Wimbledon Cricket Club has been crowned champions of the ECB National Club T20 Finals Day, after convincingly defeating Northern Cricket Club at Edgbaston.
It was a resounding performance from Wimbledon, with the team’s players coming together to deliver a triumphant game of cricket that will go down as one of the best in recent times.
The club’s entire season has been orientated around the idea of a team, as opposed to relying on individual talents. It’s proved to be a successful approach, as just two weeks ago they took home the silverware of the Surrey Championship Premier Division title.
Still buzzing from their semi-final clash against Cuckney – which saw The Dons comfortably bat and bowl their way to a comfortable win by 17 runs – Wimbledon went into the final with absolute confidence about their chances of victory.
They started as they meant to go on, with Wimbledon’s bowlers on particular fine form, happily taking early wickets with sheer gusto. Darren Hooey (3-28), Will Leith (2-11) and skipper Neil Turk (2-8) destroyed Northern’s batters, who were 90 all out by the final over.
“We felt confident chasing 90 but in the back of our minds was a game we lost a few weeks ago when we needed 20 with six wickets in hand. But 90, the fact it was below 100 was good psychologically for us,” Turk, whose own skills saw him earn a man of the match award, told the Sutton Guardian.
“Our bowlers have been superb, they are a really hard working bunch and we have such a high-powered bowling attack, which is something we haven’t seen in other leagues.”
With such a decidedly low target to achieve, Wimbledon set about delivering a sharp, controlled and utterly professional game of cricket, with Turk (30) and Graham Grace helping the club secure what was going to be an inevitable 91-3 victory, with 3.4 overs remaining.
“The chairman and directors of Cadogan Tate have conveyed their congratulations to Simon Robins, the chairman of Wimbledon, and all of his teams for an exceptional season,” commented Simon Waymouth, group risk manager at the moving and storage company, which proudly sponsors the club.
“The club roles of honour for the season have never made for such good reading.”
As National T20 champions, Wimbledon will now be heading to La Manga in Spain to take part in a Lord’s Taverners competition.