Burghley Park make history with emphatic sixes success

Remarkably, given how many strong sides they’ve had over the years, Burghley had never won the event.

But they have now and they did it in superb style by skittling the two strongest short-form teams in the area on finals night.

Burghley first shot out holders Bourne for 32, a target they passed in just 10 balls, in their semi-final before defending their own modest total of 70-2 in the final by despatching a powerful Oundle side for just 36, helped by a couple of outstanding catches by Sam Potter and Alex Ashwin.

Bourne all-round star Sam Evison was dismissed from the first ball of the semi-final and Park taking wickets at regular intervals became a theme of the evening in front of a huge crowd.

Ashwin made 28 in the final for Burghley but 70 against a top Northants Premier Division line-up didn’t seem enough. But star openers Conor Craig and Mark Hodgson fell cheaply and Park were never threatened thereafter.

Hodgson had made a typically aggressive 44 as Oundle piled up 104-4 in their semi-final against Newborough who closed on 74-3 thanks mainly to a stylish 37 not out from Tom Shipman who struck seven fours from seven balls at one point in his innings.