After their 9 wins in 9, and a near perfect batting month in June, the 1s were probably in for a little bad luck. But two batting collapses in two days probably wasn't on the cards going into our game against Nantwich on Saturday. We started off well, with neither umpire being aware of the earlier 11am start time, not an auspicious start for a weekend of exceptional umpiring that definitely didn't greatly affect the result of one of the games.

Start being pushed back, Nantwich won the toss and put Dids in with clouds above and rain looming. Tom and Evan started well, reaching 21-0 off 6 before the rain arrived. The break broke the momentum that Dids had built, Evan smashing one low to square leg two balls after the restart, soon followed by Steve, well caught down low at second slip. Tom reached 32 at almost a run a ball with some really attractive strokeplay (albeit after being dropped on 6) when the rain returned. The momentum was again broken, Tom falling to a great diving catch by Scott Wardley, again at second slip, and Nick chipping it to short cover. 58-3 wasn't disastrous, but after a spell of really tight bowling by Mitch Spencer and Jimmy Warrington, Dids found themselves 84-7 and staring right down the barrel. Alex Young, playing his first 1st XI league game, looked right at home playing a gem of a knock to really show his potential. His 20 came at just shy of a run a ball, with some delightful clips and drives, including planting Warrington into the car park. However, when he was the last to fall Dids were all out for 106, which was never going to be enough. To their credit, other than the early drop, Nantwich were catching flies all day, with some excellent bowling to boot.

Liam got an early breakthrough, Ali Chugtai gloving behind trying to leave. However, fielding would prove to be costly for Dids, with runs given away to misfields and Jake Pearson being dropped twice before finally falling LBW to Liam for a sedate 10 off 42 to leave the score at 37-2. This brought in Simon Mugava, formerly of Neston, their overseas for this season, although under league rules not counted as a contracted player despite playing List A in Zimbabwe over the winter. 70 needed was the perfect target for him, and he set about destroying the Dids bowling lineup, scoring 60 off 35 including a monster six over the house in the corner (quite why the standing umpire had to confirm with square leg that it was a six I'll never know). His onslaught only ended as Jonty held on brilliantly, Mugava munching a pull shot straight at him at midwicket. Skipper Ray Doyle looked uncomfortable against the pace of James but got away two boundaries to win by 6 wickets, the last top edge flying millimeters over Charlie's fingertips summing up the day for Dids.

They had a chance to put it right on Sunday, with a 2-hour journey to Kimberley Institute in Nottinghamshire for the National Knockout Round of 16. Driving rain most the way there didn't bode well for a full game, with the weather forecast predicting showers most of the day. Dids really could do without rain and DLS getting involved after the debacle at Barnt Green last year.

Kimberley is probably the strangest ground I've ever been to, with a lightning quick outfield and small boundaries all around the roughly square shaped ground. However, the signature feature of the ground was the slope up to the pavilion. Pictures really don't capture how steep it is, dropping probably about 4 feet within a few yards. The eligibility rules for the National match those of each team's league, and since the Notts Prem went to a fully open quota system in 2023, Kimberley were fielding 8 players with NCCA experience or higher, with a total of 101 first class appearances between them. In contrast Dids were a couple short, Will and Joe both unavailable, leaving the 1s a bowler short (which came to cost the team dearly).

After a short shower just before the start, Dids were again inserted on another green top, although it still looked pretty good for batting. Kimberley started off really well, their tight opening bowling only allowing 25 runs in the powerplay, along with Tim being adjudged LBW for 3. Dids struggled to 46-4 off 15, with Steve, Tom and Rob gone, and so Nick and Charlie had to rebuild. However, that came to an abrupt end when Nick was given out on the sweep, taking a big step outside the line. After a tricky innings on Saturday against Nantwich, Jack looked much more assured guiding a couple of boundaries down to the minute third man boundary. Together with Charlie, they added 47 in just over 9 overs to help up the scoring rate. Kimberley brought on the leg-spin of Ximus du Plooy (brother of Leus, also on Kimberley's books), and he picked up Jack bat before wicket, second ball of his solitary over; James promptly dispatched him for 4 first ball off a rank long hop. Dids were deep in trouble, 108-6 with only 12 overs left, on what was undoubtedly a fast-scoring ground.

