After a dramatic end to the season, with Hyde losing out on the league title by a single point due to rain, it was time for the main event, the (replayed) Cheshire Cup Final. The host was a mercifully bright and sunny, albeit breezy, Werneth Low Road. On a wicket that looked a fair bit better than the one used two Sundays ago, Nick won the toss and opted to bowl first. Rohit Acharya had injured his back in the warm-up and so had to be swapped out.

The first innings really couldn't have gone much better. With Hyde's two left-handers opening up, Will took the new ball, and immediately found some purchase. Two strong appeals in the first over against Tom Partridge and Will was in the game. Luke Young started as quickly as expected, picking the gaps in the covers for two lovely boundaries. However, Will soon pinned him for 15, a big first breakthrough. The quality didn't stop there though as Kesh Fonseka (newly signed by Lancs) came in, Will rapping him on the pads second ball. Partridge soon followed Young, with an injudicious leave that saw Liam peg back his off stump.

Fonseka was joined by youngster Rian Maisuria, who got off the mark first ball, flicking for 4 just over the outstretched hand of Tom. Fonseka was looking really settled, going 4 4 6 off Liam's fourth over. He had reached 38 off 29 when he chipped one off Nick out to Tom on the cover boundary, taking a really good low down catch. 77-3 off 12.1, and Dids were well in it. One Lancashire signee replaced the other; Charlie Barnard walked in and combined with Maisuria proceeded to chew up almost 6 overs for just 14 runs. It was perhaps a sign of how difficult scoring would become in our innings, but Dids were bowling superbly. A wicket a piece for Joe and Nick reduced Hyde to 91-5 just before drinks. This brought in the final key to the Hyde batting line-up, Andrew Jackson. Get him early, and Dids would be able to restrict Hyde.

Immediately after drinks, Nick removed their keeper third ball. But their focus was on getting Jackson. Nick kept switching up the bowlers, but Jackson was starting to motor, taking 13 off a J Bids over. Will came back on with Liam, and they instantly stopped Hyde's scoring and Jackson was starting to look a bit restless. A wide half-volley from Will was enough to tempt him, and he sliced it to James at point. Two balls later, Will had another, bowling late injury replacement Charlie Harris (who has averaged 64 for their 2s this year) through the gate. Dids now had all the momentum, and bowling Hyde out for less than 130 now looked like a real possibility. Liam bowled their skipper Danny Cranmer, leaving Hyde 128-9 with 10 overs still to bowl, and Liam on 50 wickets for the season. The last pair batted really sensibly, eking out another 21 in 6 overs, before Cole Turner chipped Joe to Nick at mid-off. Hyde finished on 149 all out, Turner's 19 off 58 helping hold the innings together.

It was a brilliant, disciplined bowling performance by the lads, especially in restricting the runs after drinks to just 52 off 16 overs. It looked like the only realistic way that Hyde would be able to win was to bowl Dids out before they reached the target, as the pitch had become whiter, although it was still nipping around a bit and taking some turn. They would need a quick start to open up the Dids middle order.

The first hour after tea was utter carnage. Young and Jackson ripped through the Dids top order, with some aggressive and quick pace bowling; Young's yorker that castled Tom went the speed of light. Joe was really unfortunate to ping a low full toss straight at Barnard at mid-wicket, who took a really smart catch above his head. 35-5 off 14 and in all sorts of trouble (for context, Dids got to 37 for no wicket in the first game off 8 overs). The one hope was that the skipper had moved himself down to no. 7 and came in to join Evan. A slight sign of Hyde's cautiousness was that Jackson bowled his 8 overs straight through, after Nick took him for 15 off his last in the previous game. The pressure was starting to build, and Evan hit a gorgeous slog sweep off Barnard for 6. However, he was soon to fall to a magnificent catch by Young, trying to go again off Cranmer.

Dids found themselves 47-6 off 20, Nick on 3, and 103 runs needed. He had a touch of luck straight after drinks. James rotated the strike to Nick, and Barnard explicitly asked for a deep fine leg and deep square, and took the slip out. Nick proceeded to edge it straight to where the slip was for four. Together they accumulated, trying to steady the ship while putting away the bad ball. Nevertheless, the rate was starting to creep up. A strong LBW appeal against James perhaps maybe slightly knocked his concentration, and next ball he clothed an attempted flick to Partridge at mid-on.

