Houghton Main overcome Astwood Bank to secure their place at Lord’s

The 2006 winners now have a second title in their sights

^{Photo credit: Phillip Wilcox}

Houghton Main secured a return to Lord’s for the National Village Cup final after a comfortable 21-run win over Astwood Bank.

The 2006 winners set the hosts 233 to win after Simon Ward (103) struck his second century the season.

Jake Price was the pick of the Astwood bowlers with 2-42 but Yousaf Rehman (42) and Callum Honeyman (31) helped set a daunting total.

Astwood won the inaugural Village Cup in 1972 but they rarely looked likely to win a chance to add to their tally.

Biswick Kapala and allrounder Honeyman both took three wickets and though Tom Underhill (83) and Sam Thomas (60) both hit half-centuries a late flurry of wickets ended any realistic chance of a dramatic victory.

The Warwickshire-based side finished on 211 for 9 from their 40 overs, as Houghton booked a first final appearance for 13 years against Reed at the home of cricket on Sunday, September 15.

Backed up by one of the most formidable bowling attacks in the competition, South Yorkshire’s Houghton won the toss and elected to bat first on a cloudy afternoon.

But it was a nervy start from the visitors, who were reduced to 23 for 2 in 11 overs.

Price did for both Ian Simon (4) and captain Michael Brown (6) as Houghton made a nervy start to their innings.

That tension was eased by a 97-run stand between wicket-keeper Ward and Rehman though when the latter was trapped by Michael Desmond and Imran Khan followed in the space of 11 balls, Astwood were back in the ascendancy.

Ward had by now gone to his fifty but it was only when he was joined by Honeyman that he began to open his shoulders. Having smashed danger man Dan Taylor for two sixes through deep mid-wicket he hammered three fours and another maximum off the 33rd over bowled by Thomas Harris.

Though he was eventually run-out by Sam Thomas that dismissal merely set the platform for a late charge. Callum Honeyman played a major role in taking Houghton well beyond 200 as 38 was struck from the final four overs to finish on 232 for 6.

An already uphill task was made all the more difficult for Astwood when they lost opener Tom Pedley for a duck with just five on the board, when he edged Kapala behind in the third over.

Rob West and Underhill led the rebuilding job and they put on 87 for the second wicket with batting displays of contrasting speed and intent.

Both men were eventually extracted by Honeyman to leave the home side behind the eight-ball at 128 for 3 and needing 105 from 95 balls for victory.

Unable to keep up with the rate, Honeyman took his third scalp when he got Pete Alexander (19), and when Desmond (0) lasted just two balls before being cleaned up by Michael Bates the writing was very much on the wall.

With the result largely beyond doubt four further wickets fell in the space of seven deliveries, which included the dismissal of Sam Thomas and the elusive Honeyman claiming the run-out of Connor Adams (13).

Astwood could take some solace from their ability to see out their full allocation of overs but they could not deny Houghton cruising to an impressive victory which confirmed their return to the showcase final.

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