The Tinker Cup Final on Sunday will be a fitting climax to the Manx season. The top two sides on the Island, Peel and St Johns and Cronkbourne meet in what promises to be a thriller.
The Saints start as favourites, having won the Premiership and beaten the Douglas team twice in the league.
By coincidence the same teams met in last year’s final and that must make Peel nervous, fearing this might turn out to be a rerun of that match. Then the Saints came to Tromode also as Premiership champions, but the outcome was a disaster for them.
In just 32 overs they were dismissed for 108 by a vibrant Cronkbourne performance. Chris Hawke top scored with 25, but the rest of the side struggled against a determined attack. Matty Ansell took 3 -24 while Alex Stokoe, Luke Lacey and Max Stokoe claimed two wickets each.
In reply Cronkbourne openers Adam McAuley and Max Stokoe had a stand of 85 before Stokoe fell to Nick Hawke for 43. McCauley (26) and Lacey (15) then guided their team to victory by nine wickets in 25 overs.
So will history repeat itself? Can Peel and St John’s avoid last year’s defeat or will the cup holders once again rise to the occasion?
The match is at Tromode on Sunday, starting at 1pm. What a game to round off the season!
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