Village Cup: Lord's win for Milford Hall keeps trophy in the Midlands

Milford Hall are the first team from Staffordshire to win the National Village Cup

Staffordshire side Milford Hall became the third Midlands side in four years to win the National Village Cup as they edged past Kent side Leeds & Broomfield by 10 runs in a tense final at Lord's.

It looked like the village side from the outskirts of Stafford might not have enough when they could only post 139 from their 40 overs.

It took a solid 32 from veteran Second XI skipper Mark Thompson to help them reach that, allied to 24 from Harry Edwards.

That was thanks largely to three wickets each for Clarry McCague, son of three-times capped former Kent and England Test fast bowler and his Leeds & Broomfield team-mate Martin McCague, and Edward Scrivens.

It took a solid 32 from veteran Second XI skipper Mark Thompson to help them reach that, allied to 24 from Harry Edwards.

But, man-of-the-match Aaron Afford (4-19) took the first three of his four wickets, including 54-year-old McCague Sr, who opened the batting, while Stuart Phazey removed McCague Jr to help reduce the Kent side to 47-6.

Alex Czabaniuk (46) and James Mitchinson (39) then shared a seventh-wicket stand of 77 to reduce the target to just 16 off five overs. But the pressure told as that became 11 needed off the final over.

Both Leeds & Broomfield batsmen succumbed to catches at deep mid-wicket from Milford Hall director of cricket Phazey, the first off Afford, the second off Thompson to complete his side's 10-run win.

Milford Hall had 600 supporters for the annual village final at Lord's

"I've got thick skin," Phazey joked. "I'm glad it was me there at deep mid-wicket, putting my neck on the line rather than one of the other lads. Just in case something had gone wrong.

"I always felt we had a wicket in us somewhere. They were always around the rate or slightly behind.

"When we had 70 or 80 on the board and were recovering I went for a walk round Lord's and said to people that 130 would be enough if we could get there. So to get to 139, we were ecstatic. Secretly, it was beyond our expectations.

"The early wickets put pressure on them. Most of our batsmen were got out by good balls, but they were giving wickets away."

Leeds & Broomfield took the run chase into the final over

Milford Hall followed Dumbleton, from near Evesham in Worcestershire, as the latest Midlands side to win the 51-year-old trophy.

A Midlands side also won it in 2020 when Colwall became the first Herefordshire side to take the title since Kington in 1993.

The very first Midlands side to win it were Cookley, from just outside Kidderminster, in 1977 - but this is the first time a Staffordshire side has won it.

The annual competition, which receives close to 1,000 entries from village sides all over England, Scotland and Wales has been running since 1972, when Cornish side Troon were the first villagers to win a Lord's final.

But Milford Hall frontman Phazey was just happy to grace the famous Lord's turf - and give the 600 travelling Milford Hall fans a great day out.

"It wasn't a bad track to bat on," he said. "Probably the best we'll bat on this summer."