NAG1: 140ao (45 overs)

Woodham Mortimer 2s: 122ao (40.4overs)

T.Rippon - Division 7

NAG1 won by 18 runs

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NAVESTOCK and Ardleigh Green snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and avoided relegation in the most dramatic fashion.

In a tension-filled finale, where only the winner would stay up, Nag1 completed an increasingly unlikely win and managed to pull off a great escape from the drop, winning four of their last six games.

Nag1 set a very modest total of 140-7 from their 45 overs, and that was largely thanks to an eighth wicket unbroken stand of 31 between the experienced duo Vic Simmons and Andy Symes.

And Woodham were cruising to victory at 96-3 and 108-5 when the final five wickets fell for 14 runs.

Captain Gary Pearson and vice captain Matt Simmons took two each before Simmons ran out the final pairing with a direct hit from mid-on, off Pearson’s bowling.  

Afterwards M.Simmons, the pick of the bowlers (11-3-38-3), couldn’t hide his delight. 

He said: “It was a terrific team performance. It just shows what you can do when you keep fighting. 

“We’ve now built a platform which will enable us to push for a top four spot in 2015.”