Bradninch crowned 2022 Vitality Club T20 Area Five champions

Bradninch are the 2022 Vitality Club T20 Cup Area Five champions! Yes, this comes after their Devon success back in July and now, at Bridgwater CC in North Somerset, they have seen off Bristol in a one-sided semi-final and then brushed aside Welsh outfit Newport – and arguably in an even more one-sided affair!

Here is the blow-by-blow account of the final.

NEWPORT batting

Over 1 bowled by Ross Acton. Two dot balls then a four, another dot ball and four leg byes before WICKET – a Chad Classen catch and opener Josh Waughington is out for a six-ball four. SCORE 8-1.

Over 2 bowled by Chad Classen with Callum Taylor facing, a dot ball then a leg bye before another dot. Its then five wides before a dot ball and a one then a no ball to leave an eighth delivery in the over which goes for just one run. SCORE 17-1.

Over 3 bowled by Acton and, with the first ball WICKET and the big one too as semi-final century scorer Taylor is caught by Chad Classen and out for a five-ball one! Then it’s dot, dot before a one and then another dot. Just a single off the final ball. SCORE 19-2

Over 4 and Classen bowls a dot before back-to-back fours, a one, a leg bye, but the over ends as it started, with a dot ball. SCORE 29-2

Over 5 and Ross Acton gets a dot ball, then a one before a six and a four then WICKET and it’s a third successive ‘caught Chad Classen bowled Ross Acton’ with MJ Bevans out for an 11-ball 20. A four ends the over. SCORE 44-3.

Over 6 and Classen begins with successive dot balls, then a wide before another dot ball. Two more dot balls follow before the final delivery is also a dot – six dot balls and a wide, just the one run added to the score. SCORE 45-3.

Over 7 and a fourth and final over from Ross Acton. It starts with a single followed by another single. Its then back-to-back fours before a four and a final dot ball. Acton bowls out with excellent figures of 3-27 from four and an economy of 7.50). SCORE 51-3.

Over 8 and a first change with skipper Gary Chappell into the attack. The first ball goes for one, its then a sequence of dot, one, dot one before the final delivery, a dot and its just three runs off the first ‘Chaps’ over. SCORE 54-3

Over 9 and it’s a second change with semi-final ‘fiver’ hero Josh Farley into action. The over starts with a one, then a dot, then – WICKET – a Gary Chappell catch and a first in the final for Farley to see then end of Imran Hassan for a 19-ball 13. The fourth delivery is a dot ball before successive singles to end the over – 1-3 from Farley’s first! SCORE 57-4.

Over 10 and back to the skipper who sees his first delivery hit over the ropes. Next it’s a dot ball, another dot ball, dour leg byes and a single before the final delivery is a single. A dozen runs off the over. SCORE 69-4

Over 11 a second for Farley. A single is followed by successive fours before a dot, another single and the over ends with a single. 11 runs off the over. SCORE 80-4.

Over 12 a third change with Mitch Pugh into the attack. It starts with a dot ball then a WICKET with Dan Hardy holding the catch and half the Newport team are now out with just 80 runs on the Bridgwater CC score board. The remainder of the over yields four dots and a single.  What an opening over from Pugh – one for one! SCORE 81-5.

Over 13 Farley with his third. It begins with a single and then its successive dots then a six before dot, one to finish. Eight runs in the over. SCORE 89-5.

Over 14 Pugh begins with a single, then there’s a four before three successive dot balls and the over ends with a single. Six runs from the over. SCORE 95-5.

Over 15 A fourth change with the return for a fourth and final over by Chad Classen. He begins with a dot, then a one before the same sequence; dot one and then a four before the final delivery which went for just one. Seven runs off the over.  The South African ends with figures of 0-25 from four and an economy of 6.25). SCORE 102-5.

Over 16 and a third from Pugh who begins with a dot ball. Then a single, before a four and then three singles in quick succession. Eight runs off the over. SCORE 110-5.

Over 17 and a fifth change with Josh Farley back into the attack. The first ball is a four, the next a six before another six. But then – WICKET – Farley gets his man as Mujahid Ilyas holes out to Will Squire for a 36-ball 52. A seventh wicket of the day for Farley! Oliver Langford is the new man in and his first Farley delivery is a dot ball. The final ball goes for four. Twenty runs off the over, but a big wicket too. Josh Farley ends with 2-42 and an economy of 10.50). SCORE 130-6.

