Allenby keeps his cool at key time
Source -
thisisleicestershire.co.uk
Jimmy Allenby would have every right to feel a nervous wreck at the end of Leicestershire's thrilling Twenty20 Final victory.
He was given the dubious honour of bowling the last over of Nottinghamshire innings, with the majority of a packed Trent Bridge hoping he would fail in his quest to go for less than the 17 runs.
With five good balls in the bag and his job seemingly complete, Allenby had his heart in his mouth as the final delivery was not only clubbed for six by Will Smith but was also close to being an over-waist-high full toss which could have changed the outcome.
The Perth-born all-rounder's response to it all was typical of a man who is so laid back he is almost vertical.
"I have had a bit of experience bowling at the death this season, so it wasn't too bad," said the 23-year-old. "I just need to do what I do. Some days it comes off - and some days it doesn't. Luckily today it did."
It was a day that Allenby will never forget. Trusted with the crucial number three position in the batting line-up, he responded in a big way, hammering 64 from just 41 balls as he and Darren Maddy put on 133 for the second wicket.
Having been more familiar to a quick swish in the late middle-order for much of the competition, Allenby could not have hoped for a better outcome.
He said: "There is not much pressure when you are batting with Darren, which makes it all good fun. You just have to get him on strike and watch him hit it. Luckily today, I was able to help out and hit a few quite well on what was a perfect track.
"We wanted to bat first and get 170-plus and then take early wickets, which we didn't do. But the lads came back well and Stuart Broad got the wicket of David Hussey which changed the match - it was really good captaincy to bring him back.
"We knew that sometimes, when you lose a wicket, momentum changes so we just had to keep going and luckily, we managed to get rid of Hussey and Steven Fleming close together, so that really changed the game. It's a shame it was raining at the end, but I am sure that won't dampen spirits.''
And Allenby was full of praise for his team-mates who kept their nerve on a day of frayed fingernails.
"Maddy obviously stood out and Snape bowled very well," he said. "It was good for Ryan Cummins to play his first Twenty20 game in a final and Broad was unbelievable as ever. We need to try to get a few games
out of him before he goes off to England. It will be nice in the future to say that I have played in the same team as Stuart Broad."
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