A wicket with the penultimate ball of the match saw Amersham record a four-run triumph against league leaders Great and Little Tew on Saturday – despite playing the entire match with only ten players.

Unavailability and a mix-up in travel arrangements robbed the visitors of four first team regulars, meaning they played the game a man light, but it wasn’t enough to deter an inspired Amersham side.

Having been asked to bat first by the table toppers, the away side lost Joe Shuttle for a duck with the third ball of the innings before Bruce Friderichs (33) and Andrew Viney (23) steadied the ship.

Sri Lankan age group international Maduka Liyanapathiranage held the innings together with a knock of 62 off 83 balls, featuring nine boundaries.

He received able support from Hugh Jackson (14) and Richard Stephenson (21), but Amersham looked to have come up short as the final wicket fell with the score on 185-9 in the 58th over.

Duncan Ward (3-45) took the new ball alongside Liyanapathiranage (5-65) and the duo soon had the hosts reeling on 45-4.

A stand of 75 for the fifth wicket looked to have taken the game away from the visitors before a couple of quick wickets left the match beautifully poised heading into the final over.

Tew required six runs to win while Amersham needed two wickets to fall – one of which came courtesy of a shy at the stumps from Viney, resulting in a run out.

In Liyanapathiranage Amersham have the league’s most dangerous bowler, as his eight wickets against Gerrards Cross the week before exemplified, and he proved his worth once again by clean bowling the home side’s number 11 to win the match with a ball to spare.

Fourth place Amersham host Dinton at Shardeloes tomorrow.