PUTTENHAM beat Grayswood by just 10 runs in a see-saw final on Sunday to complete a hat-trick of Stevens Cup victories.

It might have been 16 eight-ball overs-a-side, but hosts Headley brought the razzmatazz of T20 cricket to the I’Anson’s KO Finals Day and some 300 spectators enjoyed the experience, although outgoing batsman might have had reservations about a blast of ‘Another one bites the dust’ or a loud ‘quack, quack.’

Headley CC did the competition proud, though, with barbecue, cake stall, bars (inside and outside) and have-a-go cricket nets doing good business, with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of Paul Arend, the former club president.

Sophie Cook made the mischievous musical selection and dad Ashley provided the punchy commentary.

The cricketers, especially those from Tongham, entered into the spirit of the occasion and if the Pope Cup final was somewhat one-sided compared with the Stevens, some excellent cricket was played by all four teams.

For most of the Stevens final, Grayswood seemed well on course to avenging their defeat of two years ago. But Puttenham’s Imran Khan lived up to one of the most famous names in cricket and in the words of I’Anson president Keith Ellis, who named him Man of the Match, “turned the match on its head” by taking 5-17 in his four overs – clean-bowling all five of his victims.

Grayswood were chasing what appeared to be a modest 115. Puttenham struggled from the moment Iain Jackson bowled James Andrews with his third ball. Jackson and spinner James Atkinson restricted Puttenham to 45-2 at the halfway mark. Ahsan Awan then struck a quick 28, including a fearsome six into the cake stall, but with young Henry Hind bowling a good spell and Alastair Gloak taking a brilliant catch in the deep to dismiss Adrian Van Niekerk, the score was only 84-5 with three overs left.

However, it proved crucial in the context of the game when Quas Abbas and Danny Harrison took a heavy toll of Rhys Dodson’s last over and the pair got the score up to 115-8.

It hardly looked enough as newcomer Atkinson hit three massive sixes and a four in ‘Sid’ Ahmed’s first over. This stung Aks Ilyas into lengthening his run and upping his pace. Ilyas, one of the league’s best bowlers, had Atkinson caught at long-on by Dan Harrison and bowled Dave Handley with his next ball.

Slow left-armer Ahsan Ahmed, introduced early, bowled a superb spell, giving the ball a real rip. The run-rate slowed dramatically and Grayswood went from 32-2 off three overs to 60-4 at halfway, with dangerman Andy Major out first ball, Ahsan Ahmed taking a boot-level return catch.

With plenty of batting to come, the odds still favoured Grayswood, but Gloak, playing a shot he will want to forget, was castled by Imran and there was then no stopping the pace bowler. Dodson, Callan McIntyre and skipper Cameron Kent all got the same treatment.

All over at 87-9? Not quite, as Jackson and Hind, with quick running and amidst frenzied appeals for run-outs, whittled it down to 16 wanted off the last eight balls.

Would a dropped catch by James Crouch prove fateful? No. ‘Sid’ Ahmed, after his earlier mauling, bowled a canny last over and three dot balls to Jackson settled the issue. Two sixes off the last two balls was never going to happen.

It was just a pity that some of the Puttenham players reacted badly to those close run-out decisions and umpires Andy Stenning and the highly experienced John Gray saw fit to have words with their captain.

It was all sweetness and light at the end, however, as Puttenham were presented with the cup by Simon Whitley, the I’Anson chairman.

Earlier, after the Pope Cup final, the prized Man of the Match bat, adjudicated by birthday boy Alan Stone, had gone to David Tye, top scorer with 46 for Elstead who beat Tongham in the all-Division Two contest.

Tongham played with their usual zest, but dropped catches proved costly as Elstead ran up a healthy 162 in their 16 eight-ball overs. Nick Cook took two early wickets, but Tye and Ajaz Ahmed (37) added 84 in an aggressive third-wicket stand, with Tye clearing the long boundaries five times and racing to 46 off 29 balls.

Cook went on to take 5-41, but the damage was done and with the lower order chipping in usefully, Elstead reached a total they felt they could defend.

Tongham relied heavily on Adam Farrier and Liam Gadd, both in fine form this season, but once Adil Shazad had made the breakthrough at 24, Elstead were always in control. Skipper Gadd fell to Zeeshan Naseer for a brisk 29 and the required run-rate was beyond the other batsmen as the reliable Attaul Moisin and captain Faz Syed tightened Elstead’s grip on the game.

The finish came early as Moisin demolished the lower order with 5-13 in 2.5 overs, hitting the stumps three times.

It was very much a complete performance by Elstead who supported their bowlers with sharp fielding, held all catches on offer, and dismissed Tongham for 103 in 13.5 overs, winning by a comfortable 59 runs.

Faz Syed and Gordon Chapman, the regular captain, currently injured, jointly received the Pope Cup from Keith?Ellis.