You know it's going to be a good match when the opposition coach arrives in a shirt and tie from his office job and asks if we are re-bowling wides...

Lightcliffe won the toss and elected to bat, eager to make the most of the sun. Our openers were solid against their pacey bowlers, setting the tone for the match and attacking as much as possible. While Harry, George, Theo, Daniel, and Brodie consistently chipped away at the runs (most of them scoring boundaries), the middle order was humorously attempting to dislodge Ethan's "slider" (or "flip-flop" in old money) from the clubhouse roof, where it had ended up "by accident."

But with both shoes firmly on, Ethan took to the stage with the finest batting performance I have personally witnessed, an opening cover drive for four being the highlight. Milo then came to the crease after a brief pause in play when another "accident" occurred: he hit his teammate over the head with his flailing bat while coming down the steps. Seth, thankfully, survived to tell the tale.

This incident did not affect Milo's nerves, as his flailing bat proved useful in hitting boundary after boundary! Milo and Ethan forged a beautiful partnership at the wicket, pushing us towards 100 runs. Next up, Nico and Ollie Wood propelled us over the century mark, finishing our innings on 110 runs.

Hartshead's opening batters were strong against our initial bowlers. Seth, despite his sore head, bowled well and kept them at bay, while the ever-developing and impressive Ollie bowled with pace to keep them on their toes.

However, the batters soon found their rhythm. It was some consistent bowling on the wicket from Brodie Tait that finally claimed their first wicket. Theo Fletcher then stepped up to bowl some tricky left-handers, which led to their second wicket—a combined bowl and run-out by Theo; quick thinking indeed! Daniel Dent and Viktor both bowled well, adding to the wickets, and Milo's quick and powerful fast bowls ensured they were well off the required run rate. A late flurry, though, saw HMCC fight back, needing only 13 runs from 2 overs! It was shaping up to be a barnstorming finish!

Ethan mirrored his batting display with some fine bowling, claiming his first wicket. Then it all came down to the final two balls... both teams on 110. Hartshead needed one run to win; we needed at least a wicket. Ethan trundled down the crease, flung the ball hard and full.

"WHATSAPP!" shouted the parents (?!), the lads cheering, and the stumps fell to the ground, plumb and centre!

One of the best final overs I've seen! The match ended in a draw, with Lightcliffe celebrating more than Spurs winning the Europa League!

Overall, it was a massive team effort from a group of lads not usually all in the limelight. Immensely proud parents and players!

Match Report by Tom Fletcher