The Persimmon National Village Cup Final was played at the Home of Cricket on Sunday 4th September. For the first time in the history of the competition since it started in 1972, a village from Lancashire was represented by Woodhouses from near Failsworth, Manchester. Woodhouses CC play in The Lancashire County League and are the boyhood club of the former England Captain Mike Atherton. The other finalists were Rottingdean from near Brighton, East Sussex.

The match started on time at 11.00am but under grey skies which threatened rain at any time. Rottingdean were restricted to 43 for 3 in the 13 overs that were possible before heavy rain intervened and this lasted for some three and a half hours. The 40 overs a side match had to be abandoned and in the limited time that was available the captains agreed to hold a 10 over shoot-out.

Rottingdean won the toss and elected to field. The Woodhouses crowd who had been frustrated by the rain were not to be denied their day out and were rewarded with a punishing and hard hitting batting display from their team. The significant contingent of support from Woodhouses generated a fantastic and very voluble party atmosphere for the pulsating denouement of the competition.

Young openers Josh Tolley and Nick Doyle soon declared their full intent with forceful shots all round the ground and excellent running between the wickets. Doyle blasted a six over mid-on to bring up the fifty partnership from just 34 balls. Tolley fell for a very accomplished 36 in the eighth over and Nick Doyle, only 17, picked up the mantel of responsibility for accelerating still further the run rate per over. He reached his 50 with a huge 6 over The Mound Stand and his assault continued in the last over with a further 2 beligerent sixes. The 10 over total reached a formidable 112-1.

Rottingdean were soon in trouble losing Jamil their hard hitting batsman in the first over. Very tight bowling by Swards and Hardman backed up by excellent fielding contained the score to 36 for 2 after 6 overs and put huge pressure on the batsmen. Ashley Prescott then took a hat trick to finish with 3 for 8 and Callum Megram had 2 for 7 leaving Rottingdean on 54 for 8 after their 10 overs.

The Woodhouses players and travelling support celebrated a well deserved victory and presentation ceremony in front of the Lord’s pavilion. Nick Doyle was named man of the match for his 63 not out from 30 balls (5 fours and 4 sixes) and he was given the ball by Christopher Martin Jenkins which had disappeared over the Mound Stand and finished up in the gardens of a synagogue across the road from Lord’s!

Read more at http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/woodhouses/news/a-dream-come-true-371876.html