Wardens hang on to T20 Cup after Donald produces captain’s innings

Martin Donald receives the Carrick Travel Floodlit T20 Cup from Tina Nason. Picture submitted

The hosts’ skipper smashed nine fours and eight sixes in a 33-ball knock to take his team most of the way to their 193-run, 18-over target, sharing in a 98-run third wicket partnership with Jason Young (32) after Wardens’ response had slipped to eight for two.

Despite missing frontline bowlers through injury and unavailability, K&D battled hard to stem the flow and occasional off-spinner Al Baker threw them a lifeline by grabbing four wickets. This enabled them to take the match to the final over with seven runs required before Tom Brammer (33 not out) struck the winning boundary with three balls remaining.

Baker had earlier provided an explosive end to the visitors’ innings. The left-hander struck four boundaries and four maximums in his 25-ball 51 as the last eight overs produced 96 runs. He received good support from Dom Harding, who finished with an unbeaten 31 after openers Alex Phillips (38) and Player of the Tournament Richard Johnson (59) had got K&D away to a strong start.

The bowlers also suffered in the third-place play-off as Leamington’s Shabaz Alam made a superb unbeaten 119 to steer his team to a 23-run win over Berkswell.

He struck 16 fours and five maximums which, combined with the efforts of his opening partner Mark Ashworth (51), saw Spa to their highest Carrick Travel Cup total of 217 for two.

Former Warwickshire spinner Nick James was the pick of Berkswell’s attack and his onslaught with the bat also threatened to snatch an unlikely win. He struck eight sixes in a brilliant 73, including 34 off one over, before becoming one of Jack Hawkes’ two victims. Berkswell’s lower order battled hard but the 18-over innings eventually closed on 194 for five.

After all Monday night’s matches were washed out, Knowle & Dorridge had qualified for the final with emphatic group stage wins over Wardens and Leamington.

Phillips made a fine half-century to steer his team past Wardens’ 141 for seven for the loss of only two wickets, while Johnson smashed 89 of K&D’s 188 for two in their 33-run win over Leamington.

Wardens clinched their final berth on net run rate after beating Berkswell by 61 runs. Seamer Ali Wilkinson was the hosts’ hero, grabbing four for 13 to dismiss the villagers for 102. Earlier, half-centuries from Nick Seager (62) and Donald (50) had seen the hosts to 163 for six.