TON-MAN ROGERS AND COXY SWING IT

JOHN ROGERS and John Cox, with an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 99, swept Findon into a second straight semi-final in another nailbiting match in this exciting competition. Findon now go on August 8 to Sully Centurions in Barry, South Wales, aiming for the Lord's Final they missed last season by just five runs.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Jul 2004, 13:41 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 01:01 BST

Findon were batting second for the first time on their run this year. But the task had mounted as their middle order, with Toby Kingsbury and James Iago out of touch after holiday and work breaks, failed to dictate to Linton's veteran left-arm spinner John Taylor. When Iago departed Findon were 95 for six in reply to 193 and opening bowler Matt Large was about to return.

The Horses needed eight an over with 12 of them left, to reach 194. But here, now, was John Cox '” the hero of the previous round and the most resourceful of Findon's limited-overs batsmen.

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His running between the creases and his ability to manufacture profitable strokes gave a masterclass to his predecessors in the order. And although opener Rogers, destined to be in action for every minute of the match, was running out of energy '” he's now 37 '” he dug deep and the pair swung the pendulum back to vertical.

Only this pair could now do it for Findon but Linton skipper David Castle panicked, threw eight fielders back, so Cox and Rogers began exploiting the infield and claimed initiative.

Large crumbled and, having gone for 10, he then went for nine in an over containing three wides. Linton were to give Findon a second-top-scoring 32 extras. Dan Thirkell, 22, whose fine 109 was the first hundred Findon have conceded in the competition this year or last, had returned at the other end.

Nippy Mark Christmas replaced Large and, for the third time off his bowling, Rogers gave a chance. Dropped twice by Paul Gibson at square- leg when on 35 and 36, Rogers steepled this one to extra-cover where Taylor, running back, put it down. Two more overs brought 15 runs and Findon needed 28 off 18 balls.

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The pace off the wicket suited Rogers and he now gave Linton a nasty surprise. He simply flicked Thirkell over the long-on boundary for big sixes off the first and fifth balls, and also found the extra-cover boundary in a sensational 38th over costing 21 runs to leave seven wanted of two overs.

After Rogers took his 24th run off eight deliveries, completing a decisive 100, Cox pulled Large to the mid-wicket boundary, nine balls were left unrequired and Findon's elation was Linton's shellshock.

Rogers had bowled the final over at Linton, conceding a leg-bye and seven runs off the bat. That, too, was Man-of-the-Match material.