BEAUMONT CUP FINAL - 10th JULY 2007

W.B.C.C. - CASTLEFORD - HOME

On a windy cloudy night Whitley have a chance to clinch their second Beaumont Cup. Castleford the opposition hold the record of 7 times cup winners in this competition which has run since 1972. Having hammered Askern in the last round they started as red hot favourites.

Whitley won the toss and elected to bat. Captain Vaux and guest S.Widdup opened the batting. Cas guest paceman Gaz O’Neil opened the bowling. A sharp first over went for just one. Ex Whitley junior Chris Welburn followed up and his opening loosener was pulled out of the ground by Vaux for a massive 6. Now anything could happen! 2 further boundaries of that over saw Whitley at 16-0 off two overs. Vaux and Widdup played with controlled aggression to lay a great platform. Vaux batted superbly leading from the front hitting two sixes and five fours. The first wicket fell at 69, Widdup for 27. Joe Ellis soon followed, LBW to a shooter and Eddy without scoring. In form Adie Parker was next man in hitting a brisk 19 including 3 boundaries in his first over. Vaux eventually fell, run out for a great 46 and then Adie. 102-5 with Jon Payne and young Nathanial Reeson at the crease. The runs kept flowing with Jon Payne hitting 21 including 3 fours and a square cut 6 of Gaz O’Neil. After they fell the tail end pushed the score on to a reasonable 140 of 18 - 8’s.

Something to bowl at but maybe short following Cas’s massive 230 in the semi final. Jim Metcalfe and Joe Ellis started the Whitley bowling both bowling tidy Jim 3 overs for 25 including Sacks caught behind for 2. Joe bowled his first four overs for a miserly 7 runs including a wicket. Widdup came on to replace Jim and took 2 in his first over 1 stumping and Eddie Rosa caught and bowled first ball. 37 -4 off 7, Game On! Should have been better but Jon Payne dropped Jackson in the deep which would have made it 38-5! Peace joined Widdup and bowled 3 for 22 without success but tidy none-the-less. Widdup took 3 further wickets including a great Metcalfe catch and another Draper stumping with Joe taking 2 more the other end. Welburn at number 10 hit a clean straight 6, but by that point the cause was lost. Innings closed on 114 off the 18 and a comfortable win, would have been a bigger margin but for JP’s dropped catch and for Le Roux’s excellent 44 not out.

Great to re-claim our Beaumont cup with a good all round performance. Our guests performing well with the ball and the Whitley lads Vaux, Parker and Payne performing with the bat. Big celebrations shortly when not on a school night! Credit to those that played in earlier rounds to cover holidays etc, this is a win for all the club not just the 11 on the pitch in the final.

CHAMPIONS!