Back in April, nearly 340 teams set out on the road to Lord’s, dreaming of walking out at the Home of Cricket. Now, the 2022 Voneus Village Cup final is upon us with Calmore Sports Club and Dumbleton CC vying to be crowned champion 50 years after Troon (Cornwall) won the maiden competition back in 1972.
2021 champions Calmore kicked off their title defence with a comfortable four-wicket win over Hambledon, with Steve Wright and Mark Lavelle picking up three wickets apiece to restrict the visitors to 130 for 9 before a half-century from Ben Johns (58) wrapped up the chase with 6.3 overs remaining.
Sarisbury Athletic were brushed aside by 83 runs in round two – another Johns half-century and 70 runs from Matt Taylor the standout performances – to set up a round three clash with Ventnor. Shawn Johnson took four wickets as the home side were dismissed for 190 before Johns scored an unbeaten century off 88 balls to complete a convincing eight-wicket win on the Isle of Wight.
“Four of us landed at the airport around 10am on the morning of the first round from my stag do,” captain Lavelle reveals. “If you’d have told us that day we’d be going back to Lord’s, we’d have laughed because just getting through that game was hard enough. Hambledon are flying in their league, Sarisbury look like they’re going to win ours – on paper it looks like a routine win but given how strong they’ve been it’s a good win looking back.”
Calmore’s leading run-scorers
Ben Johns – 494 runs @ 98.80
Matt Taylor – 180 runs @ 36
Calmore’s leading wicket-takers
Mark Lavelle – 15 wickets @ 11.07
Ben Perry – 10 wickets @ 20.90
Calmore were on top in the regional final, bowling Bramshaw out for 179, but were forced to replay the fixture at Loperwood Park a week later after rain curtailed their chase. Fortunately, it was merely a hiccup on their march to the Hampshire title, with Bramshaw restricted to 177 for 8 second time round and runs from Johns (40), Taylor (51) and Johnson (43) wrapping up an eight-wicket win with time to spare.
The Hampshire side spent the remainder of their run on home soil, with Oxford Downs their first challengers in the national rounds. Some middle-order resistance helped the Oxfordshire champions to 194 for 7 but Lavelle’s side chased down the total for the loss of six wickets, Johns (96 off 87) starring with yet another half-century.
Their rearranged round six fixture against Grampound Road lasted just 31.2 overs – opening bowlers Josh Metcalfe and Johnson took combined figures of 6 for 40 to dismiss the Cornish side for 57 – before Calmore got the best of two-time champions Goatacre in a low-scoring quarter-final thriller. Dismissed for 112 (Lavelle 3 for 16), Goatacre held out for 33 overs and had Calmore five down before the home side snuck over the line.
Cambridgeshire side Foxton Granta represented the final hurdle and playing in front of Voneus ambassador David Gower, the visitors raced to 72 for 0 off a little over 10 overs – “we were a little worried the 250, 260 that was par,” recalls Lavelle – before timely interventions from the skipper and Ben Perry derailed their assault. Foxton closed on 183 for 8 but with Johns (95 off 99) continuing his Village Cup form, Calmore cantered to a seven-wicket win.
Dumbleton kicked off their campaign with a first round bye before taking a trip to two-time finalists Astwood Bank in round two. Tom Green took three wickets as Bank posted 188 for 9, a total Dumbleton chased down with three overs to spare thanks to half-centuries from captain Rupert Salmon and Myles Holland. “Astwood Bank have always been an old foe and generally, whoever wins seems to make a meaningful run. No doubt we’ll be back there next year,” Salmon says.
A tight, round three clash with near neighbours Bretforton followed, with Dumbleton defending 179 by nine runs, before a dominant 10-wicket win over Hagley, a rare home match for the Gloucestershire (geographically at least) village, sealed the Worcestershire group crown. Ross Martin was the standout perfomer, picking up 4 for 29 and finishing unbeaten on 70 – the second of his four half-centuries in the competition – while Dan Holland scored 68 not out.
Dumbleton’s leading run-scorers
Ross Martin – 296 runs @ 74
Daniel Holland – 234 runs @ 39
Dumbleton’s leading wicket-takers
Jamie Diamond – 12 wickets @ 10.83
Daniel Holland – 8 wickets @ 14
Ross Martin – 8 wickets @ 14.75
In round five, they completed a similarly emphatic win over Weekley & Warkton, Ryan Kilmister (4 for 19) and Will Sharp (3 for 17) starring with the ball as the Northamptonshire side were bowled out for 79. Dumbleton lost two wickets but breezed home with over half of their allocation untouched thanks to Finn Brabham’s unbeaten 46.
And their formidable bowling attack delivered the goods again in round six, with Dan Holland (4 for 12) and Aaron Tomson (3 for 29) the standout performers as Milford Hall were dismissed for 140. The former then scored a half-century, as did Martin, as Dumbleton completed their chase in a swift 23 overs, winning by seven wickets in front of a home crowd.
Facing Cropston in the quarter-finals, Dumbleton batted first and posted an imposing total of 234 with half-centuries for Martin and Adam Stuart. Myles Holland (4 for 12) and the always economical Ollie Horne then stepped up with the ball to dismiss the East Midlands outfit for 112 and move their side to within one win of Lord’s.
Standing between them and the final were high-flying debutants Rainford but once again, Martin brought his A-game to steer his side to victory. His quickfire 43 (29) helped Dumbleton to 166 for 9 – their lowest first-innings total – before he and Horne took combined figures of 5 for 25 to help the away side to a 70-run win. Martin collected Theakston Player of the Round honours for his efforts.
Keep up to date with the Voneus Village Cup by following the competition on Twitter (@TheCricketerNVC) and Instagram (@villagecup)
