VI Sharks Seal Historic Treble with T20 Cup Win

VI Sharks Seal Historic Treble with T20 Cup Win

On Saturday 19th September, Wolverhampton CC played host to Finals Day for the Blind Cricket England & Wales (BCEW) David Townley T20 Cup, bringing the curtain down on the 2026 season. The two semi-finals saw League and Cup winners face rivals London Metro, the current T20 Cup holders. In the other semi-final, Division 2 Kent faced Development League Cheshire in a tie that also looked finely balanced.

Sharks T20 skipper Ian ‘Tiny’ Morris called correctly and asked Metro to bat. Thomas Froud (63) gave the innings early impetus, but once his wicket fell the scoring rate slowed. Although Hardikkumar Patel’s battling unbeaten 29 lifted the score to 141-5, it looked slightly below par. There were no standout bowlers for the Sharks, but 15-year-old Deacon Finn and 57-year-old Tiny Morris bowled overs 16-19 for just 18 runs, including a maiden for Deacon, which put the brakes on.

Sussex started solidly and remained just ahead of the rate. Callum Weir (48) and Si Ledwith (43) took the Sharks past 100, but when both fell in quick succession, the rate began to climb and reached eight an over for the first time in the chase. Dan Field decided he was not going to allow the game to get close, blasting 26 not out off just 12 balls to seal victory with an over to spare.

In the other semi-final, Kent scored 208, which proved far too many for Cheshire, and progressed to the final with Sussex. In the game nobody wants to play, Metro dismissed Cheshire for 116 and comfortably got home in the 15th over.

Once again, Tiny Morris called correctly and asked Tom Barton’s Kent outfit to bat. It was clear early on that there was agulf in class between Sussex’s bowling and fielding and what Kent had been used to in Division 2. Tom Barton led from the front with a battling 32 and put on 57 for the first wicket, but this had taken 11.2 overs. When he fell, the second of two wickets for Alex Towers (2-13 from 4 overs), the Kent innings rather petered out. Kent tried to push on, but two late run outs saw the innings close on 103-4.

Kent took heart from an early wicket as Si Ledwith powerfully cut the ball for four through backward point, only for half of off stump to go with it and his innings to be over. Another quick wicket gave Kent a glimmer of hope, but this was soon extinguished as Callum Weir smashed 54 off 22 balls, including eleven 4, while Dan Field’s 39 off just 12 balls included four 4s and three enormous 6s. The game was over in just the 9th over.

Callum Weir was awarded Partially Sighted Player of the Day for his 102 runs, an excellent catch and superb ground fielding. Sam Hoskins from Metro was awarded Totally Blind Player of the Day for four wickets and 40 runs scored off the bat.

This brings the curtain down on the 2026 season, which truly belonged to Sussex as they lifted all three trophies for only the second time in the game’s history.

Full scorecard from both matches available here.

Match report courtesy of Ian ‘Tiny’ Morris.