Cuckney captain Richard Bostock is looking forward to making history at Lord’s after guiding his team to their first Cawston Press Village Cup final.
Bostock was part of the Cuckney side who triumphed in their National Club Championship win at the Home of Cricket in 2023.
Now, he will lead the Nottinghamshire club out from the pavilion in the Village Cup final on Sunday 6 September.
“Lord’s is obviously a very special place,” said Bostcok, whose team beat four-time champions Woodhouse Grange, from Yorkshire, to make it to St John’s Wood.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play there before, so hopefully that experience will help me keep a level head, but for the rest of the lads it’ll be their first experience and that’s something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.”
The semi-final ended in a dramatic nine-run win after Woodhouse Grange’s No.10 and No.11, George Baty and Ryan Thomspon, put on 70 to bring their side back from the brink at 101 for 9.
“It was one of those games that probably took a few years off me as captain, but thankfully we found a way over the line in the end,” said Bostock, who made 60 not out in the first innings total of 181, after Adam Burgess had hit 74.
“At the interval, our message was simple: ‘It’s now or never’. We’d worked so hard to get ourselves back into the game that we wanted to carry that momentum straight into the field.”
Bostock praised opener Jake Tong as being “exceptional with the new ball” and took the new ball at the other end himself, despite the shorter boundary, in a bid to get “key wicket” Harry Jackson.
“I felt I could tempt him into a false shot early on and thankfully it worked. It was also nice to come back later and break another partnership when they were beginning to rebuild,” said Bostock.
“Even when we were on top, you know cricket has a habit of changing quickly. We felt comfortable at drinks and then to have them around 90 for 9, naturally you start thinking you’ve almost got one foot in the final.
“Full credit to Ryan Thompson though. He’d already starred with the ball before producing a fantastic innings with the bat and almost dragged them over the line on his own. At just 17 years old, he can hold his head very high.
“I probably gave them a route back into the game myself when my final over disappeared for a few too many and suddenly the pressure was back on us. Joe Hayes then came back and bowled brilliantly, while Tom Bush, who is only 16, was outstanding through the middle overs. With 11 needed from the final over we backed Henry
Borderick, another 17-year-old, to finish the job. He’d bowled brilliantly all afternoon, held his nerve and took the final wicket.”
After Thompson (41 not out) took a single, a Borderick bouncer was spooned up by Baty (21) to wicketkeeper Oscar Butcher, another teenager, sealing Cuckney’s Lord’s berth.
“That probably sums up our Village Cup run,” added Bostock.
“Time and again it’s been the younger lads standing up in the biggest moments, and as captain that’s been one of the most rewarding things to watch. They’ve shown composure way beyond their years.
“The atmosphere was incredible. We had a fantastic home crowd and it was brilliant to have so many of our 1st XI players there supporting us as well. They genuinely became our 12th man and helped get us over the line when the pressure was really on.
“I’d also like to give plenty of credit to Woodhouse Grange. They brought a great following, played the game in the right spirit and pushed us all the way.
“They had us under pressure at both the start and the end of the game, and we just managed to do enough during the second half of our innings and the first half of theirs to squeeze through.”
Bostock and his charges will now face Blackheath, from Surrey, on Sunday 6 September.
“For a village club like Cuckney, reaching a National Village Cup Final is about so much more than the eleven players,” he added.
“It’s for the volunteers, members, families, juniors and everyone who’s supported the club over the years. To be able to give them all a day at Lord’s is something we’re incredibly proud of.
“Personally, leading this group out at Lord’s will be a huge honour. Sharing that dressing room with this group of players and seeing them experience it for the first time will be incredibly special.
“We don’t know a great deal about Blackheath just yet, but we’ll no doubt do plenty of homework over the next few weeks. They’re there on merit, so we know it’ll be another tough challenge, but after this run we’ll certainly go there believing we’ve got every chance.”
