Ancaster emerged victorious against Ketton Sports in a thrilling encounter in the South Lincs and Border League on Saturday.
The village side secured their fourth win from five Division One games after beating their Rutland visitors by two wickets.
Ketton, having lost the toss, were put in to bat on a challenging wicket.
Ancaster’s bowlers kept a tight grip on the scoring rate, restricting Ketton to less than two runs per over in the early stages. Despite this slow start, the visitors aimed to build a solid platform.
After the drinks interval, Ketton attempted to accelerate the scoring with wickets in hand.
However, Ancaster’s Dan Parker delivered a brilliant spell, claiming 5-40. His exceptional bowling saw a steady fall of wickets from one end.
Amidst this, Ketton’s Brad Lucas remained resilient, scoring an unbeaten 45, and guiding his team to a competitive total of 154-7 in their 45 overs.
Ancaster’s chase began poorly, losing seven wickets for just 70 runs inside the first 25 overs.
With the team in disarray, many felt the match was slipping away. However, Ancaster’s Chris Haynes and Luke Bristow, typically known for their bowling, stepped up with the bat.
Initially aiming to make the score respectable, Haynes and Bristow began to turn the tide.
As runs started to flow, the atmosphere at the ground became electric with the prospect of an improbable victory.
Haynes, growing in confidence, unleashed a flurry of boundaries, dismantling the Ketton bowling attack.
Bristow played a crucial supporting role, holding his ground and allowing Haynes to attack.
Haynes reached his maiden half-century for the club, a significant milestone in the 37th over.
Bristow eventually fell for 13 in the 41st over, briefly reviving Ketton’s hopes.
Nevertheless, Haynes maintained his aggressive approach, steering Ancaster to victory in the 43rd over. He finished unbeaten on 66 after securing a memorable win.
This match showcased remarkable resilience and determination from Ancaster with Haynes and Parker delivering stand-out performances to lead their team to an extraordinary comeback victory.
A five-wicket haul from Daniel Gibson helped Belvoir to victory in the South Nottinghamshire League on Saturday.
Gibson took 5-11 from a terrific 10-over spell which featured three maidens as visiting Kirkby Portland were bowled out for 83.
Tom Lindsay and Lewis Dann also took two wickets each as Belvoir won by eight wickets in the Division A match.
Alex McNulty and Tom Neville then led the charge to victory with unbeaten innings’ of 37 and 31 respectively.
The second team were also in fine form with the ball as they beat Long Eaton by six wickets in Division G.
Phil Irvine took 3-6 from a superb seven-over spell while Tommy Bealby bagged 3-12 from his 5.2 over stint as Long Eaton were bowled out for 66.
The win was then wrapped up in 18 overs as William Green top-scored for Belvoir with 27.