Key Liphook all-rounder Suman Ganguly speeds past umpire Dave Wright [Farnham Herald]
LIPHOOK & Ripsley will attempt to become the third Hampshire club to win the National Village Cup at Lord’s on Sunday, 11am.
It will be the biggest day in the club’s history and victory would ease the pain of being relegated from Division One of the Southern Premier League, writes Carl Obert, Sports Editor of the Farnham Herald.
But Charles Janczur’s players have tough opponents standing between them and the prized trophy. Scarborough-based Folkton & Flixton will doubtless play with characteristic Yorkshire grit, fresh from a solid season in the Yorkshire Premier League North (Premier Div), finishing fifth out of 12.
Folkton had a late dip in form, losing three of the last five games (their final fixture was cancelled last weekend). But it was nothing like the freefall experienced by Liphook who won only one of their last ten fixtures and have lost every game since their exceptional performance to beat East Sussex side Mayfield in the semi-finals on August 5.
“We have just not been able to replicate the Village Cup intensity, which has been frustrating,” said skipper Janczur.
But form tends to go out of the window in straight knockout matches and Liphook, at full-strength for the final, have players capable of competing with the very best at this level.
Suman Ganguly, who was unavailable for most of the league matches, is their outstanding all-rounder. If he doesn’t make runs in flamboyant style, he will take wickets with his whippy, accurate seam bowling – and he usually does both.
George Neave is a younger, more inconsistent all-rounder, but a player capable of turning a match in the blink of an eye. He can generate genuine pace, but often at the cost of line and length. As a batsmen, he possesses all the strokes and when he reins in his naturally aggressive instincts, can play with a rare assurance – as he did when making a brilliant 51 against Mayfield.
Ryan Covey, Rob Nicklin, Harry Munt and Ganguly are Liphook’s bankers at the top of the order – all capable of making a hundred on their day.
Seamers Janczur, with his considerable height, Ganguly and Sean Burton can be relied upon to bowl with economy and penetration.
Neave is more a potential shock-and-awe weapon; Covey, off a couple of paces, is normally the side’s main stock bowler; Dave Elliott is an experienced slow left-armer, renowned for his accuracy.
Longparish were the first Village Cup winners from Hampshire, back in 1987. Hursley Park were champions in 1992. Rowledge, right on the Surrey/Hampshire border, reached the final in 1985, only to lose to Scottish side Freuchie on the fewer wickets lost rule, the scores having ended level.
Liphook, who have played an internal game as preparation, running through various game scenarios and drills, know little about their opponents, other than that Folkton & Flixton appear to be a relatively young side.
“It’s difficult to gauge much from Play-Cricket (the main league website),” said Charles Janczur. “The majority of their league season is not limited overs, which may hand us a slight advantage, and they have four members of the squad who will be 17 or younger, so it should be interesting how they cope on the day. They have chased seven rounds in a row, so it looks like we will know what they will do at the toss, which suits us.
“We do not have any spies. We are solely focused on honing our skills and making sure we replicate our performance from the semi-final against Mayfield, which was superb. This will be a very different scenario from the recent league games where we have been below our usual standard.”
Liphook have selected a squad of 13: Ryan Covey, Rob Nicklin, Harry Munt, Suman Ganguly, George Neave, Grant Rouse, Jonny Pryce, Richard Williams, Sean Burton, Charles Janczur (capt), Jamie Hall, Chris Martin, Dave Elliott.
Liphook’s path to the final:
1st Rnd (May 6) – A close call, Liphook winning by seven runs at Sparsholt, 2012 national quarter-finalists. Liphook totalled 186 with half-centuries by Ryan Covey (64) and Harry Munt (54). Covey (3-36) took the last wicket with Sparsholt closing in on victory.
2nd Rnd (May 13) – Liphook crush former winners Hursley Park. Ryan Covey (63) anchored the visitors’ innings, while Rob Nicklin (56) and Jack Campbell (59 not out) struck fast fifties in a total of 221-8. Off-spinner Dave Oliver (4-28) and seamer Sean Burton (3-37) bowled Liphook to victory. Hursley Park all out for 125.
3rd Rnd (May 27) – Liphook win by 3 wickets at Bramshaw. Spinner Dave Elliott took 4-47 as Bramshaw were contained to 185. Ryan Covey went on the attack with 51 off 46 balls and Harry Munt saw Liphook home with 72 not out as wickets tumbled at the other end.
