On a sweltering day at the scorching ground, Didcot won the toss and chose to bowl first on a lively green pitch that offered plenty to everyone. The decision brought instant reward, as Didcot burst into action with an outstanding opening spell.

Samar Wadhwa struck in the very first over, removing one of the Horsepath openers with a sharp delivery. Atharv Shanmugaraj followed with a dream start, taking a brilliant caught and bowled with his very first ball. The same over saw Christopher Bull produce a direct hit run out, leaving Horsepath reeling at 7 for 3 within the opening 9 balls. It was a superb over and a rare wicket maiden at the top.

In the 5th over, William Dagnell added to Horsepath's early struggles with another run out, keeping Didcot firmly on top. However, Horsepath responded with an impressive counter-attack. Through some excellent stroke play and aided by a few wayward deliveries, they rebuilt quickly and raced to 118 for 4 in just 12 overs, putting Didcot under pressure.

The tide turned again in the 17 over when Benedict Howman Bett delivered a double wicket maiden that broke Horsepath’s momentum. The innings then collapsed in dramatic fashion. A string of run outs — 3 from Samar Wadhwa and 1 from Atharv Shanmugaraj, finished off the hosts, who were all out for 155 in 18.3 overs. It was a very competitive total, especially on a pitch that was becoming more difficult to score on.

Didcot’s reply began with caution, as they looked to adjust to the slowing surface and uneven bounce. However, boundaries proved hard to come by and wickets fell at regular intervals. At 66 for 5, Didcot were in real trouble and the game seemed to be slipping away.

Samar Wadhwa and Jerry New then provided some much needed stability with a composed partnership of 34 runs. They batted with patience, but the required run rate continued to climb. Despite their efforts, Didcot were unable to close the gap and eventually finished 34 runs short, a respectable margin that reflected their resilience after an early collapse.

Although the result was a defeat, Didcot showed character and resilience, particularly with their fielding and late batting effort. What had looked like a potential heavy loss was turned into a far more respectable result.

Player of the Match: William Dagnell – for his much improved wicket-keeping.
I-Scream Moment: Rayyan Imran’s diving catch at gully.