Norfolk CCC hosted bottom of the table Bedfordshire CCC in their final NV Play One Day Trophy Group game and won by 2 wickets.
Bedfordshire won the toss and batted first and lost opener Jake Tarling for 23 bowled by Hamidullah Qadri. Norfolk made scoring difficult early on before the visitors then put on an excellent partnership of 127 for the 2nd wicket before Jamie Dunk was stumped by Charlie Hood of Qadri again for 68. Opener Nabil Moughal was continuing to bat well for Bedfordshire but soon lost partners Richards (0) and Faleel (11). Captain George Thurstance gave good support for Moughal as Moughal brought up a well-deserved century. Moughal fell in the last over run out for 127 with 3 x 6s and 8 x 4s. Thurstance scored 29 off 18 balls before he was out with one ball to go as the visitors posted 269 for 6, a score which looked very unlikely for the majority of the innings.
Norfolk got off to a flyer with Fairey and Arthurton scoring freely. Fairey was first to bring up his fifty before being bowled for 53. Finlay Wilcox was then caught and bowled for 7 by Moughal. Captain Arthurton then brought up his fifty before he was caught on the square leg boundary for 61. This then signalled a collapse with another 4 wickets falling for just 5 runs, Moghal was the main instigator taking 4 for 36. Norfolk still had Ben Wilcox at the crease and as the game started to look out of reach, he had other ideas. Supported by the tail, Wilcox smashed 94 not out off just 74 balls with 5 x 6’s and 7 x 4’s as he took Norfolk to victory with 5 balls to spare. Norfolk now host Cheshire CCC at Sprowston CC in the Quarter Final on Sunday 7th June.
Ben Wilcox on his way to an exploive 94 n.o. Photo taken by Adam Pryke.
Scorecard: Norfolk CCC
