Dorset Win NCCA 50-Over Trophy Final

Dorset ended a 37-year wait for their second National Counties Trophy with an emphatic five wickets victory over Shropshire in the final at Chester Boughton Hall.

The win followed Dorset’s success back in 1988 and gave them the fourth piece of silverware in their history to go with National Counties Championship titles in 2000 and 2010.

The success was based on an outstanding team performance from Dorset who bowled and fielded cleverly to restrict Shropshire to a below-par 195 and then paced their chase to perfection with Dylan Church (53) and Felix Organ, back with his native county from duty with Hampshire, making a crucial 48.

Like most of his team-mates, Organ is a product of Dorset’s pathway system and with youth on their side and an inspirational captain in Luke Webb, Head Coach Paul Lawrence predicted more success for his side.

“The lads have just got that belief. We had a tough game in the quarter-finals against Buckinghamshire, another really tough game in the semi-finals against Berkshire. They have shown character and fight all the way so when it came to the tough moments they came through them.

“Today is another example. They never stopped believing in themselves.

“They are a young team but also there is still more to come from them. I said that the first year, I said that last year but it’s something I firmly believe in. They have turned up today and they thoroughly deserved to win.

“I was really that Webby was out there in the middle to see us home at the end because he just bleeds green. He’s Dorset through and through.

“The way he leads the team is phenomenal. The way he speaks to the group is just so powerful. We have players who have played at higher levels than National Counties and they say they have never heard anyone speak so well.

“He did it again today. He got them all up for it.”

Webb’s captaincy and intelligent bowling changes allowed Dorset to keep Shropshire in check despite 51 from former Worcestershire batter Tom Fell and 66 from skipper Charlie Home.

The pair added 70 in 19 overs for the fifth wicket but Fell departed to the first ball after the second drinks interval when he cut slow left-armer Connor Smith to backward point.

Home led his side from the front but there a lack of support from the tail with the next highest score being Jacques Banton’s 19.

Joe Carson, the left-arm quick who has joined Dorset this season having started a course at Bournemouth University, took three wickets with spinners, Smith Organ and Finn Gordon all taking two each.

Shropshire needed early wickets if they were to deny Dorset and a pitch that offered occasional steep bounce for the seamers and turn for the spinners, kept the batters honest.

Church, who has been in a rich vein of form since his winter move from Wiltshire, played with commonsense and shared two partnerships of 49, with Joe Eckland for the second wicket and with Organ for the third, to get Dorset two-thirds of the way to their target.

Shropshire’s spinners were unable to make an impact so Home returned to his quicker bowlers with Ben Roberts having Organ caught behind and Cameron Jones, back from a trial with Sussex, beating the bat on several occasions but finishing wicketless.

Alex Eckland steered Dorset home with an unbeaten 28 with Webb with him for company at the end of a day to remember for Dorset.

There was disappointment for Shropshire that their first defeat in this season’s competition came in the final but Ed Home, their Head of Cricket, was generous in defeat.

“We have had a fantastic campaign. We have won six and fallen short at the final hurdle. But Dorset thoroughly deserved their win. They have out bowled us, out fielded us and out batted us,” Home said

“Dorset are a lovely bunch of lads so I’m happy with them but tinged with a bit of disappointment for ourselves.

“We were light on runs. If we had got 230-240 on there they would have had to bat differently and our spinners would have come into play a bit more. But Dorset just knocked it around very sensibly and were always in control..

“Three or four years ago we couldn’t get a side out, we were rock bottom of everything but within three years we are here and competing in a final against probably as good a one-day side you are going to play against.

“We will come back stronger next year and we have still got aspirations this year to win Division Two of the Championship Western Division to get into division one of that.

“When we all sit back and reflect it’s been a pretty successful year already for us.”

National Counties Trophy final

Chester Boughton Hall: Shropshire 195 (Charlie Home 66, Tom fell 51, Joe Carson 3-44), Dorset 198-5 (Dylan Church 53, Felix Organ 48). Dorset won by five wickets.