Finals Day
Upwood Cricket Club hosted the Hunts County Youth League 2023 Finals Day on Sunday 3rd September 2023. The annual event organised by Cricket East saw all finals played with some exciting finishes in all matches.
The morning saw the Under 15 Final on the main Upwood square with the Under 11 Final on Upwood’s newly created 2nd square. The Under 15 Final was between Nassington and Eaton Socon. Both teams knew each other well as they had met exactly two months ago at Buckden on Monday 3rd July when Nassington beat Eaton Socon in the Under 15 Cup.
Eaton Socon won the toss and batted first making 104 all out from 18.3 overs. Harrison Mitchell top scored for Eaton Socon with 57. In this competition batsman have to retire at 50 or when their last scoring shot passes 50, however as Mitchell opened the batting and 9 wickets were down he kept on batting before being last man out. Best support came from Connor Woodward with 27.
For Nassington Angus Hammond-Chambers took 3-10 and Connor McNaughton 2-27. In reply, Nassington made 105-4 from 15.5 overs with their top scorers being Matthew Borley with 28 and Tobias Sharpe with 23. Zac Taylor was the pick of the Eaton Socon bowlers taking 2-19 from 4 overs with Harrison Mitchell completing a good all-round performance with a catch and a stumping.
Nassington won by 6 wickets with 25 balls remaining to complete the double.
The Under 11 County Final was between last year’s winners Peterborough Town and last years Runners Up Godmanchester Town. However, it was Godmanchester who came away victorious by 24 runs. 16 overs a side, 8 players a side was the format with batters batting in pairs for 4 overs. Teams started at 200 runs, but crucially lost 5 runs every time there was a wicket. Peterborough Town won the toss and bowled first and Godmanchester scored 108, but lost 4 wickets making a final total of 288-4 from 16 overs.
In reply, Peterborough Town scored 84 but lost 4 wickets making 264-4 from 16 overs.
The afternoon matches saw the Under 13 Final and the Under 9 Finals Day. The Under 13 Final was between Peterborough Town and Dean Academy. Again, both teams knew each other as they played against each other in the county cup final in mid June with Peterborough Town winning. Town were also the defending county under 13 champions after beating Eaton Socon in last year’s final. 20 overs a side, 4 overs a bowler was the restrictions with batsman retiring on 30 (or when their last scoring shot passed 30, they also could not return at the end of the innings if everyone else was out)
Peterborough Town won the toss and batted first with Town making 109-6 from 20 overs. The top 3 batsman scored the runs for Town with openers DJ (Retiring on 32), Sid (23) and number 3 batsman Oliver Drake with 17 scoring the bulk of the runs. In reply, Dean Academy started well and were 46-2 after 7 overs with Jack Bellamy retiring on 32. Dean closed out on 86 all out from 18.4 overs with DJ having a fine all-round game taking 3-20 from 4 overs and Abdullah Raza taking 2-9 from 4.
Town win the Double and also retain the county cup.
24 teams started the Under 9 competition in late April, but only 5 could make it to Upwood. The lucky 5 were Sawtry, Godmanchester Town, Hemingford Park, last years winners Waresley Wolves and last year’s runners up Peterborough Town. 12 overs a side, 6 players a side was the format, with all players batting in pairs for 4 overs each. The batting team started at 100 and lost 5 runs every time there was a wicket. Waresley beat Hemingford and Godmanchester beat Sawtry in the first round of matches, which set up a semi final between Town and Waresley Wolves (a repeat of last year’s final). Waresley Wolves made 121-12, with Peterborough Town making 175-4.
A win for Hemingford against Sawtry meant that the two finals were – Plate Final – Waresley Wolves v Hemingford Park with the Under 9 County Final between Peterborough Town and Godmanchester Town.
The Plate Final saw Waresley Wolves beat Hemingford Park, while the Under 9 final was won by Peterborough Town.
Town batted first and made 90 runs and lost no wickets in their 12 overs making 190-0 from 12 overs. Godmanchester scored 57 but lost 7 wickets to close out on 122-7 from 12 overs. Last years runners up Peterborough Town went one better to win the Under 9 Final by 68 runs.