IPPLEPEN will be going for a second successive win in the Brockman Cup final when they take on Babbacombe in tomorrow night’s (Friday) final at Torquay Recreation Ground.
The Pens dispossessed former holders Bovey Tracey 3rd XI of the cup in dramatic finale to last season’s competition, which is sponsored by marine engineering firm Valeport from Totnes.
Bovey were on course to retain the cup until the penultimate over when Pens’ Steve Bowden took a hat-trick, which changed the course of the game. Ipplepen closed out a seven-run win.
Ipplepen defeated Torquay & Kingskerswell by 51 runs, Stoke Gabriel by 29 runs and Brixham by seven wickets to reach this season’s final.
Toby Holroyd (76no) and Chris Needham (44) were Pens’ main run-getters as they chased 145 to win their semi-final against Brixham.
Babbacombe are the only club to have entered every Brockman Cup competition since it was inaugurated back in 1932. They last won it in 1984 (pictured, below) when Sean Jarman hit 50 in a seven-wicket win over Stoke Gabriel.
Babbacombe’s route to the final took them past Barton by 50 runs, Lustleigh by 61 runs in a high-scoring affair, and Abbotskerswell by 24 runs in the semis.
Ipplepen: G Tapley, C Needham, N Sutton, A Harvey, J Heath, R Kennard, F Harvey, T Alsop, S Bowden, W Green, O Holroyd, A Peters.
Babbacombe: M Thompson, J Thompson, R Redding, H Stubbs, S Loram, S Broad, J Alcock, D Stubbs, D Passmore, B Passmore, H Jack.
Umpires: D Fathers, C T Sleep.
