PROMOTION SECURED IN LAST DAY THRILLER

Winner takes all game at Elstree where neck and neck sides battle it out for the final promotion place.

In the red corner, Hatch End - their last defeat back in week nine, against Potters Bar. In the blue corner PB 1 defeat in their last 11 games. It couldn't have been any better set up.

Bar however lost the toss and were in deep poop at 57 for 7 and thanks to 75 from Dave Rock got the boys to a challenging total of 171. The hosts were rightly confident and at the writers arrival at 56 for 1 after 13 they had every right to. However the wicket was slow, the outfield a bit spongy, pace off the ball was the way to go.

One wicket was to prove crucial more for belief than anything and they got it. Given caught behind, when it looked debatable at best, when in truth leg before was a better shout, it took an age for the fella to go, but go he had to a Bar were back in it. Mark Turpin finished a tidy spell but the hosts had gone into their shell and their innings was going literally nowhere.

However John Lewis and Dave Pett came on and tossed up some oranges and the hosts simply couldn't deal with them. John Lewis the real wildcard and with some keen fielding Bar were now favourites. There were two good catches taken as Bar got closer towards the finishing line and the game and promotion was secured with a juggling effort at mid on as Mark Turpin held on, his second catch in 10 minutes.
John Lewis took 4 for 21 in an inspired spell for the boys , a couple of wickets for Doc Sharma the pick of the bowling for Bar.

Neither side could crib as it's rare that the season literally went to the last 30 balls and with 1 defeat in 12 games, doing the double over Hatch End as well, the hosts on the day couldn't really moan that the better side have their moment in the sun.

Well done to Dave Pett and his collection of younger players and elder statesmen. It was well deserved and a pleasure to watch.