A large and enthusiastic crowd enjoyed a game of rapidly changing fortunes, as well as plenty of opportunity to sample the Nicholson Gins on offer from the competition’s new sponsors. A hot day, rapid outfield and generally good batting pitch was expected to bring a feast of runs when Bradfield Waifs won the toss and not surprisingly decided to bat. Both teams needed to bring in reinforcements to plug gaps in the sides which won the semi-finals, as Minor County and club cricket, as well as booked holidays, took players away. Mark Nicholas (G 71-76), who captained the Waifs to wins in 1996 and 1997 finals, and presented the Cup to the winning Waifs team, looked as though he could have done well as one of the Bradfield replacements.
Imran Malik (E 16-18) was caught behind in the opening over, and the OM’s opening bowler went on to take three more wickets to leave Bradfield at 40-4. Jack Bransgrove (D 07-12) with 43 and Charlie Gwynn 22 staged a rally in a partnership of 49, but 89-5 quickly became 136-9 after 33 overs, with 17 overs still available. At this point recent leavers Sam and Monty proceeded to put on 84 in only 13 overs with a barrage of imaginative and well executed sweeps, reverse sweeps, drives and even the occasional scoop. Monty looked far too good to be number eleven but suffers from a similar heart condition to the one which forced the retirement of James Taylor, the former England batsman, which leaves him having to skip between the wickets rather than run. Sam was finally bowled for 38 off 55 balls, leaving Monty unbeaten on 39 off 39 balls, a brilliant joint effort which gave the Waifs a competitive total to defend. The last wicket partnership was the highest in any final, and the second highest in the history of the competition, while Monty’s 39* was also the highest score by a number eleven in competition history. Millfield were left to rue a dropped chance in the outfield when the partnership was in its early stages.
The feeling around the ground among the cognoscenti was that 220 was a bit below par but at least defendable. In the event it was far better than that as Millfield seemed to approach the target as if it was a T20 run chase. They lost their prolific opener in the third over, and then five more rapid wickets tumbled to leave them 29-6 in the ninth over, Millfield eventually succumbing for 80 in 18.3 overs, the lowest score in a final since Repton’s 73 all out in 1985.
Bradfield only needed three bowlers with seamer Tom taking 6-37 in his 9.3 overs and Charlie’s slow left arm 4-33 in 7. Tom, who plays his cricket at Falkland in the Thames Valley league, moved the ball a little at a brisk medium pace and rightly claimed the Nicholson Man of the Match award for his startling figures, which have only been surpassed in two previous finals by Nick Wisdom’s 6-12 in the 1991 final for Charterhouse Friars, and Mark Hickson’s 6-27 in the 2000 final for Old Tonbridgians in what proved a losing cause. Having starred in the last-wicket partnership, wicket-keeper Sam took three catches to add to his valuable runs, and two smart slip catches by Imran and Hugo Darby (C 07-12).
