County League Egerton Park miss out by a single point as promotion rivals finish level

Egerton Park agonisingly missed out on promotion by a single point despite wrapping up a comfortable win at Billesdon on Saturday.
Egerton Park CC First XI pictured earlier this season. From left, back - Matt King, Kamal Panchal, Richard Bailey, Charlie Madden, Tom Glover, Stuart Rose, Alex Barber; front - Rakesh Seecharan  Henry Newton, Connor Beeken, Nick Watchorn. EMN-180925-101727002Egerton Park CC First XI pictured earlier this season. From left, back - Matt King, Kamal Panchal, Richard Bailey, Charlie Madden, Tom Glover, Stuart Rose, Alex Barber; front - Rakesh Seecharan  Henry Newton, Connor Beeken, Nick Watchorn. EMN-180925-101727002
Egerton Park CC First XI pictured earlier this season. From left, back - Matt King, Kamal Panchal, Richard Bailey, Charlie Madden, Tom Glover, Stuart Rose, Alex Barber; front - Rakesh Seecharan Henry Newton, Connor Beeken, Nick Watchorn. EMN-180925-101727002

Going into the final round of County League matches, Park needed to make up a 15-point deficit on Hinckley Amateur who occupied the second promotion spot in Division Two.

Park wrapped up a quick 25-point win before the heavier rain arrived, but rain abandoned Hinckley’s match just after they had bowled out Houghton and Thurnby.

The five points for an abandoned match and the maximum five bowling points gave Hinckley 10 points, leaving them level on points with Park.

But the Melton side missed out by virtue of having won one match fewer than their rivals this season.

After winning the toss, Park put Billesdon into bat on a wet wicket, looking to avenge their home defeat of seven days earlier.

They took several early wickets to blitz the top order, leaving the hosts reeling on 30-5.

Tom Glover (4 for 44) and Nick Watchorn (2 for 18) bowled very good spells, but a couple of good partnerships from the middle order took Billesdon to a respectable total of 114 all out as Nick Newman (3 for 36) finished off their innings.

Egerton Park lost early wickets in their reply, but Glover (25) and skipper Charlie Madden (48 not out) put together a good partnership to steady the ship and put them on the brink of victory.

Once again Billesdon hit back with two more wickets, but the game had gone, and two fours from Mold saw the visitors to a five-wicket win, capping an excellent season and a third-place finish.

The club wish to say a big thank-you to their matchball sponsor Pera Business Park.

Hinckley: 114.

Bowling: N. Watchorn 7-3-18-2; T. Glover 12-2-44-4; N. Newman 9-1-36-3; R. Seecharan 3-1-9-0.

Park: Rose 1, Bailey 4, Glover 25, Panchal 9, Madden 48*, R. Seecharan 16, T. Mold 8*, Extras 6. Total: 117-5.