Bedford and Tonbridge to meet in Final

The final of the Beechbrook Capital Cricketer Cup will be between Old Bedfordians and Old Tonbridgians. This is a longstanding school rivalry as a two-day match has been played between the two schools every year since the Second World War, perhaps the longest surviving two-day match in the school cricket calendar. Bedford have never reached a final, while Tonbridge sit on top of the merit table but have lost the two previous finals.

In the first of yesterday’s semi-finals, Bedford continued their run of easy victories after two 10 wicket wins in previous rounds. Old Cliftonians won the toss and batted. They began strongly with a 60-run opening stand., Ollie Meadows making 35, but wickets then fell steadily, and Clifton could only struggle to 160 all out in 47 overs. Tomlinson-Patel was the standout bowler with 4 wickets. Bedford then put on 92 for the first wicket, which effectively sealed the game. Faleel made 48, Patel 31 and Alex Wakely, who made nearly 7000 first-class runs for Northants and was now making his Cricketer Cup debut, 22 not out as they cruised home by 7 wickets in only 29 overs.

At Tonbridge, in front of a good crowd, the home side chiselled out a gritty win against Old Millfieldians. Tonbridge won the toss and batted but lost two early wickets. Will Nolan held the innings together with 75 off 93 balls, and at 80-4 he had valuable help from Harry Bevan-Thomas who made 56. Others chipped in and Tonbridge managed to reach 223-9 off their 50 overs against a predominantly spin attack, Nick Pang and George Hankins each taking two wickets. Millfield made a good start, the first wicket falling at 47. They were always up with the required rate but perhaps tried to force the pace too much on a slow wicket with some turn for the Tonbridge spinners, and none of their batsman could play the long innings needed. Fin Trenouth made 43 and Luke Pearson-Taylor 47 at the end, but the innings subsided to 91-5, 142-7 and 174-9 before a late flourish took them to 200, 23 runs short but with four and a half overs in hand. The off-spin of Sam Hadfield with 4-40 and Tom Coldman with 3-32 did most of the damage.