CRICKET: Swashbuckling Rice smashes sixes to win exciting match for Ilminster

EVERGREEN Craig Rice pulled off some mighty strokes on Saturday (August 26, 2017) to earn Ilminster Cricket Club a fantastic last-over victory against Taunton Deane.

Ilminster needed 15 off the last over to overhaul Deane’s total of 202-8 in the West of England Premier League Premier Two Bristol/Somerset division and Rice could not have picked a better time to unleash a couple of fantastic sixes to help his side home with two balls to spare and four wickets in hand.

It was a perfect and apt way for Rice to win the game in such splendid style for Ilminster as earlier in the day there was a ceremony to unveil a new plaque on the club’s memorial bench to his late father, Tony Rice, a club legend, and another stalwart Keith Harper who both died last year. Rice’s dad would have loved to have seen his son produce such a sparkling finale.

Rice closed on 31 not out from just 23 balls with James Thompson at the other end on an undefeated five, while earlier in the innings openers George Hayward and Charlie Vickery had made 48 and 26 respectively and skipper Sam Spurway 58.

Thompson had been the pick of the Ilminster bowling attack with 4-27 while Vickery gained 2-54 and there was a wicket apiece for Sam Grinter and Richard Elswood.

Ilminster are fourth in the table and complete their season on Saturday (September 2, 2017) when they visit Keynsham.

PHOTO - TOP: Veteran Craig Rice rolled back the years to smash Ilminster CC to victory.

READ MORE – Ilminster CC remembers club stalwarts - http://www.ilminsterpress.co.uk/blog/2017/08/29/cricket-ilminster-cc-remembers-club-stalwarts/ .

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