Semi-final v Bamville

Having squeaked through in the quarter finals off the last ball, we were now in the semi-final against a full strength Bamville, looking to take their first victory against us. I won the toss and decided to bowl.
After Mike’s last indiscretions with the balls, he was clearly determined to make amends as I threw him the ball to open the bowling. He had a very unfettered approach and was just going to go for it without any fear of wides. The method clearly worked and he tore in making the ball climb alarming at times. I took the second over and whilst taking no wickets, after first two overs the score was well below par. By the third over, Bamville were in real trouble, with Mike bowling their opener with great ball that cutback and just clipped the top of the stumps. Neil then completed a run out to take them two down. In the fourth over, I produced an unplayable leg break pitching just outside leg and bouncing to take the shoulder of the bat with Neil taking the catch at gully. With 3 down only 50 on the board after 6 overs Steve and Neil took over the bowling, twirling away and keeping the runs down. The wickets tumbled though in Neil’s last two overs, firstly with a sharp stumping from Graeme, then in the 11th over, a catch to short mid off and the last man fell a couple of balls later trapped lbw, leaving Bamville 97 all out. So Neil had had a hand in all but one wicket to fall, having taken 3 for not many, completed a run out and taken the catch of my bowling. What a performance!
To even things up, poor old Tim had not been given a bowl, so he opened with Graeme. They made an excellent staff, with Tim nurdling the ball to the side walls and Graeme striking it as cleanly as usual. For once Graeme failed nearing 25 when he hit a good but aerial cover driver that was cleanly taken off the wall. Mike had the same unencumbered attitude to his batting, striking his first ball so fiercely that still smacked into the back wall for 6 having hit the leg of the short mid-off fielder. Mike had a couple of other close calls, being dropped at leg slip, but all the time was pushing the score along at a good rate. Both Tim and then Mike retired, leaving Steve and I to knock off the few remaining runs in the 8th over to complete an emphatic victory.