THEY hid their disappointment well but Exhall's cricketers knew they had thrown away a great opportunity to stay on the road to Lord's, writes Mervyn Collins.

Last Sunday's quest for a place in the last 16 of the National Village Championship took the Cotswolds Hills Leaguers into the heart of the Staffordshire countryside.

The country air certainly pepped up Simon Hollands' men in the field but they were quite literally tied in knots when tweaker Chris Tye was thrown the ball.

Four magnificent catches were pouched after Draycott and Hanbury had been asked to bat, while wily old John Park's nine-over spell of 4-29 was a remarkable effort against a side that had topped 250 for the loss of one wicket in the group final.

A total of that proximity was still on the cards with Rob Ellerington at the crease and, standing at 171-5 in the 32nd over, Exhall, despite their fabulous fielding display, feared the worst.

However, Ellerington, who hit an unbeaten 158 last time out, holed out to Matt Gwynn off the immaculate Park.

Hollands then took a diving effort to remove the equally threatening Andy Addy next over and Scott Carmichael's incredible acrobatics then reduced the hosts to 177-8.

A final total of 194 left Exhall in the driving seat in a match they started splendidly as Leon Gates (3-40) and Hollands bowled with accuracy and cunning.

Three massive boundaries and one short straight hit to the ropes had presented problems for both sides and, at the end of the day, home knowledge was to prevail.

Gwynn and Hollands made their usual steady start but 23 overs had been eaten up when the skipper became the first of Tye's handful of victims.

Lee Chambers was promoted up the order and he soon saw at first hand an impatient Gwynn stumped for 41. Carmichael's entry with 108 required off 14 overs was a crucial juncture in proceedings.

The pair added 34 in five overs to boast the hopes of the large Exhall following.

However, Tye struck twice in the space of three balls as both batsmen picked out fielders some 60 yards away and these catches won this particular match.

Seventy-five runs were needed off nine overs with boundaries a necessity. It was never on!

John Simpson holed out at deep backward square leg, while Tom Heneghan's failure to score at eight successive deliveries aptly summed up Exhall's plight.

Gates did land the ball over the ropes but the next ball landed safe in long-off's hands and Exhall's Lord's dream was over.

Inquests were opened but none could positively identify the cause of defeat, given 195 to win beforehand, Exhall would have taken it. They had the chance but just blew it!

Dumbleton, meanwhile, lost out by virtue of losing more wickets when they visited trophy holders Shipton-under-Wychwood.

The Oxfordshire champions required seven runs off the final over and it was skipper Paul Hemming who supplied the scoring strokes to bring the scores level after a thrilling finish.

The hosts ended on 213-5 in reply to Dumbleton's 213-9 to inflict a second successive defeat on the Gloucestershire champions, who lost out at the same stage last summer.

Rob Churchman's late assault enabled Dumbleton to post a respectable target against the side that won at Lord's last September.

The final eight overs of the innings produced 90 priceless runs but it proved one too few in the context of a pulsating encounter that saw the losers crash out at the last 32 stage for the fourth successive season.