NETHERFIELD Cricket Club struck back against Kendal in their latest encounter over the weekend.
The derby game saw Netherfield win by four wickets in a thrilling match up at Parkside Road, recovering from their previous defeat at the hands of the Kendal.
The intense game showed further evidence that both teams had not lost a single step over the time spent in lockdown.
The game was seen as vengeance for Netherfield over those who had handed them another defeat last week.
The Field, who qualified into the next stages of the 40 over cup competition, held their nerve to secure the win.
The way forward was led by Isaac Medhurst as he scored the winning runs in the second to last ball of the game.
Netherfield chased down Kendal’s first innings total of 138-8, and the pressure was kept up throughout the game by both sides.
Josh Dixons’ second innings knock of 45 also proved critical for Ben Barrows’ team as Netherfield celebrated their dramatic victory.
Netherfield won the toss and elected to field first, making a cautious start as they eased into the game while the opening partnerships of Chris Miller and Tom Aspinwall put on a resistant first wicket stand of 21 for Kendal.
Control was regained by Netherfield, as they saw Gareth Benson pick up the wickets of both Aspinwall and James Park.
This was also Benson’s debuting game and he was praised for his performance.
Aspinwall was the first to be dismissed after he was caught by Josh Dixon, before Benson was able to clean bowl Park for zero.
Kendal were 21-2 when Miller and Ben Phillips put on a third wicket stand of 60, before a crucial decision made a big a great impact on the game.
Oli Wileman was brought out into the attack, and produced a top spell of bowling to dismiss Phillips, Miller and Terry Hunte in quick succession.
At this stage Kendal were toiling on 97-5, with the visitors feeling their heat from their Netherfield rivals.
Wickets continued to tumble though, as Saeed Bariwala was caught out by Brad Earl off the bowling of Joel Derham.
Finlay Richardson produced the double stumping of both Richard Dakin and Joseph Dodds off the bowling of Benson and Medhurst to leave Kendal on 138-8 off their 40 overs.
Netherfield's Barrow and Dixon put on a first wicket stand of 35 in response, before the pair were both dismissed in quick succession by Aspinwall.
The visitors were looking solid at times, but more wickets followed as Joseph Dodds managed to bowl out Brad Earl for 12.
Netherfield lost another wicket when Dodds bowled Earl for 12, leaving the visitors on 61-3.
A sudden quick-fire score came from Finlay Richardson who hit 13 off 12 balls before being caught out by Philips, off the bowling from Dodds.
Phillips now had his second catch of the game and Kendal were back in it.
Another wicket fell as Mille trapped Wildeman for nine, however by this time Netherfield were sitting nicely on 101-5, eyeing up a quick victory.
Dixon regained the Netherfield momentum as he fired 44 of 94 balls.
But Kendal weren't going away and gave themselves an outside chance of victory when Dakin ran out Dixon off the bowling of Toby Tyson.
However, with the game going into the last few overs, the deciding factor came in the form of the partnership between Theo Gallagher and Medhurst who guided their team to victory.
Kendal's bowlers were now putting the pressure on in the late stages of the game, desperate for a flurry of late wickets to turn the tide in their favour.
However Netherfield's batsmen soaked up the pressure, but they did leave it very late to secure the victory.
Gallagher 12, and Medhurst 11, managed to steer their side over the line with just two balls to spare in the innings.
It was Medhurst who struck the winning runs, to the delight of his team mates, with Netherfield left to celebrate getting one over on their derby rivals.
Netherfield will host Morecambe on Saturday in the last game of the first phase of the 40 over group before they move into another section.
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