HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford was handed their first loss of the season on Sunday by Amwell Valley Cricket Club. While the Fords managed a scrappy total of 123 runs, Haverford was unable to defend the total with the visitors chasing it down in their final over.  

Once again winning the toss and electing to bat first, juniors Deep Patel and Sidd "Centurion" Phatak saw the new ball.  Facing a former member of the Belgian National Cricket team, the pair struggled to find scoring opportunities against a disciplined opening attack, but crucially were able to see out the power play. 

Patel would be the pick of openers, with Phatak departing before hitting the double digits. He would be joined by the three and four batters who also fell short of double digits, bringing Sanil Kagalwala to the crease.  

Kagalwala breathed much needed life into the innings, smashing a huge six over midwicket.  Unfortunately, his innings would end after a quick 18 off 19 balls. Patel was next to depart, lasting into the 18th while seeing out 49 deliveries for 19 runs, providing much needed stability.

Patel's departure brought Captain Eugene Yang and Leo Gruenstein to the crease. The pair refused to let the visitors relax in the field, knocking the ball around the field and testing the opposition's arms. 

While Gruenstein and Yang played some of the most well struck, gorgeous drives of the match. Coming in at 72-5, the pair put up a gritty 60 run partnership, bringing the total to a more respectable 123.  

Knowing there was no margin for error in the field, the Fords had a dream start to their defense. Phatak and Captain Rebecca Stern combined to run out the opening batsman for a golden duck on just the second delivery of the innings. 

The new batsman would not fare much better, departing just two deliveries later off Yang's bowling for a second golden duck. Two more dots saw Yang deliver a maiden wicket for the Fords first over.  

In the fourth over, Ishpuneet Singh joined in the fun, inducing a thick edge which Kagalwala fielded with a beautiful diving catch. Economical bowling and a lull in wickets kept the match on a knife's edge. After a series of appeals did not go their way, Patel managed to take a wicket that no one could deny. A hard driven ball was slurped up by Singh at covers, leaving Amwell Valley at 43-4 through 10 overs. 

At the halfway point Amwell Valley still needed 60 runs off the final 12 overs setting up a nailbiter. A couple of loose overs gave Amwell Valley the edge. One final wicket by Kagalwala (in which a good length delivery demolished middle stump) came too late--the visitor's needed just 14 to win. The hosts would last a few more overs, eventually losing the defense in the 25th and final over.