2014 Sussex Sharks beat Somerset VICC

BBS Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Memorial Cup Final 2014
By Dave Gavrilovic

The 2014 BBS Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Memorial Cup Final was a high quality match but it will be remembered for the wrong reasons.

After the original date for the final was cancelled Somerset VICC & Sussex Sharks met at the very pleasant East Tytherley Cricket Ground in Hampshire on a warm day in early September.

Somerset won the toss in their first ever final & put Sharks in to bat, a decision that looked wise as they dominated the first 15 overs of the match. Sussex openers Joe Harrison & Si Ledwith fell early before Ian Morris equalled his career best score with 28 of a 54 run third wicket partnership with Dan Field.

Once Morris was dismissed Somerset all rounder Ed Hossell tore through the middle order with a devastating 4-24 to leave the Sharks reeling at 91/6 after 15 of their 30 overs. Dan Field was still in though & the England star launched a blistering counter attack featuring eleven fours & a six. Mark Burchell batting at number 9 batted well for 18 in a 53 run partnership with Field which was ended when the low partial drove the ball back at Rory Hossell who tipped it on to the stumps to run Field out backing up for a brilliant 91.

After that Rob Crisp, who had earlier bowled Sharks opener Si Ledwith, finished off the tale to claim 3-32 as Sussex were dismissed for 193. Sharks were delighted to have recovered so well where as Somerset must have thought they were going to be chasing a far lower total at the half way point of the innings.

Somerset’s reply started like a train with 29 coming from the first 3 overs before Mark Burchell struck to herald a spectacular collapse. In the 4th over Burchell removed Rob Crisp for 3, in the 5th over it was Ed Hossell falling to Dan Field for 23 & in the 6th over Burchell struck again to remove Martin Hallett as the Cidermen slipped to 43/3.

Rory Hossell was next to fall for 16 after a powerful shot hit Mark Burchell & before Hossell could get back to his ground Jimmy Millard threw down the stumps to claim the run out. Dan Field took a caught & bowled before Ian Morris took two wickets in his first over leaving the score 64/7. Field took the catch for Morris’s second wicket which was very appropriate as Ian was voted “Total” Man of the Match & Dan Partially Sighted Man of the Match.

The game finished in horrible circumstances as in the following over a powerful sweep shot sent the ball hard into the face of Sussex wicketkeeper Si Ledwith. The impact of this head injury caused blood to enter the one eye Si can see out of & he was helped from the field as an ambulance was called. It was immediately clear that this was potentially a very serious injury & everyone present was very upset about what had happened meaning nobody wanted the match to continue.

Somerset offered to forfeit the match but this proved to be unnecessary as Sussex were awarded the win as they were 7 runs ahead on comparative score.

Initially Si had no vision for several hours after the accident but by Saturday evening some vision had started to return & within a fortnight we were delighted to report that his vision was basically back to it’s usual level.

Shortly after the final British Blind Sport Board Member & Match Referee for the final Dave Gavrilovic Said,
“That was the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen on a cricket field, many of us at the final have known Si for more than a decade & everyone’s best wishes go out to Si hoping for a full recovery. I would like to thank Somerset for the outstanding sportsmanship they showed throughout the day but especially after the accident. Sussex held themselves together brilliantly & showed great strength & support for Si. Thank you to everyone who helped arrange the match & the Primary Club for funding the competition, but most specially thank you to everyone who helped look after Si after the accident. I’m so so pleased that Si’s vision has already started to return & hope it will continue to improve.”

After the final many of those involved were quick to show their support for Si,

Primary Club Trustee & Cup Final Umpire Bob Southward said,
“Our best wishes to Si for a full recovery from what was a quite scary injury. May I thank everybody for yesterday’s match which was played in a wonderful spirit throughout – the true strength of VI cricket was shown by the genuine reaction of all players to Si’s injury. It was my privilege to be there.”

2014 Somerset Vice Captain Rob Crisp tweeted,
“Glad to hear good news about Si,,horrendous thing to witness. Congratulations to Sussex but puts everything into perspective really.”

Scorecard
BBS Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Memorial Cup Final 2014
Somerset VICC v Sussex Sharks
at East Tytherley Cricket Club, Hampshire
Saturday 6th September 2014
** The final was originally postponed from The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence due to Kent CCC’s worry over predicted bad weather which did not arrive.
Umpires: Bob Southward & Stephen Trull
Scorers: Mike Smith & Steve Field

Somerset won the toss & chose to field first
Sussex Sharks Innings
Si Ledwith Bowled R Crisp 10
Joe Harrison Bowled R Hossell 0
Ian Morris Bowled E Hossell 28
Dan Field Run Out(R Hossell) 91
James Millard Bowled E Hossell 2
David Daniels Bowled E Hossell 8
Toby Collins Caught A Mabey Bowled E Hossell 0
Matt Greenhough Caught D Wood Bowled J Aughton 3
Mark Burchell Caught E Hossell Bowled R Crisp 18
Marcus Kippling not out 3
Danny Miles Bowled R Crisp 4
Extras:( 12NB, 14W) 26
Total: 27.2 overs, All Out, 193
Fall of Wickets: 1-14 (Harrison), 2-14 (Ledwith), 3-68 (Morris), 4-78 (Millard), 5-91 (Daniels), 6-991 (Collins), 7-124 (Greenhough), 8-177 (Field), 9-186 (Burchell), 10-193 (Miles).

Bowling
Bowler-overs-maidens-runs-wickets-no balls-wides
R Hossell 6-0-41-1-4-2
R Crisp 5.2-0-32-3-2-4
J Aughton 6-0-48-1-1-4
E Hossell 6-0-24-4-3-1
P Frounks 1-0-13-0-1-2
M Church 3-0-35-0-1-1

Somerset VICC Innings
Ed Hossell Caught J Millard Bowled D Field 23
Rob Crisp Caught D Field Bowled M Burchell 3
Martin Hallett Caught S Ledwith Bowled M Burchell 2
Rory Hossell Run Out(J Millard) 16
Michael Church Bowled I Morris 5
Graham Glover Caught & Bowled D Field 0
Dave Wood Caught D Field Bowled I Morris 1
Alan Mabey not out 11
Jason Aughton not out 0
Did not bat: Michael Kontreras, Philip Frounks
Extras:(8NB, 4W) 12
Total: 11.4 overs, for 7 wickets, 73
** The match was abandoned at this point due to a serious injury.
Sussex Sharks won by 7 runs via comparative score

Fall of Wickets: 1-29 (Crisp), 2-29 (E Hossell), 3-43 (Hallett), 4-53 (R Hossell), 5-53 (Glover), 6-59 (Church), 7-64 (Wood).
Bowling
Bowler-overs-maidens-runs-wickets-no balls-wides
J Harrison 3-0-21-0-2-3
M Burchell 3-1-18-2-1-1
D Field 2-0-13-2-1-0
J Millard 2-0-3-0-0-1
I Morris 1-0-9-2-0-0
D Daniels 0.4-0-9-0-0-3

Man of the Match Winners
Totally Blind: Ian Morris (Sussex)
Partially Sighted: Dan Field (Sussex)