Swardeston beaten in the final of national Vitality Club Twenty20 competition
Lewis Denmark heads back to the pavilion at Derby after his brilliant semi-final knock Picture: KEVIN DENMARK - Credit: Archant
A brilliant century from Swardeston's Lewis Denmark lit up the Vitality Club Twenty20 Finals Day at Derby - but his side missed out on the main prize.
Swardeston line up for a team picture before the action gets under way at Derbyshire's County Ground. Back row (left to right): Joe Flatt, Matt Taylor, Callum Taylor, Sam Thelwell, Richard Sims, Jordan Taylor, Steve Gray, Norman Bygrave (scorer). Front row: Alfie Cooper, Jeremy Elliott, Peter Lambert, Mark Thomas (captain), Lewis Denmark and Jason Reynolds Picture: KEVIN DENMARK - Credit: Archant
Denmark scored an unbeaten 122 in just 56 deliveries to help the Norfolk trailblazers into the final of the national competition at the expense of Nantwich.
But Swardeston were unable to follow up their impressive 47 run success in the final against Hanging Heaton, with the Yorkshire side winning by five wickets in the final over to get their hands on the silverware.
A big day out at Derbyshire's County Ground had started poorly for Swardeston as they slipped to 12-2 in the opening game, with Taylor brothers Callum and Jordan both going cheaply.
With skipper Joe Gatting unwell and back home following proceedings on social media, the team needed someone to step up to the plate and that man was Denmark, who hit 14 fours and five sixes in a memorable knock to take the game away from Nantwich.
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With first Stephen Gray (21) and then Peter Lambert (46) providing the support Swardeston reached 212-4 in their 20 overs and then restricted their Cheshire opponents to 165-5, with Callum Taylor returning the outstanding figures of 4-1-9-1.
In the final acting skipper Mark Thomas won the toss and opted to have a bat first under the Derby floodlights. There were fewer fireworks this time around but his side batted solidly to reach 164-8.
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The Taylor brothers laid the foundations with an opening stand of 51 and Jordan went on to make the top score of 48, with Callum and Gray both chipping in with 25.
In reply Hanging Heaton were given a flying start by Ben Kohler-Cadmore and skipper Gary Fellows, who put on 45 for the first wicket in double quick time. Lambert had the former caught behind for 16 but Fellows marched on in the company of Callum Geldart (17) and the score passed three figures in the 13th over.
A couple of quick wickets from first Joe Flatt and then Thomas helped stem the flow, but Fellows was still there, with Hanging Heaton going into the final five overs needing 45 to win.
That was reduced to 19 off three as Fellows found a willing accomplice in Nick Connolly, who made a swift 20 before being bowled by Richard Sims in the penultimate over.
Two balls later Sims had David Stiff caught by Denmark for two but the victory was completed off the third ball of the final over, with Fellows unbeaten on 88.
