Ryde out-scored Ventnor in a hastily convened Super Over to win the IWCB’s inaugural September Cup after a dramatic Newclose final descended into chaos with the scores tied – and no rule in place to decide an outright winner !
Responding to Ryde’s 154-6, Ventnor faced potential defeat at 129-8, but scored 12 runs off Ben Shannon’s last over to finish with 154-9, teenager Freddie Gurney being run out off the last ball.
Normally, the side losing least wickets would be declared the winner, but with no such regulation in place the final was decided by a Super Over, possibly the first in island cricket history.
Ventnor’s Ross Whyte surprisingly took responsibility – the first of his eight-ball over (which included two wides) disappearing high over square-leg for six off Stuart Robertson’s bat. Ryde got 20 off Whyte’s protracted over.
Hugh Calloway smacked the first ball of Ollie Morgan’s super over to the cover boundary, but was run out off the next.  Ventnor closed with 14-1.
Ryde, who won the Super Over by six runs, squandered the initiative several times during the showpiece 30-over final, and had to reply on 16-year old Man of the Match Ollie Morgan to swing the tie in their favour, initially with the bat then then ball.
His quick-fire 37 off 25 balls, which included three big sixes over mid-wicket and two fours, lifted the undefeated  All Wight League champions from 74-3 (Chris Tait 25) – teenage spinner Gurney taking 3-28 before Morgan, Shannon (26) and young Will Mew doubled the score with 80 runs off the last ten overs.  

​Robertson’s wayward new ball bowling gifted Ventnor 12 of their initial 17 runs in extras and at 44-0 off eight overs, the Steephill gang were in the driving seat.
Cue Morgan bowled Mark Fletcher (14) and, three runs later, had Rob Snell (17) caught mis-cuing a hook shot.  
Three quick wickets by Robertson (3-20) - which saw Hugh Calloway trapped lbw either side of Whyte (16) being bowled and teenage keeper Oscar Vandecastelle being castled first ball - left Ventnor 71-5.
When Martin Blackman fell to Mew (2-17) for a patient 24 (99-6), Ventnor required 48 off seven overs. 
Gurney (26) and Zeph Wells (10) got the target down to 22 off two and 13 off what proved a chaotic last over – Gurney and Dan Charge, aided by some clumsy fielding, managing to tie the scores, with Ventnor 154-9 after 30 overs.
Then followed the Super Over which provided a bizarre climax to a most bizarre half-summer … but one which a good sized Newclose crowd, basking in the late September sunshine, thoroughly enjoyed. 

​All photographs by Dave Reynolds, whose superb action pictures throughout the season have been greatly appreciated.

Ryde and Ventnor have announced their line-ups ahead of Sunday’s Isle of Wight Cup final at Newclose – with the 30-overs per side white ball showdown set to get underway at 1 o’clock.
A win for Ryde will complete a ‘Wight-wash’ Stuart Robertson’s side having put last year’s relegation from Hampshire League Division 1 behind them by sweeping the floor in the successful All Wight League, hurriedly formed by the IWCB when the government gave the go-ahead for recreational cricket to resume after lockdown.
But Ventnor, similarly relegated in the Southern Premier League, gave Ryde their closest call of the truncated late summer season in the AWL, Robertson’s batting getting the eventual champions across the line by two wickets in a low scoring affair.
Ryde: Stuart Robertson, Steve Tait, Ben Baker, Ben Shannon, Ollie Morgan, Julion Jayerajah, Tom Morgan, Will Mew, Frank Gumley, Fred Boyce, Mark Tuckwell.
Ventnor: Ross Whyte, Mark Fletcher, Hugh Calloway, George Willis, Fred Gurney, Oscar Vandecasteele, Martin Blackman, Rob Snell, Zeph Wells, Charlie Calloway, Dan Charge.
It’s a busy weekend for Newclose, with the IWCB hosting Herefordshire in another white ball match on Saturday, 10.30am.
Full bar and refreshment facilities will be available at Newclose, with strict Covid SD regulations in place.

​The Isle of Wight Cricket Board host Herefordshire in two representative matches this weekend, with the sides going head-to-head at Newclose on Saturday (10.30) and then Ryde's Harding's Shute ground on Sunday.
The IWCB has chosen a squad of 13 for Saturday's match, with changes to be made for Sunday to take account of the eagerly awaited Ryde-Ventnor Island Cup final showdown at Newclose on Sunday, 1pm.
IWCB squad: Henry Edwards, Ali Wheble, Ben Duggan, Ben Attrill, Oscar Vandecasteele, Dan Cox, Ross Whyte, Tom Turney, Fred Gurney, Zeph Wells, George Willis, Stuart Robertson, Will Robbins.

