14/09/2026
Bugbrooke Cricket Club 2nd XI produced a brilliant fightback to beat Podington Cricket Club 2nd XI by two wickets at Bugbrooke Playing Field on Saturday.
Podington won the toss and elected to bat first, but the Bugbrooke attack kept them under pressure throughout.
Pat Johansen bowled superbly, taking 3-33 from his 10 overs, before Michael Chapman produced a devastating triple-wicket maiden on his way to figures of 3-20 from just five overs. William Howarth then helped finish the job with 3-30, as the three bowlers shared nine wickets between them and Podington were dismissed for 137 in 29.3 overs.
Chasing 138, though, things quickly became far from straightforward for the Trumpets!
While Jonny Goodson stood firm at one end, wickets tumbled around him. Alexander James Franklin ,Daniel Wright, Ben Tompkins and Alasdair Bailey were all dismissed without scoring, leaving Bugbrooke in serious trouble.
Goodson refused to buckle and produced a superb battling innings of 61 from 96 balls, finding the boundary 12 times and providing the backbone of the Bugbrooke chase.
After Goodson’s departure there was still plenty of work to do, but Dan Starmer’s 26 from 34 balls, including three fours and a six, proved another crucial contribution.
Then came Pat Johnson, completing an outstanding all-round performance. Having already taken three wickets with the ball, Johnson held his nerve with an unbeaten 36 from 47 balls, including six fours, to drag Bugbrooke towards the finishing line.
With Will Howarth alongside him at the end, Bugbrooke finally reached 138/8 from 38.1 overs, sealing a dramatic two-wicket victory and collecting the full 20 points.
From a top order containing four ducks to getting over the line with only two wickets remaining, the 2nds certainly didn’t do it the easy way — but this was a fantastic display of character and another excellent team victory.
