Belvoir CC hold their nerve in Kimberley thriller

The hosts batted first and started calmly against some tight bowling as Chas Hubbard (35) mixed patience with moments of bravado.

At 48-2 he was joined in a stand of 59 by Lewis Dann who batted with measured aggression.

Hubbard’s wicket, the first of two for John Terry, heralded a series in which batsmen got in and out again.

But Dann played some delightful strokes and stood firm, passing his fifty from 65 balls.

Joe Bottomley (34) accelerated the run rate, and Dann joined in with gusto to bring up a wonderful unbeaten 112 off a further 41 balls as Belvoir posted 280-7.

In reply, Kimberley raced along at five-an-over largely thanks to Buhadur Singh Digwa (39) who looked to take the game away from Belvoir single-handedly until he was stumped by Ryan Lewis.

Bottomley and Fraser Fentem (2 for 30) took two wickets apiece, but at 116-4 Kimberley’s run rate was approaching five-and-a-half an over, and Danny Williams (66) and Terry (57) set about upping it.

But in the middle of the maelstrom, a passage of six overs from Danny Gibson and Bottomley conceded only 20 to push the asking rate up to six.

The extra pressure told as both batsmen fell caught behind by Lewis off the lively Phil Irvine (3 for 54).

Kruthar Dave and Adam Majid tried to keep up the chase, but back came Bottomley (5 for 70) to take an unassisted hat-trick to leave Kimberley 242-9 and needing 39 from five overs.

Khan and number 11 Sukdeep Sidhu could have settled for a losing draw, but instead thumped their way to within 11 of victory before Irvine clean bowled Khan to clinch an 10-run win.