COLWALL'S bid for National Village KO Cup glory came to an agonising end as they lost to Warwickshire League side Fillongley by two wickets with three balls remaining in a thrilling last 16 clash on Sunday.

Put in to bat, Colwall looked to have blown their quarter-final chances as they slumped to 16-3 and then 99-7 with just 14 of the 40 overs left, but then James Febery came in to join dogged opener Fergus Cameron and they turned the tide with a valiant stand of 89 for the eighth wicket.

Febery smashed five sixes and four fours in a superb 61 before he was eventually stumped and Cameron finished unbeaten on 67, taking 14 off the final over to leave Colwall in with a decent chance as they closed on 215-9.

Cameron then struck an early blow with the ball as he had Franks caught by Mike King for a duck off the last ball of the second over after tea, while Mike Gooch trapped Canty leg before for 17 to leave the hosts toiling on 37-2 in the ninth over.

Colwall then lost the initiative their opponents put on a decisive stand of 111 in 17 overs for the third wicket, before James Wagstaffe took a wicket and the rot began to set in.

Wagstaffe took two more wickets to finish his eight-over spell with 3-31 and when Fillongley fell to 187-6 in the 34th over Colwall were back in with a slim chance.

Their opponents needed 13 runs off the last three overs, but 12 came off the next two and although Wagstaffe took his third catch with the scores level the hosts scrambled a single to seal a narrow win.