Records tumble left, right and centre as Abbots post new highs in Brockman Cup final

Abbots

Full scorecard

RECORDS tumbled as Abbotskerswell II raced to victory over Brixham II in the Brockman Cup final at Torquay.

Charlie Smout-Cooper clattered a top score of 88 not out  in Abbotskerswell’s 20-over total of 197 for one.

Smout-Cooper, who hit 15 fours, put on 78 for the first wicket with opening partner Paul Lightowlers (19).

Winning captain Elliott AdamsWhen Will Small trapped Lightowlers lbw, skipper Elliott Adams went out to join Smout-Cooper and the carnage continued.

Adams clubbed 77 not out off just 41 balls – five fours, four sixes – as Abbots piled up the runs.

Smout-Cooper’s 88 not out was a new individual record for the final, moving ahead of Brixham’s Richard Ward (87 v Kingskerswell, 2003), Lustleigh’s Chris Sims (86 v South Devon, 2002) and Robin Millman (82 v Dartington, 1996).

Abbots’ the second-wicket stand of 119 was the first partnership of more than a hundred in any competition final since 1933 - another record

Abbots total of 197 for one was a team total record, displacing Brixham’s 171 for three in the 2003 showdown with Kingskerswell.

South Devon chased a then record score of 142 to win the 2002 final when they defeated Lustleigh, whose total that night broke their own record or 140-3 set against Stoke Gabriel in 1997.

 

Remarkably, Smout-Cooper and Adams only recently celebrated their 17thbirthdays.

Tom Blundell (0-27) and Rhys Dallow (0-23) were the most economical Brixham bowlers on an evening when it was tough keeping the runs.

It always looked unlikely Brixham were going to break any records after opening spells from Graham Catley (0-8) and Tom Heath (2-17) left the behind the clock.A youthful Paul Mitchell (second from left) in the 1982 Brockman Cup-winning side. Bill Webster is holding the cup

Smout-Cooper capped a man-of-the-match performance by taking three wickets and there were two more for Abbots chairman Paul Mitchell as Brixham were bowled out for 121 with five balls to go.

For Mitchell it was another Brockman Cup final medal to add to his collection. He won his first back in 1982 as a member of the Kingskerswell team that chased 83 to win against St Marychurch and won by four wickets. 

Mitchell is officially the most durable winner in the 86-year history of the competition with 36 seasons spanning his first and most recent successes.

Previously, the record was 35 seasons, held by the late Bill Webster (1947-1982). Webster’s last final was Mitchell’s first in the Kingskerswell team that defeated St Marychurch.

Third in line is Bill Scourfield, who was a winner with Corinthians in 1934 and much later with Chelston in 1967. 

Abbotskerswell 187-1 (C Smout-Cooper 88, E Adams 77), Brixham 121-8 (R Dallow 51; C Smout-Cooper 3-27, T Heath 2-17, P Mitchell 2-10). Abbotskerswell II bt Brixham II by 66 runs.

Left to right are man of the match Charlie Smout-Cooper, veteran finalist Paul Mitchell and winning captain Elliott Adams