On a warm and sunny evening Bredon Under 12s visited Elmley Castle in a local derby for the 2017 plate final of the Under 13s Cotswold Hills League.
The home side won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first.
On a slow-paced wicket offering some variable bounce for the bowlers, Bredon batted with patience and restraint and kept the scoreboard moving by attacking any loose bowling.
Positive running between the wickets was also a feature of the innings, and the visitors finished on 273-2 after 16 overs, a good total considering how well Elmley bowled, conceding only 5 wides during the innings.
The home side found themselves under pressure in the run chase, losing a couple of early wickets and being held back by some tight bowling and excellent fielding.
The final Elmley batting pair needed to score 25 runs for victory, but Bredon held their nerve, bowling four great overs at the death.
A smart run out and a fine catch restricted the home side’s final total to 258-7, Bredon winning by 15 runs.
This was a fine all-round team performance from the Under 12s, and capped a successful season for the team, who have made great progress since May and have won six of their 10 matches played.
Glenn Buckley