Bromley v Kibworth, Cockspur Cup final, Lord's

Bromley edge thrilling Cockspur Cup final

Martin Williamson at Lord's

September 11, 2007

Bromley 179 (Wells 64, Watson 47, Renshaw 3-21) beat Kibworth 175 (Hanger 40, Sheen 4-30) by five runs
Scorecard

Kibworth's Simon Renshaw cleans up Bromley's Ruel Brathwaite © Martin Williamson

Bromley, last year's beaten finalists, batted first and didn't seem to have made enough when they were bowled out for 179 in the last over of their innings. But Kibworth, who made a solid start to their reply, lost wickets at key stages and in the end they were left needing nine to win with two wickets in hand off the last over.

Nobody could accuse James Butterfill, Bromley's captain, of lacking courage as he brought himself on to bowl. His third ball was a long hop which Mahmood tried to hit out of the ground but was bowled, and off the final ball Chris Hill, Kibworth's No.11 fell to a catch a couple of yards inside the short midwicket boundary as he went for the six needed for glory.

Kibworth made a slow start against the accurate Tom Mees and Ruel Brathwaite, Mees, bowling from the Pavilion End, being particularly hard to get away. His opening spell of six overs yielded eight runs and he finished with 0 for 18 off nine. But after seeing off the new-ball bowlers, Kibworth failed to press on.

Kibworth's John Hanger on his way to 40 © Martin Williamson

It was only in the final five overs, with the rate in double figures, that Kibworth finally started hitting out, but by then they had left themselves with too much of an ask.

Former Surrey batsman Nadeem Shahid admitted afterwards that he thought Bromley were 20 runs short at the end of their innings.

On a slow and low pitch - the same one that had been so batsman-friendly in the Village final on Sunday - Bromley lost three early wickets, two to the lively Mahmood and then the key one of Shahid to Nick Ferraby, chipping limply to mid-on.

Alan Wells drives inches over the bowler's outstretched fingers © Martin Williamson

Bromley's running was poor, rarely putting pressure on the fielders, and nor did they milk the absurdly short Tavern boundary - but neither did Kibworth. After Wells holed out for an admirable 64, the innings subsided with a whimper.

Watson fell three short of what would have been a pedestrian fifty - he faced 83 balls - as Simon Renshaw returned to mop up the tail. However, Renshaw bowled four booming leg-side wides in his last two overs, and in the event that was the difference between the sides.

Martin Williamson is executive editor of Cricinfo

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Players/Umpires

Sunny Patel

Tom Mees

Nadeem Shahid

Grant Sheen

James Watson

Alan Wells

Teams

England

Kent

Leicestershire