Sharks VI Edge Thriller to Win the Cup!

Sharks VI Edge Thriller to Win the Cup!

The 1st Central County Ground in Hove hosted its second BCEW Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Cup Final on Saturday 6th September between Sussex Sharks and London Metro. It looked like it was going to be a tough contest on paper as both sides came fully loaded with their strongest line ups.

Dan Field won the toss for Sussex and asked Metro to have a  bat. The runs flowed freely from one end with bowling into the stiff breeze looking difficult  and both openers taking advantage with a  flurry of boundaries. In the 7th over the game turned as England star Matt Dean (24) hit a powerful on-drive, Ian “Tiny” Morris blocked the ball straight back to the wicket-keeper who smartly knocked the stumps over to secure the run out with the score on 45. 

The game then went quiet for a period as Dave Daniels (6  overs for just 16 runs) kept things tight. Nick Ebeck (30) was run out by Callum Weir and Andy Law (10) was also run-out, this time by Marcus Kipling both with the score on 91. Thomas Froud (46) then brought the impetus to the inning, his 33 ball knock included 6 boundaries but his quick singles saw the scoreboard rattling along. His innings ended with a spectacular catch on the boundary by Joe Harrison hanging on to a ball that was swirling in the stiff breeze. The Sharks ground fielding saw them effect no less than 6 run outs with Metro skipper Rory Field falling to one of those off the last ball of the innings to see Metro close on 177 for 9. Phil Daniels 2 wickets for just 13 runs off of 6 overs was the pick of the Sharks attack.

Metro started brightly with Sam Hoskins (6 overs 3 wickets for 26) bowling Dave Daniels with the score on 0 in the first over. Whereas Metro had scored freely at the start of their innings the Sharks just couldn’t get going and were losing wickets at regular intervals. When the Sharks slumped to 70 for 5  things looked to be turning in Metro's favour even though the asking rate had never got higher than 7. Dan Field (42) and Joe Harrison (28) led the Sharks fightback but when Joe fell to an excellent close catch by Rob Mackenzie it was clear that the Sharks tail were going to be left to try and pull off a miracle. 

When Metro Skipper Rory Field  (2 wickets for 37 runs off 6 overs) clean bowled Phil Daniels the game looked won with the Sharks 8 down. However Metro had bowled out all of their frontline bowlers and needed to find 3 overs to fill in their 30. With the pressure building  extras started to play their part  and the win still looked a  faint possibility for the Sharks. A tight 29th over left the Sharks needing 10 off the 30th.

In a tense stadium, a three and three singles left the Sharks needing 4 off the final 2 balls, a 2 and then a wide meant the scores were level with 1 ball to go. The academics on the sideline tried to get the message out that a dot would win the game for the Sharks but there was no need as a scampered single off the last ball saw the sharks heroes Marcus Kipling (16*) and Alex Towers (5*) send the home crowd into raptures.

It had been an epic final at a fantastic venue, Sussex Chair John Filby who presented the medals said;

This ground has seen the best players put in some epic performances on it, I have been watching cricket here for years and I have seen fewer games that were better than that. 

Partially Sighted Player of the Match was Sharks keeper Si Ledwith who took 2 excellent catches behind the stumps and kept faultlessly in difficult conditions. The Totally Blind Player of the Match was Metro’s Sam Hoskins, his 3 for 26 keeping Metro in the game.

The Sharks have secured a League and Cup double but the BCEW T20 Finals Day awaits on Saturday 20th September, their opponents in the Semi-Final, London Metro, game on.