With a fully deserved comfortable victory by 80 runs the T Rippon Mid Essex Cricket League thrashed the Caribbean Cup Competition X1 to win the prestigious Sovereign Trophy final played at Totteridge Millhillians CC on Wednesday 27 July. This being the premier inter league competition in the South East of England.

The much fancied Caribbean team won the toss and decided to insert Mid Essex, a decision that looked good at the end of the first over as Chris Huntington (Rettendon) had been caught without troubling the scorers.

This brought Dipin Sodhi (Great Baddow) to the crease, who with Adam Holdgate (High Roding), kept the score board ticking over with swift running between the wickets and some good boundary shots. The in quick succession Sodhi (25) and Holdgate (27) were out to some excellent wicket keeping.

At this point Phil Coleman (Bentley) and Max Castledine (Rettendon) entered the fray and at first slowly solidified the innings whilst nudging the score along. This in turn quietened the Caribbean spectators. Then just as it looked as though a huge score was on the cards the wicket keeper struck again, catching the younger Coleman for 24 and catching Castledine for 28.

The departure of these two brought all rounders Matt Coleman (Bentley) and Matt Chalk (Springfield) to the crease. And like those before them they kept the score board ticking over much to the delight of league Chairman Bill Wignall and Secretary Stuart Pinkerton. Next out was the much improved Chalk for a very useful 20. The hero of the semi final win Rob Wickham (Old Chelmsfordians) was next in but on this occasion he was out for 0 forth ball.

Young wicket keeper Matt Janifar (Rayleigh) with his busy batting style and good running Joined Matt Coleman who played a superb middle order innings before he was eventually bowled out for an excellent 47, in what was to turn out the highest score of the match.

Captain Lee Brooks (Springfield) did not last to long before the most improved player of the campaign Tom Evans-Green (Great Baddow) , making his debut as a batsman, joined Janifar in the action. Eventually Janifar (20) was run out in the last over, leaving Evans-Green on 15, and the score a very respectable 241.

The consensus at lunch was that Mid Essex had set a more than useful target and that if they bowled and fielded as well as they had batted then we were in with an excellent chance of winning.

The opening bowling partnership, as it had been throughout the campaign, of Tom Evans-Green and Rob Wickham soon set about the huge task that lay ahead. Wickham having the dangerous Lawrence caught by Sodhi in his first over.

Though runs continued to come at a pace faster than that required the wickets tumbled at an even faster rate. This was as a result of some first class bowling and fielding by the entire Mid Essex team.

Eventually the Caribbean Cup Competition X1 were all out in the 28th over for 161, giving Mid Essex a winning margin of 80 runs.

The pick of the Mid Essex bowlers were Tom Evans-Green 9 overs 4 for 40, Rob Wickham 6 overs 2 for 28 and Matt Chalk 6 overs 2 for 23. In the field Chris Huntington and Matt Janifar both with 2 catches excelled.

At the presentation ceremony Tom Evans-Green was presented with the man of the match award and a delighted league captain Lee Brooks, who had marshalled the team well throughout the campaign, picked up the Sovereign Trophy. Mid Essex having previously won it in 2009 and 2010.

It is worth noting that Matt Coleman was in the victorious Mid Essex teams that previously won the competition.

Needless to say the victory celebrations went on long into the night.

The team that played on Wednesday was:- Lee Brooks (Springfield), Matt Janifar (Rayleigh), Adam Holdgate (High Roding), Chris Huntington (Rettendon), Dipin Sodhi (Great Baddow), Phil Coleman (Bentley), Max Castledine (Rettendon), Matt Coleman (Bentley), Rob Wickham (Old Chelmsfordians), Matt Chalk (Springfield), Tom Evans-Green (Great Baddow)

Scorecard here