This 3rd XI Sunday Premier League tie pitted the runaway leaders Clifton against rock bottom Heaton CC, who had won only 1 game all season, with a massive 55 points between the clubs in the table.
After Heaton won the toss and opted to bat, it looked like we'd all be in for an early finish when the visitors found themselves 6/2 then 45/5 after the early exchanges. Oli Dunn was the first to make the breakthrough, drawing the edge for a regulation caught behind, before a suicide single only 2 balls later to the arm of Owen Hogben was not the greatest of decisions, and Heaton were in bother.
In the 7th over, Lewis Keogh got Bhuta edging behind for another into Chris Thorpe's gloves, before he stuck again in his next over to clean up the opener, Needham. Lewis finished with 6-1-33-2, but he can be thankful there's no leg side wides on a Sunday.
Oli Dunn picked up his second wicket with the easiest LBW decision ever given to finish with 8-2-20-2 and both opening bowlers had done their jobs, backed up by a sharp piece of fielding from Owen to get them 5 down cheaply.
Tom Worthington was introduced up the hill, and was welcomed with a wide, a boundary then a maximum from his first 2 legal balls. Nice start. Harrison and Fred were given short spells up the hill, but it was Owen from the top end that ended a 40 run partnership, finishing with tight figures of 8-2-17-1 from his spell. Oscar (5-0-14-1) and Elliot (4-0-27-1) wrapped up the Heaton innings for 163, which is around 100 more than they looked likely to score at one point.
It was the Thorpe "dad n lad" opening partnership to get the chase underway, but it was only the last ball of the third over when dad was bowled bringing that family affair to a premature end. Lad was then joined by Owen, and the youngsters slowly ground the Heaton attack into the ground with a superb 115 run partnership securing the 5 points for the hosts.
It was a partnership of no risks being taken, and not giving the opposition a sniff of a chance, with both making chanceless half centuries. Oscar (63) delivering another score to continue his recent form with the bat, and yet another red inker for Owen (57) who made sure he was there to the end to see the side home and anchored the innings superbly.
Short visits to the crease from Luke (1), Jack (1) and Fred (0) were followed by Lewis Keogh, who tore into the bowling change from the bottom end to hit a quickfire 25 off 16 balls to finish it. His slaying of Mohamad Aamir Dad in the last over resulted in the bowler chucking down a deliberate wide with one needed to win, as he didn't fancy being hit onto the road to finish the game. Poor sportsmanship. Poor form.
This 3rd XI keep knocking off the victories in this canter to the Sunday Premier League title, but it's the Cup Final in 3 weeks time that everyone's eyes are drawn towards.