Cooper's final heroics bag the Guy Jewell Cup for Old Basing (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Cooper's final heroics bag the Guy Jewell Cup for Old Basing

8:00am Sunday 30th August 2009 in

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NICK Cooper scored the winning run off the last ball at May’s Bounty to win a thrilling Guy Jewell Cup final showdown with Hartley Wintney.

His single off the last delivery left the sides level on 128 with Old Basing winning on fewer wickets lost in front of bumper crowd.

Cooper, who picked up the Rita Thompson Memorial Cup as the man-of-the-match, certainly held his nerve in the final over as chasing 128, his side were 109-7.

Hartley’s young side gave Mark Teale (2-26) the ball for the final over, which saw Cooper square cut the first ball for four and hit the next for a single.

The third ball saw Peter Eckersley try to club Teale away, but only found the hands of Lee Wood.

That left three balls and still 14 needed and, as the batsman crossed, Cooper was now on strike and hit the next ball to boundary as the tension grew.

Five wides with the next delivery suddenly gave Old Basing a chance, but they still needed five off the last two balls.

The Old Basing batsman kept his head and hit another four and then scored a single to get his side home having lost fewer wickets.

Earlier in the contest, Hartley skipper Jack Cockram won the toss and elected to bat.

Will Phillips (13) and top scorer Lee Wood (36) making a solid start. Phillips was the first man to go as Nick Willcock picked up his first of three catches off the bowling of his brother Richard.

Matt Donaldson removed dangerman Wood, before Cooper claimed 3-26 and Dev Vyas 2-14, as Hartley lost wickets at regular intervals.

Richard Willcock was dispatched for his second six by Chris Jolley, one of a number of teenagers in the Hartley side, However, the Old Basing man gained revenge four balls later as he clean bowled him as Hartley reached 128-9.

The winners’ reply started well thanks to the Willcock brothers, top scorer Nick (48) and Richard (13).

Hartley got among the wickets thanks to Jolley (3-36) and two run outs from Jolley and another that saw Cockram remove the bails after a great throw in from the deep by Danny Flanders.

Old Basing were trying to hit out, but only Darren Turner (17) made a telling contribution, before Cooper’s last over heroics sealed the victory.

Old Basing captain John Huntingdon said: “I thought we bowled and fielded well to limit them to 128, but, all credit to Hartley, they made us fight all the way and Nick Cooper just got us home.”

After the match, the Mary Jewell Cup for the best batsman in the tournament up to the semi-finals stage, was awarded and went to Hook and Newnham Basics’ Adam Robinson.

The Guy Jewell Trophy for bowling went to clubmate Anik Divecha.