National Village Cup Final 2018 preview: Folkton & Flixton

On Sunday 16 September, The Cricketer National Village Cup Final 2018 takes place at Lord’s between Folkton & Flixton Cricket Club and Liphook & Ripsley Cricket Club. The Cricketer takes a closer look at Yorkshire based Folkton & Flixton.

^{Folkton & Flixton's club logo and, right, one to watch Will Norman}

On Sunday 16 September, The Cricketer National Village Cup Final 2018 takes place at Lord’s between Folkton & Flixton Cricket Club and Liphook & Ripsley Cricket Club.

Here, The Cricketer takes a closer look at Yorkshire based Folkton & Flixton.

Flixton, like Liphook, have played the maximum eight games to get to this stage, compared to the five which some teams could potentially sneak in with. Flixton have chased in every match, surely something they would like to do again if given the chance. But will their minds change when presented with a belter of a pitch at Lord’s – one of the last to be curated by Mick Hunt, groundsman at The Home of Cricket for 49 years who is retiring at the end of the season.

It has been Flixton’s ability to peg back their opposition which has helped them prosper. Only twice have they conceded a score greater than 200, the highest being the one-wicket win against Broadbottom where they were asked to chase 267 to win.

The road to Lord’s

Yorkshire clubs are becoming a bit of a fixture at Lord’s. Folkton & Flixton started this season knowing that a Yorkshire side had been in every Village Cup final since 2014. Their path had been cleared somewhat by the promotions of previous winners Woodhouse Grange and Sessay into Yorkshire Premier Leagues, meaning their 1^st XIs could not compete in the competition.

Flixton easily dispatched with Staithes by 10 wickets in their opening tie. In the second round, the Yorkshire club were defeated by Moorsholm after being dismissed for just 125. This was not to be the end of their stay in the competition however as a committee decision after the match awarded Flixton the tie when Moorsholm were deemed to have fielded ineligible players. Reprieved, Flixton marched on with victory in the third round sending them through to the regional final.

It was a big one for Flixton: they were facing Sessay. Flixton won comfortably, chasing down 165 in the 30th over for the loss of just three wickets. The national rounds started off in similarly peaceful fashion. Set 150, Flixton completed the chase with seven wickets to spare.

The first test for either finalist in the national rounds came when Flixton hosted Cheshire & Clwyd’s Broadbottom. The away side batted first and set an imposing 266 for nine from their 40 overs. It took them all but three of their allotted deliveries but Flixton chased it, nine down to secure a place in the last 16. Next up, Flixton travelled to Scotland to be hosted by Falkland. They chased down 188 with seven wickets down, ending Falkland’s hope of a first Scottish finalist since Freuchie won the competition in 1985.

In the semi-finals, Flixton travelled down to Fillongley near Coventry on a baking-hot day. They fielded brilliantly and restricted the home side to 206 for eight. The Fillongley bowling was wayward and Flixton secured their place in the Lord’s final in the 30th over after a partnership of nearly 150 between Richard Malthouse and Tom Norman.

Line-up

Richard Malthouse

Elegant left-handed batsman, hard-working seam bowler

Stu Stocks

Fearsome fast bowler, hard-hitting batsman

Tom Norman

Right-handed top-order batsman, right-arm off-spin bowler

Will Hutchinson

Classical top-order batsman

Will Norman(c)

Right-handed middle-order batsman, captain

Matthew Nesfield

Aggressive right-handed middle-order batsman

Harry Walmsley

Right-arm spin bowler, aggressive middle-order batsman

Jake Hatton

Stylish left-handed batsman, right-arm seamer

Connor Stephenson

Right-arm opening bowler, stylish left-handed batsman

Jamie Nesfield

Right-arm opening bowler, destructive lower-order batsman

Marley Ward (wk)

Wicketkeeper and nuggety batsman

Ones to watch

Will Norman

Captain and No.5 batsman Will Norman has had a sensational year with the bat for the Yorkshire side. In his second season in the team, Norman has hit 316 runs at an average of 79 in the National Village Cup with four not outs.

Norman’s solidity and grace has bolstered his side’s totals on several occasions with his best innings of 66 coming against Broadbottom. Norman’s captaincy has also been inspired and he will be a big factor in deciding Flixton’s fate during the final.

Richard Malthouse

Opening batsman Malthouse has also been his side’s best bowler with his seam deliveries taking 15 wickets at 16.33 with his best figures of 5-15 coming against Moorsholm.

Malthouse is his side’s second top scorer in the cup, too, with 255 runs at an average of 31, making him a threat with both bat and ball and a key man that Liphook will need to look out for in the final.

What the camp is saying

Captain Will Norman has said ahead of the game: “We can’t wait. We want to get there as soon as possible and take all our fans with us.

“Some of our supporters are famously called Benidorm corner. They’re really passionate and they’ll be there.”

On their route to the final, Norman said: “The key has been that whenever we’ve needed somebody to stand up, somebody has. Everyone is capable of winning a game on any given day.”

Can they win the big one? Norman said: “Hopefully we can do as well as what other Yorkshire teams have done in the past. If we play to our capability we’ll stand a really good chance and that’s all I hope for, that we play to our ability.”