Ryde will be aiming for a ‘Wight-wash’ when they face Ventnor in the Isle of Wight Cup final at Newclose on Sunday, 1pm.
The seaside town has already won the All Wight League – formed in July when the government gave recreational cricket the go-ahead after lockdown – but it was Ventnor who gave them their closest call, being bowled out for 121, but then taking eight Ryde wickets before Stuart Robertson’s 43 not out got them across the line.
Both Ryde and Ventnor were relegated in their respective mainland leagues at the end of 2019, Ryde into Hampshire League Division 2 and Ventnor slithering into the third tier of the Premier League.
Ryde continued their good form in the All Wight League by winning all three qualifying matches in the IWCB’s 30-over September Cup, accounting for an all-star Carisbrooke Old Boys and St Helen’s before Robertson (64) eased them to a six-wicket win over Portchfield (153) for whom George Hatt struck a stylish 45.
Ventnor warmed  up for their Newclose cup final date with an oven-ready nine-wicket cooking of Island Bakeries (120-4), an unbroken stand between the promising Mark Fletcher (67) and young Sam Mills (53) bringing the bread home for the Steephill boys.  
Kev Wrigley hit an unbeaten 105 as CHOB blasted the St Helen's attack for 238-3 (Summers 68) at Goose Green. The Saints responded with 197, Mark Watson hitting a typically forceful 76.
Seb Egerton-Read (62) and james Allen (44) led Shanklin & Godshill to a six-wicket win over Freshwater with an over to spare at Westhill, where the visitors earlier posted 190-7, with Scadgee (63), Priddle (43) and Turney (41) top scoring.
Shanklin bring the curtain down on the season against island champions Ryde at Hardings Shute on Saturday, 12.30. 

Shanklin all-rounder Ben White didn’t only suffer the pain of a nine-wicket September Cup defeat by Ventnor – he also ended up in the island’s St Mary’s hospital with a broken thumb !
He will return to Chichester university next week with his thumb in plaster after trying in vain to stop a fierce return drive in the cup match at Westhill.  His thumb is broken in two places.
White (20) at least had the consolation of top scoring as Shanklin were rolled out for 103, Rob Snell wrecking their top order with a spell of 5-14. He was supported by  Dan Cox (2-6) and Zeph Wells (2-16).

Ventnor got their runs in 20 overs, with Martin Blackman (51 not out) and Mark Fletcher (41) top scoring.
In the other cup games, Island Bakeries lost to Freshwater (Sam Scadgell 44 not out) by nine wickets, while All Wight League champions Ryde (Ben Shannon 39 and 4-7) beat St Helens (Lee Brown 48) by 53 runs.

The top three Isle of Wight Development XI batsmen made significant contributions, but were unable to wrest the Keith Newbery Memorial Trophy away from the MCC in the annual 40-over match at Newclose.
The IWCB were chasing 248-6 – George Grace (great, great, great grandson of WG, making 72 not out – but Ventnor pair Dan Cox (40) and Oscar Vandecasteele (54) put on 80, after which Tom Turney late of Bryanston School, hit 57 off 41 balls. The island side closed at 216.

Whilst the Marylebone Cricket Club is widely recognised for its ownership of Lord’s Cricket Ground and cricketing traditions, a lesser known aspect of the Club’s activities is the work of the MCC Foundation in developing cricket for girls (and youngsters in general) - as described in this short video: https://youtu.be/qRIpd7Bh7q0 
At 9.30am on Sunday (13 September) there’ll be an ECB Women’s Big Cricket Weekend event with Girls cricket back on the Isle of Wight after an absence of 8 years. This will allow the girls to showcase their development and enthusiasm. 
At 12.00 noon there’ll be a 40 overs-a-side match between an Isle of Wight XI and the MCC, for the Keith Newbery Memorial Trophy. 
The Newclose pavilion will be open for members and guests from 9am serving eggs and bacon et al.

Ventnor finished a disappointing third place in the All Island League after suffering a 19-run defeat by arch rivals Shanklin & Godshill at Steephill - their third successive defeat.
Shanklin took a grip of the oldest rivalry in island cricket through openers Mark Ringer (top left)(38) and James Lucy (29)(right). Spin pair Ben Attrill and 15-year old Fred Gurney checked Shanklin's progress, but some handy contributions from the lower middle-order saw the visitors to a winning 158-8.
Four of Ventnor's top five made starts but with only Hugh Calloway (32) managing to get more than 25, the innings fell away to 139 all out, with Calum Wright taking 3-24 and the evergreen Andy White 2-27.

It's no wonder Lymington have come knocking on Josh Proctor's door after the Chichester University ace wrecked the St Helen's top order with a 4-9 spell.  The Saints were shout out for 29 (Nathan Goldsmith 4-1) and beaten by ten wickets by rampant Newport.

de 2020 All Island League Champions.
Standing (from left): Frank Gumley, Matt Webb, Ben Gregory, Ellis Ridett, Steve Tait and Ollie Morgan. Front: Tom Morgan, Mark Tuckwell, Stuart Robertson, Ben Baker and Julion Jayerajah.

Ryde are inaugural All Wight League champions, clinching the title - and maintaining their 100 per cent record - with a 37-run win over Newport, their triumph coming exactly 12 months to the day they were relegated from Hampshire League County Division One.
A 75-run opening stand between Julion Jayerajah (44) and Steven Tait (31) set the tone for Ryde, for whom Stuart Robertson (25), Tom Morgan (26) and young Frank Gumley (20) chipped in down the order.
​Newport slumped to 15-3 before Harry Dye (72) hit out. They closed at 167-7, with Jayerajah, Ollie Morgan and Mark Tuckwell each taking two wickets.