Suffolk T20 Final defeat to Sudbury!

SBCC played Sudbury in the Final of the Suffolk Cup T20 competition, at Woolpit on Sunday.

Skipper Dan Heath sticking with the equal blend of players from the 1sts, 2nds and 3rds that had got them to the final rather than parachuting in more first team players. An already tall order playing against a strong Sudbury squad got tougher when another of the 2nd teamers dropped out overnight and was replaced by occasional third teamer Lewis Cracknell.

The tall order was looking like a mountain when Sudbury won the toss, batted and set off at a pace. The first fifty rattled up in just 5.1 overs. Spin twins George Darlow (0-19 from 4 overs) and Alex Stafford (2-27) helped to keep the score ‘manageable’ as James Poulson (39 from 30), Adam Mansfield (22 from 12), Darren Batch (52 retired from 42) and Ryan Vickery (46 no from 28) all scored runs in the top four. Matthew Day’s decent bowling at the death and a Scott Stanford’s wicket helped to restrict the total to 172, which could have been a lot worse!

Despite the early loss of Kane Munday, James Vandepeer launched a one-man rally retiring on 50 from just 30 balls (4 x 4 and 3 x6’s). Scott Stanford then added 31 (from 25 balls) and Skipper Dan Heath 19 (from 16 balls) with fourteen coming from just three scoring shots. The target was looking a long way away as Sudbury opening bowler Patrick Sadler picked up 3-8 in four miserly overs. The use of spinners had slowed up the scoring in the Sudbury innings but it had the opposite impact in the SBCC reply as George Darlow smashed 37 in just 17 balls with three fours and three big sixes. The experienced Darren Batch was chosen to bowl the last over with SBCC needing 11 to pull off an unbelievable win.

Darlow took six off the first two balls but Batch held his nerve to bowl Darlow off the third. Third team pair Oliver Borley and Cracknell scampered twos off the fourth and fifth deliveries to leave SBCC requiring two from the last ball to pull of a miraculous victory. With the field in tight and the keeper up Batch again held his nerve to ensure the Suffolk Cup remained in Sudbury (and Suffolk) for another year with this their third win in four seasons.

Whilst disappointed to lose the SBCC boys should be proud of their debut season in the competition and tremendously proud of their performance on the day. Our thanks must go to the Suffolk Cricket Board for our invite and to Woolpit for their hospitality for an enjoyable finals day. We congratulate Sudbury for their win but hope that it will be them left with the feeling of ‘so far so close’ when the two teams meet in the EAPL showdown next Saturday.