4th Rnd (June 10) – Liphook beat Easton & Martyr Worthy by 8 wickets in the Hampshire regional
final. With Sean Burton standing in for injured skipper Charles Janczur, the visitors were restricted to 166-8. Ryan Covey then batted throughout Liphook’s innings for a chanceless 104 not out off 81 balls. Remarkably, it was his maiden competitive century.
5th Rnd (June 24) – Liphook reach last 16. Cookham Dean came to Ripsley Park as the Thames Valley League Division One leaders, but Suman Ganguly (4-20) and George Neave reduced them to 20-4 and they were shot out for 109. Liphook lost three wickets in knocking off the runs in 20 overs (Harry Munt 37 not out).
6th Rnd (July 8) – Liphook crush Oxford Downs, the Oxfordshire champions.
The middle-order pair of Suman Ganguly (87) and Grant Rouse (66) rescued Liphook from a poor start and Oxford Downs were set a target of 238 in front of a big crowd at Ripsley Park.
The visitors fell behind the run-rate against accurate bowling and then spinners Harry Munt (3-34) and Dave Elliott (31) cashed in as the Cherwell League Division One leaders came up well short on 167.
Quarter-Final (July 22) – Liphook at their best.
North Perrott totalled a daunting 243-7, but the Somerset club’s wicket was a belter and Liphook lost only four wickets in getting the runs. Harry Munt (61 off 62 balls) and Suman Ganguly (51) set the platform for George Neave, batting with great maturity for 70 not out off 65 balls, and Ric Williams (26 not out) to see Liphook home with three overs to spare, Neave finishing the game with a six.
Semi-Final (August 5) – Liphook outclass Mayfield.
Liphook made the long trip to near Tunbridge Wells to take on the side who had knocked out Rowledge. Choosing to bat, Liphook were again indebted to Ryan Covey who anchored the innings with a crucial 68. George Neave’s dazzling 51 off 48 balls and a vital contribution from Jonny Pryce (32) helped Liphook to 228. Was it enough?
Certainly. Janczur and Ganguly put Mayfield well behind the run-rate and Sean Burton cleaned up with 4-32, backed up by outstanding work in the field, as the Sussex League Division Two leaders crashed to 125 all out.
Lord’s here they come ...
* The Lord’s gates open at 10am on Sunday. The 40-overs per side starts at 11am.
It will be the biggest day in the club’s history and victory would ease the pain of being relegated from Division One of the Southern Premier League, writes Carl Obert, Sports Editor of the Farnham Herald.
But Charles Janczur’s players have tough opponents standing between them and the prized trophy. Scarborough-based Folkton & Flixton will doubtless play with characteristic Yorkshire grit, fresh from a solid season in the Yorkshire Premier League North (Premier Div), finishing fifth out of 12.
Folkton had a late dip in form, losing three of the last five games (their final fixture was cancelled last weekend). But it was nothing like the freefall experienced by Liphook who won only one of their last ten fixtures and have lost every game since their exceptional performance to beat East Sussex side Mayfield in the semi-finals on August 5.
“We have just not been able to replicate the Village Cup intensity, which has been frustrating,” said skipper Janczur.
But form tends to go out of the window in straight knockout matches and Liphook, at full-strength for the final, have players capable of competing with the very best at this level.
Suman Ganguly, who was unavailable for most of the league matches, is their outstanding all-rounder. If he doesn’t make runs in flamboyant style, he will take wickets with his whippy, accurate seam bowling – and he usually does both.
George Neave is a younger, more inconsistent all-rounder, but a player capable of turning a match in the blink of an eye. He can generate genuine pace, but often at the cost of line and length. As a batsmen, he possesses all the strokes and when he reins in his naturally aggressive instincts, can play with a rare assurance – as he did when making a brilliant 51 against Mayfield.
Ryan Covey, Rob Nicklin, Harry Munt and Ganguly are Liphook’s bankers at the top of the order – all capable of making a hundred on their day.
Seamers Janczur, with his considerable height, Ganguly and Sean Burton can be relied upon to bowl with economy and penetration.
Neave is more a potential shock-and-awe weapon; Covey, off a couple of paces, is normally the side’s main stock bowler; Dave Elliott is an experienced slow left-armer, renowned for his accuracy.
Longparish were the first Village Cup winners from Hampshire, back in 1987. Hursley Park were champions in 1992. Rowledge, right on the Surrey/Hampshire border, reached the final in 1985, only to lose to Scottish side Freuchie on the fewer wickets lost rule, the scores having ended level.
