapse, Stoke Gifford lost four wickets without adding a single run. Matt Semple was bowled by Ibrahim Badsha Mohammed, before Macdonald and Badsha Mohammed swept through the middle order, dismissing Lewis Russell, Harry Black, and Jefferies to reduce the hosts to 131/6. Macdonald finished with figures of 4 for 48, while Badsha Mohammed took 2 for 20. Joe Black offered valuable lower-order resistance with 14 runs to help push the final total to 152 all out in 39.3 overs.
Defending a target of 153, Stoke Gifford knew early wickets were essential, and Jamie Black delivered an economical masterpiece. His spell of eight overs contained five maidens while taking 3 for 13, dismissing Tim Mason (18), Phil Cordy (0), and Kieran Hughes (0) to put Frampton Cotterell on the back foot at 40/3.
Rich Stadden then turned the screw, dismantling the middle order with 4 for 38. Jimmy Dickinson fell to Stadden for 24, and when Stadden struck twice in quick succession to remove Badsha Mohammed (15) and Derek Lee (0), the visitors were reeling at 90/7.
Frampton Cotterell refused to go down without a fight, led by Narendar Thatikonda. Counter-attacking with a fluent 62 off 57 balls—including six fours and two sixes—Thatikonda spearheaded a tense revival. Supported by Sreekanth Sreedhar (10), he edged his side closer to the target. Stadden trapped Sreedhar lbw at 139/8, but Thatikonda kept Frampton Cotterell in the hunt.
With the visitors needing just three runs to win, the final twist arrived. Joe Black produced a crucial moment in the field to run out Thatikonda for 62 with the score at 150/9. Two balls later, with 39.5 overs bowled, Joe Black bowled Jaydip Mehta for 1 to bowl Frampton Cotterell out for 150, sealing a memorable and nail-biting win for Stoke Gifford.