STRETFORD 1st team recorded two victories from the final ball of the innings this weekend, to put in a challenge for the division 1A title.

If you thought last week's penultimate ball thriller was exciting, prepare to be amazed.

Stretford visited cup finalists Wythenshawe on Saturday, still without opening bowler Ben Casey and number three batsmen Neil McGuffog, and pulled out all the stops to strive to victory.

The visitors started off poorly, losing Paul Walmsley just three balls into the first over.

Stretford then lost fellow opener Neil Butterworth two overs later, and Dave Bloor followed three overs after that.

The score was 5-3 and Stretford looked in danger.

Captain Jamie Alldred and overseas amateur Gaurav Sharma then upped the pace and put on 93 for the fourth wicket when Alldred fell victim to the Australian Heath Pedrola.

Another wicket fell at 109, and it was the turn of Ian Kirk at the crease.

He added 43 with Sharma, until he too was one of Pedrola's casualities, going for 21.

Two wickets then fell for four runs and Stretford were 156-8, with fours over to go.

Kev Ryan then batted with Sharma until 178-9, Ryan being out on the last ball.

Sharma ended up ten short of a century and remained not out.

Wythenshawe lost John Bowers on the first ball of the innings, thanks to a great catch from the bowler Sharma.

Pedrola, who made a double-century earlier in the year, fell next to Willie Woodall for just 11.

Jason Rudge then followed, bowled by Woodall for 43.

Holmes and Andrew Crowther then made 26 between them bringing the score to 84-4. McCoy didn't last long and went at 88-5.

A run out saw Holmes leave, and the score was 109-6.

Dean and Colin Crowther then out on an excellent 37 before Crowther left.

Captain Dean Grierson left soon after and it was 151-8, leaving Wythenshawe needing 28 from three overs, and Stretford needing 2 wickets.

Taylor and Dean stuck it out until the first ball of the last over, when Dean was trapped lbw by Ryan.

Wythenshawe needed to survive five balls.

Before the last ball, the score owas 172-9, so Wythenshawe could no longer win.

Kev Ryan placed it on the right spot and it hit Roger Taylor on the pads, a somewhat half-hearted appeal came next, and after what seemed like an eternity the umpire raised his finger.

Woodall bowled 15 overs taking 4-40 and Ryan bowled 13 overs 3-38.

On Monday, the first team were at home to Dfeane and Derby.

After the visitors forfeited the toss for late arrival, Stretford skipper Jamie Alldred decided to field.

Stretford bowled well on a bowling track, and restricted the visitors to 143, claiming the last wicket in the last over.

Professional Amer Gangat made 57 runs for the visitors, with S Patel making 35.

Gaurav Sharma bowled extremely well and took 5-47 from a marathon 19 overs.

Vincent Walsh took 2-14 from a tight 6 overs.

Paul Walmsley and youngster Craig Burke opened the batting, and made 30 before Burke was bowled for 11.

Dave Bloor then helped Walmsley take the score to 57, before Bloor was adjudged lbw from Gangat.

Jamie Alldred came and went just 11 runs later, his replacement Gaurav Sharma.

A partnership of 56 was formed between Walmsley and Sharma until l126-4, ,when Walmsley was caught having made 61.

At this stage, there were just four overs left and 18 runs required.

Sharma and Kirk added 12 until Sharma left caught behind on 33.

137-5, seven runs needed from the last over and Kev Ryan entered the fray.

Four runs and three balls later, Ryan pulled up with an injured leg.

Sharma became his runner, ran on the fourth ball, and was run out on the fifth.

This meant that two runs were needed from the last ball with veteran Vinnie Walsh facing.

He got glove on it and ran for his life, as did Kirk and the pair completed the required two.

Gangat finsihed with 3-64.

Monday saw the second team travell to South West Manchester, who were retricted to 156-8, mainly thanks to Chris Barlow who bowled 14 overs, 4-43, and the ever economical Rick Buckingham who bowled 16 overs for just 32.

Popplewell (38) and Hargreaves (33*) were the main performers for South West.

The Stretford reply came many in the form of the in-form Roy Cumberbatch, who made 95* and was ably supported by Chris Barlow (23) amongst others.

Stretford finished on 160-4, and the only mentionable bowler was Gordon Slater. 9-2-19-1.

In the middle of all this, the third team consolidated their top of the tabel position with four wicket win over Brooksbottom on Sunday.

Brooksbottom managed 127-9 with top scores from Wood (40) and Davis (35*).

The Stretford bowling was good, with Gordon Agnew bowling a marathon 25 over spell taking 3-57.

Support came from Trevor Lawrence who bowled an exceptional 15 overs, four for 24.

Stretford knocked off the runs for six wickets, with the top score of 45 going to Adam Smith and scores in the teens from Fletcher, Jones and Burke.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.