Gilchrist oversees conclusion of Cup Final

Monday 3rd April 2023

Cup Final Day on the Kent coastline signalled the end of another successful indoor season in Ramsgate, with Kent bowler Nathan Gilchrist in attendance to congratulate the best performers.

The John Websper Cup followed on from the indoor league and the final in 2022/23 took place between Broadstairs and Worth.

Batting first, Broadstairs openers were able to navigate the opening overs risk-free whilst keeping the scoreboard moving, courtesy of a generous portion of extras with the Worth opening bowlers struggling to control the swing on the new ball. The first 50 runs came within 5 overs and without any wickets lost.

The Worth bowlers continued to run in with intensity as wickets and retirements punctuated the second half of the innings. Yet the Broastairs lower order ran hard, putting the fielding side under pressure to close the innings on a competitive 122.

Due to the rulings of the cup competition, Worth started their innings on 15, reducing the required run rate to 8.9 an over but were only able to add occasional singles to this with the Broadstairs bowlers hitting their lines and backed up by some sharp work behind the stumps by Andrew Bailey; Bailey ended the competition as the leading run scorer, with over 500 runs.

With pressure building, the Worth batters strived to pick up the pace but lost wickets at regular intervals, without ever really threatening to break the grasp of the Broadstairs bowlers, ending the innings on 66.

Since it’s inception in the 1970s, the Thanet Indoor Cricket League has been the backbone of local cricket, with a vibrant mix of both club and work teams taking part in league and cup competitions. Numerous players who have played in the league have gone on to achieve higher honours, including Ollie Robinson (Sussex & England), Tammy Beaumont (Kent & England) Geraint Jones (Kent & England), Jordan Cox (Kent) and Derek Towe – who lifted the England 70+ Ashes Trophy this winter.

Derek Towe, presented with the Wilkinson Sword by Nathan Gilchrist and George Cox.

This season there have been 175 matches played and more records written into the history books…

  • Keith Sandwell (Westgate CC) became the third player to register 10,000 indoor runs
  • Lewis Fillary (Margate CC) hit 87*, the 12th highest individual score in the history of the league
  • Martin West (Sandwich Town CC) took 23 wickets in just 32 overs

Also within the presentations, George Cox (League Chair) made special presentations to the aforementioned Derek Towe, who was awarded the Wilkinson Sword for contributions to the league over many years. Followed by special tribute to Westgate-on-Sea CC for their collective effort to put forward volunteers to umpire throughout both the league and cup season.

The end of season presentations took place directly after the conclusion of the cup final, with Kent seamer Nathan Gilchrist in attendance as special guest, having recently returned from his spell in Sri Lanka with the England Lions.