OSCAR RESS AT LORD'S: The Cambridgeshire club chased down Dumbleton's 240 in a final which featured two centurions for the first time
Lord's: Dumbleton 240, Foxton Granta 245-3 - Foxton Granta win by seven wickets
A brilliant century from Richard Kaufman helped Foxton Granta beat Dumbleton to win the 2024 Voneus Village Cup at Lord's.
Kaufman smashed 110 off 84 balls and Adam Webster made an unbeaten 97 off 110 balls to master their side's pursuit of 240 as they won by seven wickets to claim their maiden title.
Kaufman's ton marked the first time two centuries were scored in a Village Cup Final after Dumbleton's Charlie Garratt made 119 in the first innings, which looked enough for victory before a partnership of 206 between Kaufman and Webster – another record for the final - secured victory for Foxton.
After electing to bat, Dumbleton recovered from the early loss of Lewis Rollinson (1) thanks to an aggressive 34 from captain Ross Martin.
Martin, who survived a dropped catch on five and a missed stumping, was eventually caught at mid-on off the bowling of Ravi Mahendra.
Player of the match Richard Kaufman celebrates his century (Paul Carroll Photo)
This brought Garratt and Myles Holland (33) together and they forged a partnership worth 82 before the latter was caught and bowled by Lewys Hill the ball after sweeping him for six over the long boundary towards the Grandstand.
While Garratt, who ended with 119 off 105 balls, stood firm at one end, wickets fell at the other with Sam Beer (3 for 38) taking two wickets in an over to get Aaron Tomson (7) and Liam Brignull (2). In search of quick runs, Ollie Horne (15) and Finn Brabham (3) were both run out as the innings threatened to stutter.
However, Garratt, whose passion for cricket has led him to work for the Barmy Army in his day job, hit six of his seven sixes in the final four overs to push his side up to a commanding 240 off their 40 overs.
Dumbleton captain Martin, who was player of the match when his side won the 2022 final, got the bowling effort off to the perfect start when he had Douglas Rice caught behind by 14-year-old keeper Will Sweeting for a duck.
Kaufman, who reached his fifty off 53 balls, and Webster, who captained the team last time they were finalists in 2015, forged a partnership to rebuild the innings for Foxton Granta as their right-hand-left-hand combination made them dangerous with one boundary much shorter than the other.
The pair took over to push the game forward and smashed ten sixes between them over the shorter boundary as Webster reached his fifty off 71 balls with consecutive sixes and Kaufman reached his century off 80 balls.
They brought up their 200-run partnership off 168 balls as Foxton charged towards victory before the centurion was caught on the shorter boundary off the bowling of Holland.
Foxton's path to victory stuttered further when Johnny Atkinson nicked off for a duck but ultimately they cruised to the win in the end with 24 balls in the chase to spare. Harry Hopwood (12 not out), a 13-year-old sub fielder when Foxton last made the final, was the not out man at the other end.
Main photo: Paul Carroll Photography, with thanks
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