WEST Tamworth were lucky to salvage first innings points after City United almost pulled off what looked the impossible at 3-12 at stumps on day one of their clash at No.1 Oval.
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In the end, they fell just 11 runs short after Ben Semmler was unluckily run out on the fifth ball of the 64th over.
It was marginal and a frustrating end for City to what was a fantastic fightback.
Chasing West’s 209, they looked in all sorts when Shawn Mepham trapped Pat Dwyer in front with just seven added to their total.
Enter Dan Lawrence. He and Tom Fitzgerald, who was the not out overnight batsman, quashed any thoughts Wests had of running through them quickly with an 81-run partnership.
They knocked the runs up in quick fashion too, taking City from 4-19 to 100 in just 13 overs.
Lawrence did most of the damage, belting six fours and three sixes on his way to 59.
He faced just 39 balls, the gamble of pushing him up the order paying off.
“He changed the momentum exactly the same as Sam Pearson did (for Wests), and took the pressure off Tom Fitz,” City skipper Simon Toyer said.
Lawrence’s dismissal provided some relief for Wests, especially with Fitzgerald following six runs later for 25.
After another couple of quick ones, the game looked to be turning back West’s way.
But City still had plenty of fight left in them, Ben Semmler and Liam Dunn giving them a sniff of the points.
They put on 70 for the ninth wicket to take them within 19 of victory.
“We know we can bat that deep. It was just good to see a bit more patience in our bottom order,” Toyer said.
Both made 35, with Dunn standing up well to some feisty deliveries from Brendon Reynolds straight after tea.
Toyer thought the runout call was a bit dubious and did feel a bit deflated but was still proud.
“Last year we would have got rolled for 60,” he said.
They shouldn’t have been in that situation though.
“At the end of the day, responsibility falls on the top order for what happened,” he said.
Those three wickets at the end of Saturday was where they lost it.
West skipper Dave Mudaliar conceded he thought it was slipping away from them.
“Especially those last two. They played very sensibly and didn’t give us chances,” he said.
They probably did get a little bit of luck but, as he said, you make your own luck.
“It’s just good to get a win out of those games,” he said.
“I thought Jake Baker came back well. He kept us in the game.”
Baker got the two big breakthroughs, picking up both Lawrence and Dunn.
“I thought we probably went through a period there where we bowled a touch short,” Mudaliar said.
The wicket, though, wasn’t giving a lot of assistance.
They were also missing Tim Kensell, which made a big difference.
Baker and Mepham both finished with three, Mepham then finishing off a good allround game with a brisk 32 as West made 5-96 in their second innings.