Bredon 166-9, Goatacre 162 (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Bredon 166-9, Goatacre 162

GOATACRE suffered heartache at the death after throwing away a glorious opportunity to pick up their third league win of the season on Saturday.

In a rain-affected game Bredon snatched victory from the jaws of their visitors who had looked like winning when only needing 13 runs from seven overs with three wickets in hand.

But Stuart Lucker (3-10) stood up and took the wickets and victory supported by catches in the deep.

After rain had reduced the match to 47 overs a side Bredon got off to a solid start before Dan Horton trapped Kevin Hall LBW with the score on 31.

Scott Curwood then removed Derek Graham thanks to a brilliant one handed catch by wicket keeper Sam Parish but Dave Gordon and Wade Risdale took the score over the hundred mark with a steady partnership.

Rahn Heer was introduced and he clean bowled both of them to leave the home side 107-4 off 35 overs when another shower saw the match reduced to 45 overs a side.

After the restart Martin Hill took 20 off a Kevin Iles over but Iles (3-57) and Heer (4-34) then countered well to restrict Bredon to 166-9.

A lively opening spell by Hill saw him remove Steve Gee and Matt Wilkins for ducks but Steve Lines and Curwood looked comfortable and put on 60 before Lines was LBW to Andy Dudfield for 43.

Peter Turner joined Curwood but when he was caught behind for 16 and Iles was bowled by Dudfield for four the game was in the balance at 105-5.

Jif Wilkins and Curwood then progressed the score to 132 and the game looked to be Goatacre's but Curwood was bowled for 53 by Hill and five runs later Jif Wilkins became Dudfield's fourth wicket when he was caught behind.

The game swang both ways as youngsters Ed Wilkins and Dan Horton again put the game in Goatacre's favour.

Reducing the target to 13 with seven overs remaining but Horton was caught off Stuart Luker going for a big shot.

Sam Parish hit his first ball for four but with five needed Luker had him caught at mid off leaving Wilkins on strike.

Two balls later he suffered the same fate and the home side had pulled off an unlikely victory leaving Goatacre devastated.

Captain Sam Parish was left reflecting on what could have been.

"We bowled well and fielded well and with ten to 15 overs left we thought we had won.

"The disappointing thing is that we had wickets in hand. If we had been bowled out going for it in the last over I would have had no complaints. Now we just have to make sure we learn from the experience and see out games."

Goatacre host Colwall this Saturday.