Jack Mynott hit a six off the last ball to give South Wilts a thrilling five-wicket win over Havant in a breath-taking Southern Electric twenty20 Cup final under the Ageas Bowl floodlights.
Having required 11 off the final over, South Wilts finally needed three runs off the last ball to overhaul Havant’s 156-6.
Mynott couldn’t have played the shot better, lifting the ball over the Hilton hotel end long-on boundary … as Havant bowler Ben Walker sank on his knees and on to his back in disbelief.
He said: “Before Ben ran in I was thinking to myself ‘imagine what it would be like to win the game for the boys now’.
“I decided that, if Ben bowls me the quicker one, it could well go through my stumps, but I think he tried to take the pace of the ball, which was aimed at middle and leg – and right in the slot.
“I thought it had only gone for two, but it cleared the boundary rope – a bit surprising as I’m not renowned as a leg-side player.
“Next thing I knew I was buried under a pile of sweaty South Wilts bodies – the team having invaded the pitch in sheer delight.”
Mynott’s six-hit climaxed a superb t20 final, the overall standard of which provided an excellent reflection of top recreational cricket in the region.
South Wilts’ victory was their third in a row at the Ageas Bowl – yet another record set by the Bemerton club !
The game ebbed and flowed throughout, with South Wilts looking like they might win it comfortably after skipper Tom Morton had planted three successive shots off left-arm spinner Chris Morgan to the cover boundary.
That took South Wilts to 80 without loss at the half-way point.
But a potential stroll in the park proved anything but as the dismissal of James Hayward (36), miscuing a reverse sweep, unsettled the run chase.
Eddie Abel came and went and when Morton (46) was bowled by the impressive Steve Matthews at 106-3, Havant had clawed their way right back into the game.
Havant’s spin attack was calling the tune : South Wilts 115-3 off 15 overs and no longer in the driving seat.
Ryan Duffield relieved the pressure with one huge six into the wide mid-wicket seating area but, after 16 overs, South Wilts still needed another 31 to win.
Duffield and Jake Foley departed, - South Wilts needed 23 off 18 balls, and later 18 runs off the last two.
South Wilts picked up seven runs off Morgan’s penultimate over, leaving 11 required off Walker’s last of the night.
Over 500 spectators who watched from the sidelines were absorbed in the tension as Mynott and Joe Cranch scrambled seven runs off the first five deliveries to leave South Wilts 155-5.
Mynott clearly wasn’t fazed and promptly launched that last ball over the long-on boundary to give South Wilts a thrilling victory.
Earlier, Havant made a bright start to their innings through Pete Hopson (22) and Rob Gibson, whose 33 included a six and five boundaries.
Havant were racing along at 48-0 off four overs, but a three-wicket spell by Steve Warner (which earned the South Wilts seamer the Man of the Match award) caused serious inroads into their top order.
By the 13th over, they had struggled to 78-3, but Ben Walker (29), Richard Hindley (27) and young Harry Hovey lifted the final score to a competitive 156-6.
And competitive it was : it couldn’t have made for a better game !
Triumphant South Wilts skipper Tom Morton wasn’t surprised the final was a close-run affair.
“From the outset, directly you see it’s South Wilts v Havant in a t20, you know it’s going to be a close game and I’m not the least bit surprised it went down to the last ball
“We had a good platform from which to build our innings and in the end we made hard work of it, but Havant are a good bowling and fielding side and squeezed us with their spinners.
“It was difficult going at the end, but quite often you take games to the last over. It’s the third game on the trot we’ve gone to the line to win matches.
“There’s a great inner belief in the team and that carried us through.”
Having required 11 off the final over, South Wilts finally needed three runs off the last ball to overhaul Havant’s 156-6.
Mynott couldn’t have played the shot better, lifting the ball over the Hilton hotel end long-on boundary … as Havant bowler Ben Walker sank on his knees and on to his back in disbelief.
He said: “Before Ben ran in I was thinking to myself ‘imagine what it would be like to win the game for the boys now’.
“I decided that, if Ben bowls me the quicker one, it could well go through my stumps, but I think he tried to take the pace of the ball, which was aimed at middle and leg – and right in the slot.
“I thought it had only gone for two, but it cleared the boundary rope – a bit surprising as I’m not renowned as a leg-side player.
“Next thing I knew I was buried under a pile of sweaty South Wilts bodies – the team having invaded the pitch in sheer delight.”
Mynott’s six-hit climaxed a superb t20 final, the overall standard of which provided an excellent reflection of top recreational cricket in the region.
South Wilts’ victory was their third in a row at the Ageas Bowl – yet another record set by the Bemerton club !
The game ebbed and flowed throughout, with South Wilts looking like they might win it comfortably after skipper Tom Morton had planted three successive shots off left-arm spinner Chris Morgan to the cover boundary.
That took South Wilts to 80 without loss at the half-way point.
But a potential stroll in the park proved anything but as the dismissal of James Hayward (36), miscuing a reverse sweep, unsettled the run chase.
Eddie Abel came and went and when Morton (46) was bowled by the impressive Steve Matthews at 106-3, Havant had clawed their way right back into the game.
Havant’s spin attack was calling the tune : South Wilts 115-3 off 15 overs and no longer in the driving seat.
Ryan Duffield relieved the pressure with one huge six into the wide mid-wicket seating area but, after 16 overs, South Wilts still needed another 31 to win.
Duffield and Jake Foley departed, - South Wilts needed 23 off 18 balls, and later 18 runs off the last two.
South Wilts picked up seven runs off Morgan’s penultimate over, leaving 11 required off Walker’s last of the night.
Over 500 spectators who watched from the sidelines were absorbed in the tension as Mynott and Joe Cranch scrambled seven runs off the first five deliveries to leave South Wilts 155-5.
Mynott clearly wasn’t fazed and promptly launched that last ball over the long-on boundary to give South Wilts a thrilling victory.
Earlier, Havant made a bright start to their innings through Pete Hopson (22) and Rob Gibson, whose 33 included a six and five boundaries.
Havant were racing along at 48-0 off four overs, but a three-wicket spell by Steve Warner (which earned the South Wilts seamer the Man of the Match award) caused serious inroads into their top order.
By the 13th over, they had struggled to 78-3, but Ben Walker (29), Richard Hindley (27) and young Harry Hovey lifted the final score to a competitive 156-6.
And competitive it was : it couldn’t have made for a better game !
Triumphant South Wilts skipper Tom Morton wasn’t surprised the final was a close-run affair.
“From the outset, directly you see it’s South Wilts v Havant in a t20, you know it’s going to be a close game and I’m not the least bit surprised it went down to the last ball
“We had a good platform from which to build our innings and in the end we made hard work of it, but Havant are a good bowling and fielding side and squeezed us with their spinners.
“It was difficult going at the end, but quite often you take games to the last over. It’s the third game on the trot we’ve gone to the line to win matches.
“There’s a great inner belief in the team and that carried us through.”