Niton Claim Indoor League Title

Niton claimed the Harwoods Renault Division 1 title at Fairways Sport Centre on Sunday by the narrowest possible margin in an extraordinary conclusion to the championship race. At the start of the evening Niton and Ryde Cavaliers I were tied on points, and with both teams odds-on favourites to win their remaining match both clubs knew simply winning their match may not be enough, with Niton having the edge by virtue of a slightly higher average run rate for the season. In the opening match a deliberately lax Ryde Cavs performance in the field, conceding 95 extras, saw Plessey reach 141-1, a total the Cavs passed in just 8.3 overs (M Hartnell 27 not out), and it seemed the Cavs gamble to boost their run-rate had paid off. Niton then faced a highly motivated Ryde Cavaliers II, knowing they needed to score at least 157 runs from their 12 overs to have a chance of claiming the trophy. Niton got off to a flying start, reaching 92 from the first 6 overs, until Rob Love's 4-31 left them on 156-5 with four balls to go, and the average run-rates tied. The tension was palpable until two runs from the final ball pushed Niton passed the run-rate target, ending on 158 all out (G Wells 44, Joby Wells 28). Still needing to win the game the Niton bowlers showed some nerves early on, and a final twist seemed possible, before four run outs ended Ryde Cavs II's spirited resistance on 113 all out, leaving Niton to celebrate winning the title by a margin of 0.02 runs per over. In the final game Ryde ended their season on a high, reaching 164-3 (M Oatley 34 not out, Laurance Tolfrey 28 not out, Charlie Sammons 25 not out) before bowling out GKN for 84. At Ryde Sports Centre, the Division 2 title was secured by Island Bakeries, who continued their 100% record with a convincing win over St Helens II. Bakeries went into the match knowing a win would be enough to land the title, and a quick start from the openers set the tone for the rest of the game, posting a total of 141-3 (S Williams 29 not out, Tony Cook 27, Richard Webb 26 not out). Disciplined Bakeries bowling restricted the St Helens II batsmen, who eventually slumped to 75 all out (S Rockley 26). Northwood finished their season in style, taking full advantage of some wayward Ryde Cavaliers III bowling to post a big total of 174-1 (Ashley Goldsmith 27 not out, Dave Neal 25 not out, Simon Goldsmith 25 not out) before limiting the Cavs 3rd team to just 83-3 in reply (Pete Holdcroft 26 not out)