SESSAY played the biggest game in their history when they appeared at Lord’s in the npower Village Cup Final against Shipton-under-Wychwood on Sunday.

Stephen Langstaff won the toss and asked Shipton-under- Wychwood to bat first on a green surface.

Stuart Peirse and Richard Till bowled tidily in the opening overs as Shipton reached 29 without loss from the first ten overs. Sessay then turned to Mark Wilkie and Stephen Langstaff in search of a breakthrough.

Wilkie ought to have had Hemming caught on the mid-wicket boundary but the chance was spilled and the scoring rate steadily increased to the extent that at drinks, Shipton were 81 without loss. Stephen Langstaff finally struck when Charles Brain played on for 33 with the score on 88 in the 22nd over.

Opener Hemming fell in the 26th over when he was caught by keeper Nick Harrison for 59 off Richard Till, and after 30 overs Shipton had moved on to 128 for two.

The scoring rate began to pick up as Tim Senior made a brisk 18 before being caught with the score on 151, but Shipton then went on the rampage as 49 runs came from the next three overs as Jason Hunt peppered the Mound and Tavern Stands with a flurry of sixes as the game threatened to run away from Sessay.

Mark Wilkie returned in the 37th over to have Hunt stumped by Harrison for 38, made from only 13 balls, but the pre-match favourites looked to be posting an imposing total as Steve Bates continued to score steadily, being unbeaten on 46 when the innings closed on 227 for five.

In reply, Mark Wilkie and Matthew Till took a sedate six runs from the first three overs, as they got used to the famous slope, but the fourth over saw the innings start to flow with 16 runs taken with both openers finding the boundary.

Sessay reached 90 without loss after 15 overs as no bowler was allowed to settle. Till was now finding the boundary with increasing regularity. However, just before drinks with the partnership worth 127, Till was caught by Tim Senior for 56.

Nick Thorne joined Wilkie and Sessay continued to close in on their target before Wilkie, named man of the match, fell in the 27th over when he was caught for a superb 78. Nick Harrison joined Thorne, and it was Thorne who then maintained the tempo as Sessay reached 200 in the 33rd over.

With just 18 needed, Thorne was stumped for 42, giving John Flintoff the opportunity to join Harrison. A scampered single got the veteran off the mark, and he followed this with two offside boundaries. Harrison batted calmly as Sessay sealed victory with 17 balls to spare.

Scoreboard

Shipton under Wychwood

A Hemming c Harrison b R Till . . . . . . . 59

C Brain b Langstaff . . . . . ... . . . . . 33

S Bates not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

T Senior c Harrison b Peirse . . . . . .18

J Hunt st Harrison b Wilkie . . . . . . . . . .38

P Hemming b Peirse . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .7

T King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . not out

1 Extras 25 Total (5 wkts) 227 FOW 1-88, 2-126, 3-151, 4-200, 5-224.

S Peirse 9-1-39-2, R Till 9-1-48-1, S Langstaff 9-0-45-1, M Wilkie 8-0-37-1, M Till 5-0-47-0.

Sessay

M Wilkie c Brain b P Hemming . . . . . . .78

M Till c Senior b P Hemming . . . . . . . .56

N Thorne st Jennings b Hunt . . . . . . . .42 N Harrison . . . . . . . . . . . . . not out 22

J Flintoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .not out 13

Extras 17 Total (3 wkts) 228 FOW 1-127, 2-159, 3-210.

C Panter 8.1-2-35-0, C Lambert 2-0-21-0, C Brain 2-0-20-0, S Miller 9-1-51-0, J Hunt 5-0-32-1, P Hemmings 9-0-51-2, T King 2-0-13-0.

Sessay won by seven wickets