Spen Victoria are crowned 2009 champions

Spen Victoria secured victory in the Wakefield Cricket Union’s play-off final at Ossett CC on Sunday 30^th August 2009.  The experience of the side carried them through to victory against Morley as they won by 20 runs in an intriguing encounter.

Morley fielded first and opening bowling pair, Michael Davies and Matthew Dowse, produced a fine spell to have Spen at 23-4 at the end of the 12th over.  Danny Wood kept the pressure on with the first change and Spen were reduced to 35-6 before experienced pair Derek Warriner and Matthew West, who top-scored with 38, came together to share a partnership of 73 to put a meaningful score on the board.  Wood ended the game with 4-34 off 8.2 overs, Dowse 3-17 off 10, Davies 2-30 off 10 with the remaining wicket going to Matthew Davies.  Spen posted 132 all out off 37.2 overs.

With a break for rain and failing light that total looked increasingly difficult as the game progressed.  Opener, Ryan Dowse overcame early nerves and benefited from drop-catches to top-score with 31 while Danny Wood batted well for 24 and skipper Lee Cousens scored 17.  But the rest of the side failed to get into double figures and there was a regular fall of wickets as Morley scrambled to 112 all out off 31.2 overs.  Spen’s top-performer with the ball was Tom Sharp with 4-19 and he was well supported by D Simpson with 3-19 while there were two wickets for Adam Brown and one for Matthew West.

Afterwards, League Secretary Malcolm Brickwood presented individual trophies and shields to both sides for winning their divisional sections and play-off winners and runners-up trophies to the competing sides. The umpires, Tony Howe and Adam Ravat, selected Spen Victoria’s Tom Sharp as man-of-the-match as he removed the Morley tail to finish the game with 4-19 off 9.2 overs.  Other players to excel were Spen’s Derek Warriner with a match-turning 35 and Morley’s Danny Wood with 4-34 off 8.2 overs and 24 with the bat.

The League would like to thank Ossett CC for staging the match and, in particular, to thank the Club’s groundstaff and tea-ladies for all their hard work on the day.