The final matchday of the 2019 season arrived and the sun came out to celebrate. We made the relatively short trip to Ashton on Mersey who went into the day occupying second place and the final promotion position, only four points clear of Cheadle Hulme. So this was going to be anything but a end of season friendly.
Captain James Shaw won the toss and put the hosts into bat. And it was starting to look like a long afternoon as on a good looking wicket Ashton looked to pile the runs on and had made it safely into the 18th over making 75 runs before the left arm spin of Zaheer Khan made the breakthrough LBW. In his following over he claimed another two victims with the score on 76, first a sharp catch at slip by James Shaw then another LBW. Soon it was 92-4 this time Jonny Reeh taking a stumping to give Zaheer his fourth victim of the day and his 50th of the season. Ashton then made a recovery adding 70 for the fifth wicket until Aaron Cross with a caught and bowled put the skids on their charge, then in the 44th over Cross claimed another this time bowled, 173-6. The final over saw Zohaib Khan claim two wickets (52 for the season)both bowled then two run outs by Cross and Zohaib restricted the hosts to 179 all out.
Our reply started well as Cross and Adam Hugill (who I should of mentioned before bowling 14 overs for next to nothing in random with Zaheer) took the attack to Ashton and put on 80 for the first wicket before Cross was given out caught behind down the leg side for 34 and going past 400 runs for the season in the process, in the first of some truly awful umpiring decisions. Then 85-2 as James Shaw was caught. This was soon as 91-3 as Reeh was given out caught behind aswell despite not hitting it (something their players admitted!) then 92-4 as Lucas Newton been given out LBW despite a big bruise where it hit him at the top of his thigh. The umpires buckling under Aston’s promotion chase. 94-5 as Hugills innings ended stumped for 42 then 94-6 as Frank Hopkins was caught and bowled.Richard Higginbotham was then also controversially given out LBW as we had fallen to 104-7 from 30 overs. Any realistic chance of winning had ended but Zohaib and Joel Shaw were not going to hand it to Ashton and Zohaib made 24 before being caught behind 130-8. Joel Shaw and Zaheer then had 5 overs to see us finish the season with a very creditable draw and with just three balls to go Joel Shaw was deceived by the leg spinners googly and Rob ‘The Rock’ Jones had two balls to survive, ball one ticked off nicely, the final ball hit his pads and as Ashton appealed for promotion the umpire said not out and we finished 147-9 and the season over with a draw.
The drama wasn’t over there though, with the draw everyone was stood about waiting for Cheadle Hulmes result to come through. Then the news arrived, Cheadle Hulme had only drawn so Ashton On Mersey had secured promotion on a dramatic final Saturday. And we finished in 5th place in our first season in division 1.
Man of the match: Adam Hugill