There’s a pretty fair bet Liphook & Ripsley will bat first in Sunday’s National Village Cup final at Lord’s, because North Yorkshire opponents Folkton & Flixton simply love a run chase.
In six of their seven Village Cup ties this season, Flixton have won batting second and chasing down a target. On the solitary occasion they batted first, they were bowled out for 125 and beaten by three wickets by Moorsholm, who were subsequently disqualified from the competition for fielding ineligible players !
Flixton run chases brought five-wicket success against both Stathies and Dunnington before they knocked out past winners Sessay (164-7) by a seven-wicket margin in the county final.
Flixton went on their travels after that, to Bolton, where they rolled Egerton (150) by seven wickets, then to Hyde (Greater Manchester) where they beat Broadbottom by one wicket in an epic, Flixton getting past their hosts’ 264-9 to win by one wicket.
It was across Hadrian’s Wall for the quarter-finals, where they beat Perthshire side Falkland (167-9) by three wickets.
The Flixton team bus (by this time low on fuel) headed south for the semi-finals – to the outskirts of Coventry – where Filongley’s 206-6 was overhauled by seven wickets, Richard Malthouse hitting a match winning 80.
* A warm sunny Sunday is forecast for Lord’s, where play starts at 11am.
In six of their seven Village Cup ties this season, Flixton have won batting second and chasing down a target. On the solitary occasion they batted first, they were bowled out for 125 and beaten by three wickets by Moorsholm, who were subsequently disqualified from the competition for fielding ineligible players !
Flixton run chases brought five-wicket success against both Stathies and Dunnington before they knocked out past winners Sessay (164-7) by a seven-wicket margin in the county final.
Flixton went on their travels after that, to Bolton, where they rolled Egerton (150) by seven wickets, then to Hyde (Greater Manchester) where they beat Broadbottom by one wicket in an epic, Flixton getting past their hosts’ 264-9 to win by one wicket.
It was across Hadrian’s Wall for the quarter-finals, where they beat Perthshire side Falkland (167-9) by three wickets.
The Flixton team bus (by this time low on fuel) headed south for the semi-finals – to the outskirts of Coventry – where Filongley’s 206-6 was overhauled by seven wickets, Richard Malthouse hitting a match winning 80.
* A warm sunny Sunday is forecast for Lord’s, where play starts at 11am.
