Thrilling finish but Braunton end up on the wrong side of the result

HERE was a thrilling finish at Kelsey where Stoke Gabriel knocked off 333 to win against Braunton with just two balls to spare and three wickets in hand.

- by CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

Stoke needed 40 to win from the final five overs and had opener Abhishek Anand already past a hundred.

It looked like a done deal until the penultimate over when James Lake only went for three runs, which left six balls to face from Jason Raynor, four Stoke wickets intact and seven required to win it.

Raynor dismissed Jack Smith two balls in to add a bit more drama to proceedings. Sean Rooney scampered a single from the next delivery, which put Anand on strike with five needed and three balls left. Abhishek launched the next ball for six to win the game and take his personal tally to 148 not out.

The chase started with a stand of 133 between Stoke skipper Jack Tolley (62) and Anand, which was topped by Dan Duke (24) during another partnership worth 65.

Losing four wickets for 10 runs during a mini slide to 208 for five slowed Stoke’s pursuit for a while.

Liam Mair (65) and Anand revived it with a key stand of 112 for the sixth wicket that made the game winnable.

Braunton’s tally of 332 for four was constructed around two big partnerships, both featuring Callum Mitchell.