64-7 off 24, Nick on 11 off 27, but it was time to push the scoring along. First ball of the next Barnard over, Nick easily lofted him down the ground, over mid-off and into the bushes. The shots were put away though in the next few overs, as Barnard and James Chew bowled really tight lines, with Chew chucking in some cutters and slower balls for good measure. The overs passed without a boundary, taking the odd single to rotate the strike, but the required rate was now above a run a ball. Someone would have to take a risk, and Liam did, reverse paddling Cranmer for a boundary. Even with the climbing rate, Hyde were desperate to break the partnership, rattling off 4 LBW appeals in the space of 8 balls. Then came the turning point. Nick tried to carve one over cover for six, but ended up slicing it over point. Young was fielding there, and put it down above his head. It was a tough chance, but the one he took off Evan was significantly harder. Nick was on 29 off 48, and it would probably have been game over. As it turned out, the dropped catch decided the game.

Dropped catch aside, the pressure kept building as the rate increased, and Liam was caught off Chew trying a reverse ramp, with both third man and fine leg back on the boundary. Pressure does funny things. Together they had added a crucial 33 runs, but now it was really all down to the skipper. Will came in at 10, knowing he couldn't really try to repeat his heroics at Elworth. With Hyde running out of bowling options, Cranmer had to turn back to Young to bowl his last three overs. 47 needed off the last 6 with Nick facing. First ball, slot, 6, hit miles back over long-off and into the bushes for the second time in the day. Nick and Will could only muster another 2 off the over though, and when Barnard showed his class, only going for 2 off his last over, the rate was now up at 11s. Young again, slot again, 6 again; followed up by a failed run-up and then a hip-high flick past square leg for 4. Nick clearly completely trusted Will, as Will took a single off the last ball of the over for the second over in a row. Chew came on for his final 2 overs, and after a few singles bowled Will with a leg-stump full toss. The score was 121-9 with 14 balls remaining, 29 runs to win, and Nick at the wrong end. Jonty 'The Wall' Walliker strode out and promptly kept out the remaining two balls of the over. Two overs left and 15 an over needed to win.

If the wicket of Will should have galvanised Hyde to finish off the job, it seemed to cause them to completely lose the plot. One good ball would be enough for them to win. Young bowling his last over. He's already gone for 20 off his last 2, after going for just 10 off 5.

First ball of the over, hip-high flick for 4.
Second ball, a length ball that Nick misses.
Where do you want the third ball? Length on leg-stump, miles back into the overflow car-park.
Another failed run-up, the pressure's getting to them. Fourth ball? Same again please! Same result, even bigger this time. 13 off 8 and Dids probably favourites now.
Hyde changed the plan, opting for wide yorkers to stop the boundaries. Fifth ball, well bowled, dot.
Sixth ball, he drills it at cover, who makes a terrific stop to save 4, but they get through for 1. Nick on strike going into the last over needing 12. The ball before, Jackson was screaming for the field to come in to stop the single, and cover could have easily let it go for 4 and keep Jonty on strike for the last over. But as it was Dids were two hits away from the cup.

Chew ran in first ball, put it right in the slot and it disappeared straight back over his head into the nets. Dids were now one hit away from the most incredible of victories. Chew had his hands on his head, but a bit of a delay while they fetched the ball allowed Hyde some time to rethink. A really good wide yorker brought a much needed dot. The bowler marched straight back to his mark, no conference to decide what to bowl.

Nick looked calm enough under the circumstances, remarking his guard after every ball. Chew charged in again, going for another wide yorker. He missed it by a few inches, and Nick carved it over cover. But far enough? Silence around the ground as everyone watches. One man walking round the boundary sees it first, up go the arms! The ball lands halfway up the bushes, sparking wild celebrations from the skipper, and the rest of the lads. Liam and Evan were the first down the Hyde stairs in absolutely no time. Chew was absolutely crestfallen, but the over-riding image was of shock at the innings we had just witnessed.

79* off 68 for the skipper to add to his 85* off 80 in the first match, 164* across both games at better than a run a ball, simply ridiculous. It will come as absolutely no surprise that he was awarded man-of-the-match by Nigel Muirhead, chairman of the Cheshire Cricket Board.

I really don't think it's an exaggeration to say that it might be the finest innings in a Cheshire Cup Final. It might be one of the best innings in Cheshire cricket full stop. To come in when chasing 150 with the score at 35-5, and guide your team to a first cup win in 23 years, while facing the best team in Cheshire by all measures, is an astonishing effort. To drag your team from the depths two innings in a row is even more special, and the first knock probably set up the second. After the dropped catch, Hyde looked like they had the fear of God in them, that Nick might just pull it off again. And so it proved. We also mustn't forget that this was a 1st XI missing 3 nailed on starters, and the best spinner in Cheshire, against a practically full strength Hyde team. Their achievement is absolutely unbelievable. All credit has to go to the lads, for persevering through what has been a tough season at times, but I'm sure some silverware will probably sweeten it a bit.