Tunbridge Wells arguably extended more nervous energy in an early August wet weather ‘bowl out’ victory over Alton than they did in eventually winning the ECB T20 Vitality Club Cup competition itself at Northampton in mid-September.
The Kent champions were due to have played Alton in the south-east regional final at the Jubilee Ground on August 1. TWCC had beaten Reigate Priory by four wickets soon after Alton had squeezed past Eastbourne (they won a tied match by virtue of losing fewer wickets) – but shortly before play was due to begin the JCG was struck by a Biblical storm.
With the whole ground under water, arranging a ‘bowl out’ in the nets was out of the question, so back Tunbridge Wells came seven days later. Cue more rain and no regional final. Into the nets and TWCC won the ‘bowl out’ by three hits to one, Mike Salmon bowling Alton’s solitary straight delivery.
Tunbridge Wells returned to Hampshire again on August 15 for the ECB national quarter-finals, thrashing Slough by 232-5 to 110 at May‘s Bounty before comprehensively beating Brentwood by nine wickets, chasing down 140-8 to win with 20 balls to spare. Brentwood’s ranks included Chris Green, the Sydney Thunder Big Bash and Kolkata Knight Riders IPL specialist (in a UK based competition for recreational weekend cricketers).
The slick Kent side went on to beat Barnard Castle (made famous by Dominic Cummings) by five wickets in the final, with star of the show Alex Williams (who made over 1,000 competitive runs this summer) raising his T20 aggregate to 298 runs. Ironically, Tunbridge Wells were earlier knocked out of the 2022 Kent T20 by Bexley, so may be unable to defend their national crown next season !
The Kent champions were due to have played Alton in the south-east regional final at the Jubilee Ground on August 1. TWCC had beaten Reigate Priory by four wickets soon after Alton had squeezed past Eastbourne (they won a tied match by virtue of losing fewer wickets) – but shortly before play was due to begin the JCG was struck by a Biblical storm.
With the whole ground under water, arranging a ‘bowl out’ in the nets was out of the question, so back Tunbridge Wells came seven days later. Cue more rain and no regional final. Into the nets and TWCC won the ‘bowl out’ by three hits to one, Mike Salmon bowling Alton’s solitary straight delivery.
Tunbridge Wells returned to Hampshire again on August 15 for the ECB national quarter-finals, thrashing Slough by 232-5 to 110 at May‘s Bounty before comprehensively beating Brentwood by nine wickets, chasing down 140-8 to win with 20 balls to spare. Brentwood’s ranks included Chris Green, the Sydney Thunder Big Bash and Kolkata Knight Riders IPL specialist (in a UK based competition for recreational weekend cricketers).
The slick Kent side went on to beat Barnard Castle (made famous by Dominic Cummings) by five wickets in the final, with star of the show Alex Williams (who made over 1,000 competitive runs this summer) raising his T20 aggregate to 298 runs. Ironically, Tunbridge Wells were earlier knocked out of the 2022 Kent T20 by Bexley, so may be unable to defend their national crown next season !