Charlie and Jimmy G set about launching a rescue act, Charlie's second in the National this season. Kimberley's bowling lost the plot at this point, bowling a load of slot, which James gleefully put miles down the ground. Meanwhile Charlie was dealing in boundaries, reaching a 4th half-century of the year off just 42 balls. The next 7 overs after Jack's dismissal went for 69 runs, 48 coming in boundaries, until Charlie fell for a fantastic 65, also adjudged (notice a pattern here?) after missing a reverse scoop. James kept the onslaught going, adding another 46 in the last 5 overs with Liam to take the score to 221-7, and his a simply unbelievable 67 off 36, ten 4s and two 6s, including one that went way over the side netting.

Despite the fantastic recovery, 221 never really felt particularly defendable, and Dids would need early and consistent breakthroughs to pull off a heist. Star batsman Akhil Patel had badly rolled an ankle trying to catch a six from Charlie earlier in the innings, and after much wrangling at tea over whether penalty time had been accrued, he emerged from the pavilion with a runner (a first for me). This almost resulted in a calamitous run out in the first over. Patel was clearly struggling and soon holed out to James on the deep cover boundary. Liam then removed du Plooy three balls later, LBW but probably going over (5 likely not out LBs all at the same end now). Jack Nightingale showed his class as he eased to 36, but Steve produced a piece of his usual magic, nicking him off to a smart low catch by Rob. He repeated the trick next over, Charlie having a few goes at it down the legside, and Kimberley were in much the same position as Dids, stalling at 76-4 off 16. At drinks they were 88-4 and the match was evenly poised.

Immediately after drinks Steve produced yet another bit of magic, running in from cover to run out George Bacon who got sold down the river by his skipper Dom Brown. However, what followed was a rather unsavoury incident and probably did impact the result of the game. Bacon had been giving Boothy a bit of chirp, so Boothy gave him a bit back as he went to return the ball to the umpires. Bacon snapped at this, threatening (instant Level 3 offence) the lads and inviting them to the car park later. Charlie and Tim promptly blocked him out from squaring up with Boothy, informed him of the direction of the changing rooms and walked him up the hill. However, when the dust settled and the umpires had discussed, no penalty runs (Law 42.4.2.4) followed which seemed an odd decision.

New batsman Harry Ratcliffe pushed the scoring taking 21 off 2 overs before Steve got him for 33. Steve then snicked off another to finish with figures of 4-32 off his 8. Kimberley were keeling at 135-7, but the skipper was still there and was fighting to stay in the game. James also bowled really well with no luck, a number of plays and misses, and two yorkers that narrowly missed the skipper's leg stump. With 9 overs left Kimberley needed almost 9 an over, but Dids only had Nick and Jonty left to bowl, with Liam, James and Steve all bowled out.

The turning point of the match happened on the last ball of the 33rd over. Brown, who had just reached his 50 off 73 balls, went back and across to a full ball from Nick, swung and missed. It was absolutely plumb (even Brown himself said he was getting ready to walk after the game), and so thought the umpire until his finger was about halfway up. But the finger went back down, and runs were somehow awarded. Nick was apoplectic given all the LBs that had been given by the same umpire, and especially because he had considered each one for a while before giving them. That moment completely killed the game off, and Dids never got another chance, Brown scoring 31 off 19 to finish on 85*, hitting Jonty onto the clubhouse roof to see them home in the final over. Those 5 penalty runs really would have come in useful, needing to defend 11 in the last over rather than just 6.

It really is a shame that two years in a row, weak umpiring has been partly or wholly responsible for us exiting the National. At this stage of the competition you would expect a certain level of competency in the officiating, but it is left to the reader to decide whether it was met. The fight from the team was fantastic after a difficult start, but the lack of a 6th bowling option did cost us after Nick started to get lined up at the back end.

We do still have the T20 cup (QF vs Lindow on Thursday), Cheshire Cup, and are only 35 points behind first place in the League, so there is plenty to play for in the rest of the season.