2010 Parks Trophy Final

Standard Life v Leith FAB (Parks Trophy Final)

04/08/2010	Newfield
Standard Life 113 for 6 (20.0 overs)	Leith FAB 103 for 7 (20 overs)
R.Thornton 40, M.Gandhe 33, S.Gul 14*	R.Mathos 26, P.Bilston 21*
T.Heinitz 4-14	G.Das 3-13

Won By 10 Runs

A week after being soundly defeated by a good Murrayfield DAFS side in the final of the Terry Newcombe Trophy, we returned to Newfield to take on Leith FAB in the final of the big one, the Parks Trophy. Having won it on four previous occasions, we were seeking to go nap (win it for the fifth time - apparently the expression derives from winning all five tricks in the card game called "Napoleon") while Leith were looking to lift the venerable trophy for the first time.

On winning the toss, skipper Wallace elected to bat and Mukesh got things started with a flashing four backward of point. Leith didn't let us get away however and our start was steady rather than spectacular. Steve Colvin attempted to boost the scoring with a big swing but was bowled for four. Rob Thornton came in at three but he was circumspect to begin with as the Leith bowlers found a decent length on the slowish pitch. That, and the lush outfield, led to a revision downwards of what could be a winning total, from 140 to maybe 120. Mukesh and Rob started to pick up the rate with some well struck boundaries until Mukesh snicked one which the keeper, diving forward, did well to reach, dismissing him for 33. 78 for 2 after 14 overs.

With Rob striking slow-armer Heinitz for four first ball, we anticipated the start of the late run-feast that has characterized a few of our first innings' totals this season but Rob missed the next to be bowled for a well-crafted 40. Dave Sangster almost repeated his dismissal of last week but was dropped at deep midwicket. He didn't make Leith pay however, playing on to his stumps off the last ball of the over for 4. With Shazad struggling to get going and Alan Ritchie becoming Leith skipper Heinitz's third victim, bowled for a golden duck, a replay of last week's batting demise seemed on the cards as the score lurched to 93 for 5 with a couple of overs to go.

Kieron brought some energy to proceedings and, with Shazad finding his timing and them both exploiting the gaps in the capacious outfield, some well run twos and threes and singles pushed the total beyond the ton to a defendable 113 for 6. Blake (8) was bowled off the final ball to give Tam Heinitz the enviable figures of 4-14 while Gul finished 14 not out. We were short of where we wanted to be but felt that we had more of a chance to lock this game down.

Mukesh grabbed the new ball and was right on the money this week, passing Tam Henitz's outside edge before swinging one in to crash into the left-hander's off stump second ball off the innings. With Nikhil also settling into a good line and length the Leith batsmen were finding it awkward to judge the pace of the wicket. Plenty of swings only yielded the occasional big hit and Nikhil was rewarded when he hit the top of off-stump. 19 for 2 after 4 overs. Mathos re-established the Leith momentum with some boundaries off Mukesh (4-0-26-1) and Rob and Goutam took the ball as Nikhil also finished his spell (4-0-14-1).

Goutam provided the control we were looking for as the the Leith batsmen, who really only needed to tap it about to get the six or seven an over required, continued to go for the big shots. Goutam broke through in the ninth over, hitting timber, then had a positive response to an LBW appeal from the neutral umpire as Khan attempted an adventurous lap sweep. Rob took a blinding caught and bowled, the vital wicket of Mathos (26), that looked like it could be the tipping point as Leith wobbled on 55 for 5 after 11 overs.

This meant there was less pressure on Wallace who found a good length and line to push Leith further behind the rate. When Wallace and Das combined for a straightforward run-out then Goutam clinched his third wicket with a fortuitous ricochet from batsman's arm to stumps, we were looking comfortable, Leith needing 32 off the last 4 overs with only 3 eickets left. Mindful of how close we came to blowing the 2007 final from a virtually unassailable position, Wallace and Thornton kept the pressure on (it helps that there was no Raja Javed to hit 7 sixes in 11 balls this time!) backed up by a fine performance in the field. Leith needed 22 off 12 balls then 17 off the last over. Despite a six from the battling Bilston (21*) with three balls left, Rob closed the game out as Leith ran aground on 103 for 7, some ten runs short.

Wallace 4-0-17-0 and Thornton 4-0-27-1 kept the lid on things but Goutam's middle-overs burst of 4-1-13-3 probably turned the game our way. Rob won the Man of the Match quaich for his all round performance with bat, ball and the best bit of fielding of the night.

So, the team of 2010 joins the teams of 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2007 as the only non-league side to have won the Parks Trophy in the last 25 years. Unfortunately we had no cup with which to celebrate beyond the presentation, the original 1891 trophy being returned to lock and key at Cricket Scotland and the replica apparently lost by the previous holders.

SLCC formed in 1971, so this is our fortieth season plying our fare on the pitches of Edinburgh and beyond. For non-league players like myself, the Parks Trophy represents the pinnacle of what we can realistically achieve as a club, so thanks to all those players, from the good to the merely enthusiastic, who have contributed once more to our on-field success.

See photos from the Parks Trophy Final Aug 2010