Stone will host the area semi-finals of the National T20 Knockout Cup after winning the Shark Cricket T20 final against hosts Checkley in a thrilling game that was a superb advert for local cricket.
Stone made it a hat-trick of T20 titles, repeating their successes of 2013 and 2014, and will now host the corresponding champions from Cheshire, Birmingham and North Wales leagues on Sunday 2nd August.
Stone, who have now one this trophy five times in the nine years it’s been in existence, amassed a huge 207-4 off their 20 overs. George Hawbrook (30) and Luke Cheadle (34) had given them a blistering start, racing to 46 from three overs, before they handed the reins to Matt Coxon who compiled an aggressive unbeaten 68 from 43 balls. A late assault by John Cheadle with 35 from 13 deliveries saw the visitors post what most assumed would be an unassailable total.
Checkley, however, had other ideas and Coxon’s younger brother Andrew, aged 17 and opening for the home side, led the attack with a brilliant 83. Earlier, he and 16-year-old Zen Malik had flayed the Stone attack to set up the finish for Checkley’s pro Rizwan Haider, the scourge of Stone in a league game 15 days earlier. Haider took 26 off an over from Kyle Melis to leave the home side in the remarkable position of requiring only 30 from the last three overs.
Up stepped Olly Perry, who’d earlier removed Malik, to trap Haider LBW and tilt the tie back in Stone’s favour. Coxon then holed out in the deep to his elder sibling off the bowling of Steve Morgan and Checkley struggled to maintain momentum, ultimately finishing 11 runs short as Kyle Melis held his nerve to see out the last over.
Earlier in the day, Stone had easily overcome Division 1 Wood Lane by 87 runs as Luke Cheadle with 51 and Sam Graham (43) led them to 178 off their 20 overs. In reply, Wood Lane limped to 91 for 8 with two wickets apiece for Morgan, Coxon and Wasim Khan.
