Newly-promoted Finch Hill shocked Weekend T20 League cricket leaders Peel and St John’s with a four-wicket win at Garey Mooar on Saturday, while Valkyres also upset the form book with a home win against Cronkbourne.
Finch Hill’s Fraser Clarke trapped Peel danger man Ollie Webster lbw in the opening over and clean bowled Peel’s other opening batsman Juan Bellando with the score on 11.
Finch Hill made further inroads to leave Peel at 39 for four before Neil Jacobs repaired some of the damage in a fifth-wicket partnership of 69 with Russ Miller.
Jacobs was run out by Clarke on the last ball of the innings for a score of 52, with Peel reaching 108 from their 20 overs.
In reply, although Sam Barnett was out for 11, Christian Webster made early inroads into the target with 52 from only 32 balls, but Ollie Webster picked up four wickets to leave Finch Hill in the precarious position of 85-6.
But all-rounder Clarke and Indrakumar Gandu came together to propel Finch Hill over the line for a four-wicket win.
The match between Valkyres and Cronkbourne at King William’s College was also a close contest, with Cronkbourne posting 145 from their 20 overs. Aakash Radhakrishnan was the pick of their batsmen with an unbeaten 75 from 55 balls.
Valkyres reached the target in the last over, largely thanks to a 69-run partnership between Wasim Khan and Mohammed Ziauddin.
In Division One, there were home wins by 54 runs for Crosby and Ramsey respectively. Crosby posted a huge target of 190, with opener Joe Humphrey hitting 57 from 34 in an opening partnership of 78 with Sam Ford (43), while Mike Callister added 49 from only 24 balls.
Peel got off to a good start with opening pair Tim Evans (57) and Harry Hewson (30) building a partnership of 73, but once Hewson was out to Adi Reddy the westerners were never able to make inroads into the target and were all out for 135 in the 18th over.
Castletown wicketkeeper Dylan Howard’s 55 got them off to a good start against Ramsey but Hugh Tummon with 28 was the only other Town batsman to reach double figures.
It took a forceful 62 from only 35 balls from Brendan Aitchison batting number six to get them over the line.
In Division Two, there was a nail-biting finish at Cronkbourne where the hosts’ thirds posted 178 for four and Valkyres reached the target with a ball and a batsman to spare. Will Wood top scored for Cronkbourne with 80, supported by Joel Williams who was unbeaten on 41.
Syed Muhammad Naqvi smashed 76 from only 39 balls but, with six required and only two balls left, Mohammed Muaz hit Nick Maurel for six from the penultimate ball.
Leo Tregurtha’s 39 helped Ramsey to 133 for six from their 20 overs and Castletown were 13 runs short of the target despite top scorer Clare Crowe’s 28 runs.
SIMON CRELLIN