JAIDKA CUP FINAL: Cheers! Hat-trick hero seals Bourne's triumph

Greater power and greater strength in depth won the day for the Lincs Premier Division outfit. A classy knock of 63 and a late hat-trick from a strapping fast bowler also helped.

Lincolnshire Minor Counties player Carl Wilson won the man-of-the-match award for by far and away the best innings of the night, full of sumptuous drives and imaginative reverse hits. Colin Cheer was the man who destroyed Town’s frail late order with a four wicket burst in his final two overs, including the wickets of Joe Dawborn, Mohammed Danyaal and Daniel Oldham in successive balls.

For Town, Dawborn lived up to his star billing with a remarkable 5-8 spell in four overs. He also took three wickets in his final over as Bourne slumped from 124-5 to 143 all-out.

But Town’s big three batsmen Asim Butt, David Clarke and Lewis Bruce failed to match Wilson. All enjoyed starts, but all fell in disappointing fashion and once Cambs captain Bruce had holed out, an inexperienced, and long, tail was alwyas likely to struggle against Bourne bowlers who turned the screw impressively following their own sloppy opening.

Butt (20), Clarke (24) and Marcus Howard, who made a scorching start on his way to a team top score of 30, had given Town the advantage at half-way, but from 75-1 in 11 overs, the city side’s innings was strangled by a team who play twenty/20 cricket to a very high standard. Their fielding was far superior to Town’s often fumbling efforts.

Town actually started both innings brightly. Bourne openers Rob Bentley and Jack Berry fell quickly, but that just enabled star men Wilson and Peter Morgan to the crease and they took full advantage of paceman Dawborn’s belated entrance to the fray.

Bourne were 58-1 by the time Dawborn bowled his first ball, one that sent Morgan’s stumps scattering in all directions, but Wilson kept the scoreboard ticking over, which was just as well as he received little tangible support.

But on a wearing pitch, 143 was always going to be competitive once the hardness had gone from the ball. Cheer suffered at the hands of Butt and Clarke early on, but Bourne were quick to take the pace off the ball and Tom Bentley accounted for both openers leaving Bruce to shepherd those with lesser natural talent.

But the runs dried up completely forcing Bruce to play an injudicious swipe against Dixon’s spin. Bourne probably knew the game was theirs from that moment - it definitely was once Dawborn, the one Town player with the power to clear big boundaries - was skittled by Cheer.

Bourne have another final on Wednesday (July 13) when tackling Ketton at Stamford Town CC in the Stamford Charity Cup decider (6.15pm).

Scores

Bourne

R. Bentley b Kendall 4

J. Berry c Clarke b Danyaal 0

C. Wilson b Danyaal 63

P. Morgan b Dawborn 23

M. Collins b Dawborn 3

R. Dunn b Danyaal 11

T. Dixon b Dawborn 9

T, Bentley c Butt b Kendall 0

A. Stroud c and b Dawborn 0

C. Cheer not out 0

B. Keast b Dawborn 0

Extras 18

TOTAL 143

Bowling: R. Kendall 4-0-34-2; M. Danyaal 4-0-36-3; L. Bruce 4-0-19-0; J. Dawborn 4-0-8-5; D. Oldham 4-0-21-0.

Peterborough Town

A. Butt c R. Bentley b T. Bentley 20

D. Clarke lbw T. Bentley 24

M. Howard c and b Collins 30

L. Bruce c Collins b Dixon 11

C. Milner not out 17

S, Howard b Cheer 3

J. Dawborn b Cheer 12

M. Danyaal c Wilson b Cheer 0

D. Oldham c Morgan b Cheer 0

B. Ganesan run out 0

R. Kendall c and b Berry 1

Extras 14

TOTAL 132

Bowling: C. Cheer 4-0-30-4; J. Berry 3.1-0-24-1; T. Bentley 4-0-23-2; T. Dixon 4-0-20-1; M. Collins 4-0-21-1.