Ben Johns hit 75 before being run out [Les Chase]
Buckinghamshire club Stoke Green stand between Calmore Sports and a place in the Voneus National Village Cup final at Lord’s in September.
The Slough-based Thames Valley League club are Calmore Sports’ opponents in the semi-finals – their reward for an eventually comfortable 40-run last eight round victory over Gloucestershire side Rockhampton.
Calmore will have home advantage in the semi-finals on Sunday week, August 1 – as will the Pembrokeshire club Neyland, who host either past Lord’s winners Houghton Main or Alvanley.
Calmore’s 205-4, platformed around a century opening partnership between Ben Johns and Will Brewster, proved too many for Rockhampton, who had made it through to the quarter-finals by virtue of a ‘bowl out’ victory in the sixth round.
But after the drinks break and in the 20th over of their reply, the WEPL visitors were looking a good bet at 91-1, with Will Tyler (37) and Gloucestershire Under-17 left-hand talent George Driver-Dickerson (33) in command.
The pair had come together after only four balls of the Rockhampton innings – opener Martin Cropper having been superbly caught in the covers by Shaun Johnson off left-armer Steve Wright (1-20).
They launched their 91-run partnership after Solent University’s Yannick De Mezieres Lepervanche’s solitary over had gone for 21.
The Slough-based Thames Valley League club are Calmore Sports’ opponents in the semi-finals – their reward for an eventually comfortable 40-run last eight round victory over Gloucestershire side Rockhampton.
Calmore will have home advantage in the semi-finals on Sunday week, August 1 – as will the Pembrokeshire club Neyland, who host either past Lord’s winners Houghton Main or Alvanley.
Calmore’s 205-4, platformed around a century opening partnership between Ben Johns and Will Brewster, proved too many for Rockhampton, who had made it through to the quarter-finals by virtue of a ‘bowl out’ victory in the sixth round.
But after the drinks break and in the 20th over of their reply, the WEPL visitors were looking a good bet at 91-1, with Will Tyler (37) and Gloucestershire Under-17 left-hand talent George Driver-Dickerson (33) in command.
The pair had come together after only four balls of the Rockhampton innings – opener Martin Cropper having been superbly caught in the covers by Shaun Johnson off left-armer Steve Wright (1-20).
They launched their 91-run partnership after Solent University’s Yannick De Mezieres Lepervanche’s solitary over had gone for 21.
Liam Carty's three-wicket spell broke the back of the Rockingham innings {Les Chase]
But the drinks break enabled Calmore to refresh and regroup, and in the space of four balls the game (at its mid-point) was turned on its head with Tyler run out and Driver-Dickerson trapped leg before by Liam Carty playing an over-ambitious and suicidal reverse sweep.
Rockampton never recovered. By the 27th over, they were 107-5, with Carty’s off-spin bringing eventual rewards of 3-27 – no mean feat for the 20-year old trainee accountant who has only played twice for Calmore’s Southern Premier Division 1 side.
With James Manning (1-21) bowling tidily at the other end, Calmore applied the perfect squeeze, forcing some of the visiting batsmen into some occasionally suicidal ‘across the line’ shots on a low bouncing track, culminating in five leg before wicket dismissals.
Rockhampton were dismissed for 165, leaving Calmore to celebrate a place in the semi-finals in their debut Village Cup season.
Rockampton never recovered. By the 27th over, they were 107-5, with Carty’s off-spin bringing eventual rewards of 3-27 – no mean feat for the 20-year old trainee accountant who has only played twice for Calmore’s Southern Premier Division 1 side.
With James Manning (1-21) bowling tidily at the other end, Calmore applied the perfect squeeze, forcing some of the visiting batsmen into some occasionally suicidal ‘across the line’ shots on a low bouncing track, culminating in five leg before wicket dismissals.
Rockhampton were dismissed for 165, leaving Calmore to celebrate a place in the semi-finals in their debut Village Cup season.
Watchful Will Brewster shapes up to hit one of his six fours (Les Chase).
Calmore’s success was cemented by a no-frills century opening stand between Johns (75) and the watchful Brewster (53), who carefully navigated the slow surface to put a sedate 109 on the board by the 26th over. The pair hit 15 boundaries between them.
Johns lost Johnson (17) at 150 and, drained and almost out on his feet after scoring a fifty in the Portsmouth heat the previous day, was almost predictably run out at 173, four overs from the end. His 75 proved the match defining knock.
Matt Taylor (15), followed by some lusty blows from Manning (19 off 11 balls) just before tea, took Calmore on to 205-4 – a total few visiting sides chase batting second at Loperwood Park …
Johns lost Johnson (17) at 150 and, drained and almost out on his feet after scoring a fifty in the Portsmouth heat the previous day, was almost predictably run out at 173, four overs from the end. His 75 proved the match defining knock.
Matt Taylor (15), followed by some lusty blows from Manning (19 off 11 balls) just before tea, took Calmore on to 205-4 – a total few visiting sides chase batting second at Loperwood Park …