Liphook, who have played an internal game as preparation, running through various game scenarios and drills, know little about their opponents, other than that Folkton & Flixton appear to be a relatively young side.
“It’s difficult to gauge much from Play-Cricket (the main league website),” said Charles Janczur. “The majority of their league season is not limited overs, which may hand us a slight advantage, and they have four members of the squad who will be 17 or younger, so it should be interesting how they cope on the day. They have chased seven rounds in a row, so it looks like we will know what they will do at the toss, which suits us.
“We do not have any spies. We are solely focused on honing our skills and making sure we replicate our performance from the semi-final against Mayfield, which was superb. This will be a very different scenario from the recent league games where we have been below our usual standard.”
Liphook have selected a squad of 13: Ryan Covey, Rob Nicklin, Harry Munt, Suman Ganguly, George Neave, Grant Rouse, Jonny Pryce, Richard Williams, Sean Burton, Charles Janczur (capt), Jamie Hall, Chris Martin, Dave Elliott.
Liphook’s path to the final:
1st Rnd (May 6) – A close call, Liphook winning by seven runs at Sparsholt, 2012 national quarter-finalists. Liphook totalled 186 with half-centuries by Ryan Covey (64) and Harry Munt (54). Covey (3-36) took the last wicket with Sparsholt closing in on victory.
2nd Rnd (May 13) – Liphook crush former winners Hursley Park. Ryan Covey (63) anchored the visitors’ innings, while Rob Nicklin (56) and Jack Campbell (59 not out) struck fast fifties in a total of 221-8. Off-spinner Dave Oliver (4-28) and seamer Sean Burton (3-37) bowled Liphook to victory. Hursley Park all out for 125.
3rd Rnd (May 27) – Liphook win by 3 wickets at Bramshaw. Spinner Dave Elliott took 4-47 as Bramshaw were contained to 185. Ryan Covey went on the attack with 51 off 46 balls and Harry Munt saw Liphook home with 72 not out as wickets tumbled at the other end.
4th Rnd (June 10) – Liphook beat Easton & Martyr Worthy by 8 wickets in the Hampshire regional
final. With Sean Burton standing in for injured skipper Charles Janczur, the visitors were restricted to 166-8. Ryan Covey then batted throughout Liphook’s innings for a chanceless 104 not out off 81 balls. Remarkably, it was his maiden competitive century.
5th Rnd (June 24) – Liphook reach last 16. Cookham Dean came to Ripsley Park as the Thames Valley League Division One leaders, but Suman Ganguly (4-20) and George Neave reduced them to 20-4 and they were shot out for 109. Liphook lost three wickets in knocking off the runs in 20 overs (Harry Munt 37 not out).
6th Rnd (July 8) – Liphook crush Oxford Downs, the Oxfordshire champions.
The middle-order pair of Suman Ganguly (87) and Grant Rouse (66) rescued Liphook from a poor start and Oxford Downs were set a target of 238 in front of a big crowd at Ripsley Park.
The visitors fell behind the run-rate against accurate bowling and then spinners Harry Munt (3-34) and Dave Elliott (31) cashed in as the Cherwell League Division One leaders came up well short on 167.
Quarter-Final (July 22) – Liphook at their best.
North Perrott totalled a daunting 243-7, but the Somerset club’s wicket was a belter and Liphook lost only four wickets in getting the runs. Harry Munt (61 off 62 balls) and Suman Ganguly (51) set the platform for George Neave, batting with great maturity for 70 not out off 65 balls, and Ric Williams (26 not out) to see Liphook home with three overs to spare, Neave finishing the game with a six.
Semi-Final (August 5) – Liphook outclass Mayfield.
Liphook made the long trip to near Tunbridge Wells to take on the side who had knocked out Rowledge. Choosing to bat, Liphook were again indebted to Ryan Covey who anchored the innings with a crucial 68. George Neave’s dazzling 51 off 48 balls and a vital contribution from Jonny Pryce (32) helped Liphook to 228. Was it enough?
Certainly. Janczur and Ganguly put Mayfield well behind the run-rate and Sean Burton cleaned up with 4-32, backed up by outstanding work in the field, as the Sussex League Division Two leaders crashed to 125 all out.
Lord’s here they come ...
* The Lord’s gates open at 10am on Sunday. The 40-overs per side starts at 11am.
George Neave in typically flamboyant style [Dave Vokes]
