Harry Tulk took a stunning boundary catch off the fourth ball of the last over to deny Hythe & Dibden a Southern Premier League East 2/3 group victory over Old Tauntonians & Romsey, who just managed to defend 223 and win by two runs.
It looked all over for Hythe when, having reached 200-6, three wickets fell for only seven runs - to leave them 206-9 with time running out – but Dan Taylor didn’t give up the fight.
He launched two big sixes, but then holed out to Tulk, who took a superb catch in front of a crowded Jones Lane pavilion to leave Hythe two runs adrift at 21 all out.
Earlier, a hard-hit half-century by Zimbabwean all-rounder Bothwell Chapungu (50), with support from Tulk (26) and Jovan Dhariwal (25), eased the visitors to 165-4.
Charlie King then weighed in with 58 before Tom Gates (4-49) terminated the innings.
Like OTs, who lost opener Joe Vaughan for a duck, Hythe made an indifferent start with Gates bowled by the teenage Dhariwal, who will be awarded his Blue for Cambridge in this week’s Varsity match against Oxford at Fenners.
Andy Wakely (42) got Hythe’s innings back on course, but the main thrust came from Zac Millar, who produced a superb 94, clearing the boundary six times alongside seven fours, before being bowled by Chapungu (3-17), who went on to have a hand in three subsequent wickets.
But while wickets fell, Taylor blazed away, hitting a four and three maximums before the boundary catch sealed it for OTs.
It looked all over for Hythe when, having reached 200-6, three wickets fell for only seven runs - to leave them 206-9 with time running out – but Dan Taylor didn’t give up the fight.
He launched two big sixes, but then holed out to Tulk, who took a superb catch in front of a crowded Jones Lane pavilion to leave Hythe two runs adrift at 21 all out.
Earlier, a hard-hit half-century by Zimbabwean all-rounder Bothwell Chapungu (50), with support from Tulk (26) and Jovan Dhariwal (25), eased the visitors to 165-4.
Charlie King then weighed in with 58 before Tom Gates (4-49) terminated the innings.
Like OTs, who lost opener Joe Vaughan for a duck, Hythe made an indifferent start with Gates bowled by the teenage Dhariwal, who will be awarded his Blue for Cambridge in this week’s Varsity match against Oxford at Fenners.
Andy Wakely (42) got Hythe’s innings back on course, but the main thrust came from Zac Millar, who produced a superb 94, clearing the boundary six times alongside seven fours, before being bowled by Chapungu (3-17), who went on to have a hand in three subsequent wickets.
But while wickets fell, Taylor blazed away, hitting a four and three maximums before the boundary catch sealed it for OTs.