UNDERDOGS Hartley Wintney turned the form book upside down as they beat Hook and Newham Basics by two runs in a thrilling Finch Group Guy Jewell Cup final.

A depleted Hartley side from Southern League Division Two, took on a strong Hook side from Division One in the T20 finale at May’s Bounty in front of a bumper crowd.

Hartley batting first made 140-7 as Jonny Rowland (34) and Louis Lynch (24) led the way with the bat and Anik Divecha was the top bowler with 4-30.

Hook’s reply was led by skipper Matt Love (47) and Ben Thane (29), but after Dan Reynaldo had taken early wickets.

An incisive burst of fast bowling from man of the match Ollie Waddington saw him take 4-18 as he ripped out the Hook middle order and swung the game back to Hartley.

It left Hook needing four off the last ball to win and they only managed a single.

After the game victorious skipper Danny Plume said: “We were missing so many players, we knew it was going tough, but I am delighted we won. Ollie Waddington produced a superb spell of bowling to win the game.

“It is a great way to finish the summer with a trophy for the club.”

Hook’s losing captain Matt Love said: “We did not field as well as we can and those missed runs cost us in the end in a very close game. On the day the better team won.”

The curtain raiser to the cup final was the Cyril Thompson Plate which proved just as exciting between Hampshire League sides Odiham and Greywell and East Woodhay.

Odiham batted first and made 161-8 as Rob Heywood led the way with 75 well supported by Phil Thomas 35. Bird (3-21) and Johnson (2-58) were the top East Woodhay bowlers.

Woodhay then won off the last ball of the game as Bird hit 74 and Richard Dando 48 in their match winning 164-5.

Both final games were the best games on a finals day for at least 20 years, being very close, very competitive with high quality cricket.

The Guy Jewell batting award for the competition went to Old Basing's Darren Turner for his aggregate of 158 runs scored at an average of 79. He also scored the only century in the competition in 2016.

The bowling award was won by Hook’s Divecha for his competition haul of 9-53 at an average of 5.59.

After the excellent finals everyone cannot wait for the competition to start again in March 2017.