Johns' day in St Johns Wood as Calmore lift maiden Village Cup title

Calmore opener Ben Johns scored an unbeaten 58 off 49 balls to steer his side to victory

Lord’s: Alvanley 150-7 (36 overs), Calmore 112-4 (revised target: 112 off 20 overs) – Calmore won by six wickets with seven balls remaining

Scorecard

Calmore Sports Club of Hampshire have won the Voneus Village Cup for the first time to complete a fairy-tale debut campaign, defeating Alvanley of Cheshire by six wickets in a rain-affected final at Lord’s.

Chasing 112 off 20 overs after rain washed out three hours of play, Calmore were languishing on 55 for 4 after 13 overs before a 57-run partnership between opener Ben Johns and skipper Mark Lavelle catapulted the Hampshire side to victory with seven balls to spare.

Johns, the player of the match, top-scored for Calmore, finishing unbeaten on 58 from 49 deliveries. In the first innings, he also took a spectacular leaping boundary catch to dismiss Stephen Charles for 13.

Calmore looked down and out for much of the second innings, losing Will Brewster and dangerman Shawn Johnson to Chris Charles inside three overs before two quick stumpings from Simon Gee off the bowling of Ben Tumilty left them 57 runs shy of victory with only seven overs remaining. 

An 18-run over off the bowling of Lee Ainsworth, which included a monster six from the bat of Johns, dragged Calmore back into the match before a tidy three-run over from Tumilty turned the tables once again. 

^{Player of the match Ben Johns}

But Johns and Lavelle had victory in their sight and smashed 26 runs in 12 balls, including a six apiece and a dropped catch off the second ball of the 18th over, to steer Calmore to their maiden title inside 19 overs. 

Earlier in the day, Calmore had restricted Alvanley to 150 for 7 (36 overs), with Steve Wright the pick of his side’s bowlers. The opener conceded just five runs from his eight-over spell, including six maidens, and collected the wickets of Alex Reid and Michael Rowlands to leave the Cheshire side 37 for 2 after 13 overs and lay the platform for a strong performance in the field from Calmore.

Lavelle also impressed with the ball, taking 2 for 26 to become the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 17 dismissals in 54 overs. 

Gee top-scored for Alvanley, posting a gritty 28 from 58 balls and dispatching twin sixes into the Mound Stand off the bowling Ben Perry. Ainsworth was also among the runs, scoring a quickfire 26 off 33 balls, while Andy Bennion (15 off 15) and Charlie Fletcher (12 not out off six) threatened an explosive end to Alvanley’s innings before the rain set in. 

Photographs: Aaron Parsons

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