T.Rippon Mid-Essex Cricket League: Div 7.

Navestock and Ardleigh Green 1s beat Boreham 1s by 1 wicket.

Nag 1s won toss and elected to field
Boreham 1s:  151-9 (45 overs)
Nag 1s:          155-9 (44.3 overs)

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NAVESTOCK and Ardleigh Green 1s finally got their season underway thanks to a one-man wonder show.

Left-arm swing bowler Billy Greaves ripped through Boreham’s top order with a devastating opening spell of 5 for 21, off his 12 overs.

Then, later batting at number 10, he found himself at the crease with last man Paul Evans with his side needing 17 runs off the last three overs, and hopes of victory fading fast.

Despite never having hit a single 6 in his career, an inspired Greaves managed to cleanly belt TWO as he confidently led Nag1 to their first win of the season.

Vice Captain Matt Simmons said: “It was some performance.

“He was in a world of his own out there today. His bowling was exceptional but his batting, under that sort of pressure, was simply brilliant. 

“And the team badly needed this, we’ve been rather unlucky of late now hopefully this will kick-start our season.”

Nag1 made hard work of the chase after bowling well and keeping Boreham to a modest total of 151.

After losing both openers early, Simmons (63) and K.Patel (24) steadied the ship with a third wicket stand of 78.

But Nag1 slumped from 85 for 2 to 135 for 9, and it seemed Boreham, with all the momentum, would go onto win.

But Greaves (24no) had other ideas. And his stunning individual effort was capped with a crisply hit on-drive for 4, which sealed victory with just three balls left.