In the last game of this truncated I'Anson season, Churt, having collected their league winners medals and trophy just moments before play started, won the toss and elected to bat - a decision that they were going to immediately regret.

Charlie Cuervo Moraga bowled Jeremy Cowles with his second delivery and the dangerous Sam Mercer with his fifth, leaving Churt two wickets down without a run on the board at the end of the first over.
Not wanting to be outdone, Robin Sebastian clean bowled captain Matthew Marsh to leave Churt on 0/3 after two. Churt must have been praying that their luck would have to change, but worse was to follow as Cuervo Moraga and Sebastian both took another wicket to leave Churt wondering why they had got up that morning as they looked at the scoreboard showing 5/5.
Mike Marmion (26) and Jack Turner (34) built a useful partnership of 59 which began to give the score some respectability, but after Marmion was brilliantly run out by Rich Jarratt, wickets started to fall again. Adrian Askew scored an entertaining 34 from 35 balls to take the score to 126, but Liphook were the happier team at the halfway point and 14 yr old Cuervo Moraga would have been delighted with his best figures in adult cricket of 4/23 from 7 overs.

In reply, Liphook didn't have everything their own way, as Churt battled hard to maintain their hitherto unbeaten season, and wickets fell steadily through the run chase.
Fortunately for Liphook, Richard Jarratt was in terrific form and led Liphook home with a superbly timed match-winning 65 not out. Skipper Al Lewis was the only other Liphook batsman to reach double figures, but Churt will be ruing the devastation caused to their top 6 batting line up as those wickets set Liphook on their way to a hard fought victory by 3 wickets.

It was a fitting end to a really great, albeit shortened, season for the 3s, which started with a friendly against the same opposition back in July on the first weekend the resumption of team sports was allowed. Huge credit and many thanks should go to the committee that run the I'Anson League for acting so quickly to get a competitive league up and running. Our 3rd XI played in Div 6 this season and finished 4th ( with only 0.5points separating from 2nd ) - having won 6 of their 8 completed games, including the last 5 fixtures in a row...

Even more pleasing was the chance this meant we could give to a raft of younger players experiencing adult cricket for the first time, as well as welcoming some new members to the Club. The signs are really good that we have a strong base to build on this season as we progress through the I'Anson divisions for the 3rd team, but most importantly to develop young talent towards the 2nds and ultimately, our 1st XI squad.

Anyone reading this who fancies getting involved next year, either as an experienced player or perhaps parent of a child who will be 13 or over come April 2021 who might want to start an adult cricket career, please do drop me a line and we will look forward to welcoming you to some net sessions over the winter ( we hope ) and a season of cricket next year.

Thanks to all that contributed to the season that very nearly never was..!!

AL