INDOOR CRICKET: Tattingstone won a thrilling final to lift the Gainsborough Indoor Cricket League's Knockout Cup.The league celebrated the end of the campaign by staging three cracking matches to decide the destination of the trophy for this season.

TATTINGSTONE won a thrilling final to lift the Gainsborough Indoor Cricket League's Knockout Cup.

The league celebrated the end of the campaign by staging three cracking matches to decide the destination of the trophy for this season.

Tattingstone beat league

winners Felixstowe Corinthians I, while Capel beat Browns Seniors in the two semi-finals.

The final itself went to the last ball with any one of three results possible before Tattingstone

finally clinched victory.

Tattingstone won the toss in the first semi-final and asked Felixstowe Corinthians I to bat.

Stephen and Chris Bell both caused the Corinthians openers some trouble and Dave Smith was first to go when Stephen bowled him with the score on 14.

Lawrence Wilmington joined Ian Connell and took the score to 52 before becoming one of five run out victims.

From then on, Tattingstone were in command. Not only did the run rate drop, but successive run outs of Connell at 55, Andy Harrison and Mark Smith at 67 and the final wicket – that of Ben Connell – one run later left Tattingstone with a comfortable target of 68 to go into the final.

Mel Phair stood firm against all that the Corinthians' attack could muster. However, despite the small target, Corinthians battled hard to stay in the game.

Having dismissed John Bartrum at 22, they struck again at 47 with the dismissal of Mark Sproats. In between, tight bowling had restricted the Tattingstone batsmen to 45 runs off eight overs.

Chris Bell joined Phair and took the score to 56 when the latter retired. Graham Denny and Stephen Bell stayed briefly to take the score to 63 with four balls of the innings left.

Phair returned to take his score to 29 not out and see Tattingstone home by two wickets with one ball to spare.

In the second semi-final, Browns Seniors asked Capel to bat. Steve Bumphrey and John Howe made a more than useful start and put on 35 before Bumphrey retired on 25.

Ian Carlin fell to Mark Raven three runs later to be replaced by Mark Creasey and Howe and Creasey added 24 before Creasey was run out, followed one run later by Keith Madder.

Derek Martin laid about him to good effect and despite John Howe retiring at 72 and the loss of Steve Bumphrey – who failed to add to his retired score of 25 – at 76, took the score in the final over to 87.

John Howe (28) was then run out one ball later to leave Browns chasing 87 for a place in the final.

Browns started with extreme caution, five runs coming from the first over and none from the

second. However, Mark Raven and Will Spreadbury took an

immediate liking to Mark Creasey and Keith Madder – 33 coming from their opening overs.

Spreadbury was first to go, being the first of six run out

victims. Terry Bailey was next to go, at 47, and Mark Ravel reached retirement one run later. Nigel Cook and Alan Collins took the score to 60 before Cook departed.

Bobby Manning and Collins were both out by the time the score had reached 65, leaving the returning Mark Raven to bat on alone. He took his score to 36 before becoming the final run out victim, leaving Capel winners by 12 runs with an over and a half to spare.

Tattingstone were asked to bat by Capel and suffered an early shock when Phair uncharacteristically hit a full toss straight back to Madder with the score on 17.

Mark Sproats (24) joined Bartrum and added 55 before Derek Martin's catch disposed of Sproats.

Bartrum retired three runs later, but Denny (17no) and Chris Bell saw Tattingstone through to 101 for two wickets by the close.

Capel started cautiously but were soon in trouble with Bumphrey, Carlin and Creasey all gone by the fourth over with the score at 18 for three.

Howe was holding up one end, however, and when he was joined by Madder, the fireworks started.

Three sixes in one Denny over dramatically turned the game around and the pair added 51 in double quick time before Madder retired at 69.

Martin came in to play his part before being run out at 88. Madder rejoined Howe and added a further ten runs before being run out with four runs required and one ball remaining.

Stephen Bell then bowled a wide – one of 13 that greatly boosted the Capel score – but Howe was run out off the last ball giving Tattingstone the Knockout Trophy by one run.

Knockout Trophy Results – semi-finals: Felixstowe Corinthians I 68 for 6 wickets (Wilmington 20, I Connell 19) lost to Tattingstone 69 for 4 (Phair 29no) by 2 wkts.

Capel 87 for 6 (J Howe 28, Bumphrey 25) bt Browns Seniors 75 for 6 (Raven 36) by 12 runs.

Final: Tattingstone 101 for 2 (Bartrum 25no, Sproats 24) bt Capel 100 for 6 (Madder 29, J Howe 25) by 1 run.

After the final Ollie Southgate, on behalf of Gainsborough Sports Centre, presented the season's

trophies.

Before making the presentations, he thanked all the players for their efforts in making the league so successful and said that he hoped that more teams would enter for next season's competitions.

He also mentioned the work put in by Don Quennell and his team of umpires and Jean Quennell's efforts in scoring the majority of the season's matches.

Having acknowledged their efforts by a small presentation, he went on to present the season's

trophies.

Trophy winners – Division One: Winners, Felixstowe Corinthians; Runners-up, Tattingstone.

Division Two: Winners, BT Research; Runners-up, Nacton.

Knockout Trophy: Winners, Tattingstone; Runners-up, Capel.

Individual performance trophies (awarded for greatest contribution to their team's record) – Division One: Batsman, Terry Bailey (Browns Seniors); Bowler, Steve Bumphrey (Capel).

Division Two: Batsman, Graham Deere (Woodbridge/OWs II); Bowler, Kumar Kumaraswami (BT Research).