Old Merchant Taylors' end season unbeaten (From Watford Observer)

Old Merchant Taylors' promoted after unbeaten season

9:42am Thursday 8th September 2011 in Cricket

Old Merchant Taylors' Seconds secured sporting immortality at the weekend by drawing their final Thames Valley League Division 8B game to finish the season unbeaten.

It was a feat made all the remarkable by the fact that this was a team who had suffered four successive relegations, within which period only four league games were won.

The achievement has the added poignancy because it has come in the club’s first season at their new home, the War Memorial Sports Ground at Merchant Taylors’ School, after they left their previous home in Croxley Green following a 70 year residency.

The game saw OMT pitted against mid-table Hayes Thirds. Despite that it was a game that went right down to the final ball and was one that the home team very nearly lost.

OMTs won the toss and elected to bowl first but Hayes posted a very competitive 194 for nine off their allotted 52 overs. In amongst the OMT bowlers Kavit Patel (who has had a superb season with the ball taking 30 league wickets and over 40 in all competitions) and Dhiraj Shah were the pick, taking three and four wickets respectively.

In response, OMTs stuttered uncharacteristically from the start, and despite handy contributions from Guy Edwards, Shripal Shah and Kavit Patel never looked like chasing down the win. Instead holding out for the draw quickly became the aim, and it looked to have been achieved with Patel (46) going particularly well.

That was until a rash shot off the penultimate ball of the match was his undoing, meaning eleventh man Rajiv Radhakrishnan, who had batted only twice all season, had to face one ball. The tension on the boundary amongst all those gathered was palpable. One defiant forward defensive later and the celebrations could begin. The game ended in an exhilarating draw.

Skipper Guy Edwards said: “No matter what the sporting arena, to go unbeaten, as we have done, is a mark of sustained supreme performance. We’ve written our names into the club’s history books and everyone involved in the season should take immense pride in the achievement. Days like today are the reason why we all play sport.”

Club chairman Chris White said: "I could not be more proud of Guy Edwards' team and their achievement in not only being promoted as champions after four difficult years, but also in being the only unbeaten side this year out of the 170 teams in the Thames Valley League.

"It is the perfect way to celebrate our move this year to our fantastic facilities at the War Memorial Sports Ground and it will give the club a huge boost before our centenary season next year."

What with the Firsts coming out on top in their own last day drama by securing Division 4A status for another year, and a terrific mid-table finish for OMT Thirds in Division 9B, the first season in their new home has proven to be one the club will never forget.