Over 18 and a sixth change with skipper Chappell back with ball in hand. It starts with a dot, then a single before another dot. The fourth ball goes for a six, but the over ends with dot, dot. Seven runs off the over. SCORE 137-6.

Over 19 and Mitch Pugh is to bowl his fourth and final over. It starts with back-to-back singles, then a six before successive singles and the over ends with WICKET as Josh Aston is clean bowled and sent back for a 23-ball 24. SCORE 147-7.

Over 20 and its skipper Chappell with the ball. The first delivery sees one run scored, then a two. Before – WICKET as the Ninch skipper traps Abhijeet Ashokkumar leg before for a two-ball two to leave Newport eight down with 150 runs on the board. There was a dot ball before – WICKET – ‘Chaps’ clean bowling Mohammad Akhtar for a second ball duck and the final delivery went for one to leave Newport closing on 151-9.

The bowling returns were topped by Ross Acton with his the skipper with his (3-27 from four and an economy of 7.50). The skipper returned figures of 2-22 from four with an economy of 5.50 while Mitch Pugh had figures of 2-25 and economy of 6.25. The other two bowlers were Chad Classen – who also held three catches – 0-25 from four and an economy of 6.25 and Josh Farley, with 2-42 and an economy of 10.50. Farley claiming seven wickets on the day!

BRADNINCH batting – Target 152.

Over 1 The first ball sees Tim Piper off the mark and ball two is slapped to the boundary by skipper Gary Chappell. There follows a single then a Piper six before a single off the final ball. SCORE 13-0

Over 2 Piper again gets one off the first delivery and, as in the first over, Chappell sends the second to the boundary. Chaps then hits a one before back-to-back Piper fours and the over ends with a dot ball. 14 runs off the second over. SCORE 27-0.

Over 3 starts as overs one and two had done with a single followed by a four – this time a Chappell single followed by a Piper four. Then it’s two dot balls before another Piper four and a single. Ten runs off the over and the Ninch openers are making short work of this run chase! SCORE 37-0

Over 4 begins with the target already down to 115! A first change for Newport with Caullm Taylor’s off-spin into the attack. The over begins with a Piper single, then it’s a dot ball followed by  =four singles. Five runs off the over. SCORE 42-0.

Over 5. A big over this one as 19 runs are plundered from it – five from ‘Pipes’ and 13 from ‘Chaps’ with the ‘other’ run a leg buy. SCORE 61-0.

Over 6 A second from Taylor and five singles are scored from it. SCORE 66-0.

Over 7 Piper slams the second ball over the roped and three more runs, plus a wide, leave the over yielding another 10 runs. SCORE 76-0

Over 8 and the target is down to 76! Yes, halfway to victory after just seven overs! Chappell again slams a couple of sixes as 15 runs come off the over. SCORE 91-0.

Over 9 and ‘Chaps’ clearly wants this job done – and quickly – as he hits two sixes and a four with 18 runs coming from the over. SCORE 109-0

Over 10 and even the off-spin of Taylor is now despatched with disdain as 18 more runs come from the over. SCORE 127-0

Over 11 starts with Piper hitting, six, four, one and now, at 138-0, just 14 runs are required from 57 balls! This is a breeze! The penultimate delivery of the over is hit for six by Chaps and the last ball goes for one, which all means that the total required, after 11 overs, is down to SEVEN! SCORE 145-0

Over 12, with Ninch needing seven to win. The first ball goes for a single – one blow from victory – and what a victory! However, Piper falls to the second ball of the over, caught by Callum Taylor off the bowling of Mohammad Akhtar. Pipes walks back with held high though after scoring a 36-ball 69. The very next ball sees Gary Chappell also perish, caught by Oliver Langford to give Akhtar two wickets in two balls. The Ninch skipper departs having scored 75 from 33 balls. There are two new bats at the crease, Mitch Pugh and Ross Acton and both score singles off their first balls faced. The final ball of the over is a dot ball. SCORE 148-2

Over 13 begins with four runs needed to win. Ross Acton is the batsman facing. He takes a single off the first ball. The next two are dot balls before Mitch Pugh takes a single off the fifth. The final ball is another dot ball. SCORE 150-2.

Over 14 begins with just two runs required for Bradninch to be crowned Vitality Club T20 Cup Area Five champions. The first ball of the over is a dot ball, Mitch Pugh takes a single off the second, leaving Ross Acton to do likewise with the third delivery and ensure Bradninch seal an EMPHATIC eight wicket win.