The Lichfield Diocesan Clergy Cricket Club has lifted the 60th Church Times Cricket Cup; beating Bath and Wells in a closely fought contest.
It was Lichfield’s first time in the final of the competition; which Bath and Wells have yet to win despite yesterday’s appearance being their seventh in the final. The match was played at the Walker Ground in Southgate, north London; the alternative home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, and dozens of supporters made the trip from the Midlands to support the Lichfield team.
Lichfield lost the toss and batted first; making slow progress towards their innings total of 195 for 8; with Man of the Match Mark Rylands (Bishop of Shrewsbury) 74 not out.
Bath and Wells initial response was equally slow but they soon began to pile on the runs. The turning point came when Peter Hart (Vicar of Cannock, Huntingdon and Hatherton) bowled out Bath and Wells’ leading scorer Richard Newport on 57, leading Bath and Wells on 107 for 4 after 34 overs.
Soon afterwards, Bath and Wells’ wickets began to fall relatively quickly and it was all over at around half-past-six when two successive wickets left Bath and Wells all out on 155.
When Lichfield beat Chichester in the semi-final, club captain Anthony Osborne (Team Rector of Hartshill, Penkhull and Trent Vale) revealed to the team that would be on holiday in France on the day of the final; so vice captain Jeff Reynolds (Methodist Superintendent Minister of Stafford and Chaplain to Stafford Prison) stood in. He had made 54 before being caught out shortly after lunch.
After the match he said Lichfield deserved their win: “I really thought that we were going to win this. We’ve got a very good side this year. Our 11 who played today are really good cricketers; and although Bath and Wells are a good side we always fancied that we would do this; we were always quietly confident. So to lift the trophy – and especially for some of the lads who have been with the Diocese for years and have always got knocked out in the first round – this is just a great day.
“It’s also a good day for Clive (Gregory, Bishop of Wolverhampton) and Mark (Rylands, Bishop of Shrewsbury). Mark has played in three finals and lost every time so he’s beside himself in the dressing room at the moment!”
He also paid tribute to Bath and Wells, saying: “Not only are they a good side; but the spirit of the game was good. It was really tense out there, it was a very close game and yet it never lost its humour. People were being very fair and the umpires commented on that. I think that says a lot about the way the game, the spirit that the game was played. I know it is easy to say that when you’ve won; but it was and it was a fun place to be – competitive fun.”
Mark Rylands said: “This is the fourth diocese I have played Church Times cricket for; and I’ve been in three finals with three dioceses and I’ve lost each time so I really wanted to come to a diocese like Lichfield, get to the final and win!
“This is beautiful to win today; what a wonderful, wonderful result!”
He added: “What we have here: the team spirit and the really good friendships across the clergy and people who aren’t clergy playing together; that spills out. People go back confident to their parishes and their churches; and people have followed their ministers in this event.
“And, okay, its fun, it’s about friendships but that’s what mission is – it’s about making friends, about keeping a sense of community and it’s been great – wonderful.
“Lichfield has never been in the final before, we’re a small diocese so far as cricket is concerned, but this gives us a sense that we’ve achieved something. It’s a game in the end but it is about the friendships that have been made and it says Lichfield has done something good!”
He said he was surprised at being named Man of the Match; and admitted that he thought Lichfield hadn’t earned enough runs to win the match. “I was surprised but really grateful to receive it. It was a lovely, lovely present.”
When Clive Gregory was appointed Bishop of Wolverhampton in 2007, he joked that his first priority would be to lift the Church Times Cricket Cup for Lichfield. He said after the match: “I remember that day very clearly because I was entirely focused on my primary objective in coming to Lichfield; and that was securing the Church Times Cup for Lichfield Diocese; and here we are, three-and-a-half years later – and we have fulfilled that – well, not a prophecy, but an aspiration!
“It feels absolutely tremendous. This is the culmination of a wonderful season. We have played six or seven games and there has been a tremendous spirit and we’ve had a lot of fun.
“Getting to the final of this competition is a very special thing for all clergy cricketers. There is a lot of kudos attached and, normally gentle rivalry – but that gets more intense as the competition goes through. It has been a big thing for us and we’ve got a great team spirit. We’ve got people of different church backgrounds and traditions, we’re ecumenical and so there’s a great diversity within the team; but a great spirit and wonderful corporate achievement.
“And it is so fantastic to have so many supporters from the Lichfield Diocese. We’ve been very touched and moved by the number of people who made a huge effort to be here today; and I think this year this competition has captured the imagination of a number of people within the Diocese and has been a unifying, bonding thing.”
On the match itself he said: “It was a very tense match, very close; and probably for about three-quarters of the match we felt it could go either way. Their opening batsman (Richard Newport) made an excellent innings and when he was bowled by Peter Hart that was a significant turning point. But even then they weren’t out of the match and kept up with the run rate for another half-an-hour or so. We were no means certain of victory but we thought we had got the upper hand then. We took some quick wickets and suddenly the odds seemed stacked against them.”
He added: “I’ve been ordained for 22 years and I’ve played in this competition for each of those 22 years for three different dioceses: Canterbury, Coventry and now Lichfield; and so there is a sense of personal fulfilment as a cricketer as well as Bishop of Wolverhampton; but for the wider diocese there is a feel-good factor. We must be careful and not overstate it – it is only cricket at the end of the day; it is only sport – but when I’ve been taking services across the Diocese over the past few months people have always come up to me after the service and wished us well for the next match. It has captured the imagination of a lot of people.”
Peter Hart said he was thrilled at having bowled out Richard Newport: “Whenever a ball turns, particular for somebody like me who is not really a cricketer; it is always a very positive and thrilling experience. To see a cricket ball turn – perhaps the pitch helped it a great deal – but none the less it was great to see it turn and even better to see it hit the wickets.
“I’m a competitor; we’re all priests but we all like to be involved in competitions. We can appreciate Bath and Wells because they put up a great performance. It was a very tight game but it was very positive and enjoyable to win. This feels very good; particularly because this was an all-round team performance and for that reason it makes it all the better.”
One of the longest serving members of the team, Arthur Hack (Warden of Dovedale House and Non Stipendiary Curate of Alstonfield, Butterton, Ilam, Warslow with Elkstone and Wetton), has played in the Diocesan team for 18 years; but could only play in the Church Times Cricket Cup for the past 12 after the competition rules were changed to allow a limited number of non-ordained postholders in each team. He said victory was a huge relief: “In the past we were very much the underdogs and in the last few years we have gradually improved. Last year we were the semi-finalists and this year we have won it; so it is a relief to be honest.
“Winning this competition means a lot. Some of us have been playing for many years and so to do it now is very good and we’re now looking forward to a very good evening!”
One of the newest team members, Ian Pallant (Curate of Bayston Hill in Shropshire) who had replaced Club Secretary Ian Poole (Team Vicar of St James’ Fordhouses, Wolverhampton) on the team list published last week, described the atmosphere: “It was very exciting. This was such a tense game.
“It is a great feeling to win the cup for the first time. I’ve only played it for three years but there are people on this team who have played this competition for 20 years and never won so it is a fabulous, fabulous feeling. Brilliant.”