In a dramatic finish that will be talked about for seasons to come, a Cheshire County Cricket League 2nd XI match between Marple CC and Bramhall CC on Saturday, July 12, culminated in an astonishing tie after Marple lost their last five wickets for a remarkable zero runs.
The stage for this unforgettable encounter was the Michael Hibbert Cricket Ground. Bramhall, having won the toss, opted to bat first and were eventually bowled out for 201, seven balls shy of their 50 overs.
Captain and opener Rishi Kannah anchored the innings with a patient 57 off 118 deliveries, supported by wicketkeeper Ed Gray's 26. Notably, extras contributed a significant 25 runs. Marple's bowlers shared the spoils, with Greg Marsland, James Hirst, and Joel Greasley each claiming three wickets.
Marple's chase began with a couple of early wobbles, finding themselves at 47-2. However, a superb 119-run partnership for the third wicket between James Crisall (54) and Will Darby (73) seemingly put them on course for a comfortable victory.
But cricket, as it often does, had a final twist in store. Marple reached 201-5 in 49 overs, needing just one run for victory. This is when Josh Patel, Bramhall's pacer, delivered an almost unbelievable spell. He took a hat-trick, dismissing Andrew Wild, Greasley, and Edward Skelton, and then followed it up with a fourth consecutive wicket, trapping No.10 Ben Bailey lbw.
With one run required from two balls and only one wicket remaining, Marple skipper James Hirst strode to the crease. In a nail-biting final moment, Hirst pushed his first delivery into the offside and set off for a single. However, a sharp piece of fielding saw Andy Tatton collect the ball and lob it to wicketkeeper Ed Gray, who broke the stumps at the striker's end, running out Marsland and sealing an incredible tie.
Both sides walked away with eight points for the game, in addition to three bowling and four batting points, a fitting reflection of a match that defied all expectations.
There was a lot of buzz on social media after the news broke. One user on X referred to it as a crime scene in cricket whites, commenting, "Needing 1 run to win and losing 5 wickets? That’s not a collapse—it’s a crime scene in cricket whites."
Another user questioned the non-striker's intent for not running early, asking, "Why wasn’t the non-striker backing up further on the final ball?"
Meanwhile, at the Lord's Cricket Ground, India are trying to bowl out England for a score as minimum as possible. England are six wickets down, but Ben Stokes is still batting with Chris Woakes at the Tea break. England have taken a lead of 175 runs in the match.
