TAUNTON'S Gipsy Lane bore witness to one of the strangest finishes to any game of cricket, when the hosts took on Corsham in Premier One of the West of England League last Saturday.

The game ended with neither officials, players, nor spectators knowing the final result, as playing regulations were frantically scanned and calculators whirred into action, in an attempt to determine the eventual winners.

In a match shortened by the rain, Taunton had been left 231 to win from 45 overs.

When the heavens opened again, to send the players scurrying from the field for the final time, the home side had reached 211-7 from 41.1 overs.

Crucially, as it transpired, Taunton's Lee Denslow had cracked what turned out to be the last ball of the game (the first of the 42nd over) to the mid-wicket boundary. Thus, after much inconclusive deliberation, a subsequent ruling from the league confirmed Taunton winners by three wickets. Their final average run rate was 0.01 of a run superior to their visitors (5.12 runs per over to 5.11). Corsham made the long journey home not yet sure of their fate.

Aside from Denslow, Taunton's other batting heroes were 17 year-old schoolmates, Jack Cooper and Jon Todd. Coming together in the 28th over with the score on 122-4, the pair added 66 exhilarating runs from the next 11 overs.

Todd departed for 34 when a drive from Cooper crashed into the stumps at the non-strikers end, via the leg of bowler Jason Searle, with the batsman left stranded. But despite losing a further couple of quick wickets, Roman Jacques man-of-the-match Cooper carried on undeterred and finished undefeated on 55, having reached his 50 off just 46 balls with a towering six over long-on.

Earlier in the innings, Jack's brother Lee raced to a run-a-ball 50. His innings of 66 included 10 fours and ended when he was bowled by Mike Coles.

Coles too played a significant role with the bat, striking an unbeaten 42 from only 32 balls at the end of Corsham's innings. It was an innings that had been interrupted by an hour-long rain delay with the score on 64-1 after 17 overs.

The visitors deserved much credit therefore, for finding the momentum to set Taunton such a challenging target from the restricted remaining overs. Corsham's own youngster, Tom Abbott made 82 off only 92 balls, adding 125 for the second wicket with Peter Dennett, who scored a more circumspect 53.

Dennett was bowled by a slower ball from the excellent Steve Wheeler, who had also picked up the wicket of Corsham's in-form South African batsman Chris Peyper to finish with 2-52 from 13, while leg-spinner, Denslow, also snaffled two late wickets, including that of Abbott.

Coles and skipper Neil Shardlow, still managed to plunder 44 runs from the last five overs of the innings, to help their side to 230-4.