The Isle of Man cricket season concluded with wins for Crosby and Valkyres in the Tinker and Blincoe Cup respectively at the weekend.  

Marown Playing Fields played host to the premier cup competition in glorious conditions and relegated Finch Hill put in a strong performance against Crosby that belied their league position.  

The two innings-per-team format saw Finch Hill narrowly ahead after the first innings. Crosby totalled 132 for four in their first 10 overs, with wicket keeper Carl Hartmann top scoring with 55 off 25 balls and Jacob Butler hitting an unbeaten 38 from only 15 balls.  

An excellent first 10 overs by Finch Hill saw them reach 139-3 in reply, with opening batter Sam Barnett hitting 76 off 32 balls and Christian Webster smashing 46 from 21 balls.   

In their second 20-over innings, Crosby posted 192-6 with all of their batsmen again scoring at a good rate and contributing double-digit runs at a rate of at least a run a ball, without going on to post half-centuries.   

Hartmann was again top scorer for Crosby, this time with 35 from 20 balls.  

Chasing 185 in their second 20 overs, Finch Hill’s innings got off to the worst possible start with the early loss of captain Barnett.  

Although Christian Webster hit a rapid 30 and some late order runs from Indrakumar Gandu, who top scored with 34 from 29 balls, ultimately Ed Walker’s spell of four overs for only 19 runs - including three wickets - kept the chase in check and Finch Hill eventually finished 56 runs shy of the target in their second 20-over innings.  

Blincoe Cup 

In the Blincoe Cup for Division One teams, Valkyres triumphed in a final-over thriller against Peel and St John’s.  

In this format, both teams faced two 16-over innings with the sides either batting first and fourth or taking the second and third innings.   

Valkyres batted first and reached 162-7, with Michael Lowe top scoring with 41 from 22 balls and Fred Atherton the pick of the Peel bowlers with 2-12.  

In their first innings response, Peel made 155-4 with Will Bayley 88 from 68 balls ably supported by Tim Evans with 34.    

Peel then batted again and made 186-7, with Will Bayley capping off an excellent game with 73 off 33 balls, setting Valkyres a target of 180.   

Michael Lowe (30) and Ali Asghar put on 60 for the first wicket before Shahid Rafique’s enterprising 49 off 33 balls - part of a partnership of 98 with Abdul Khan for the third wicket - got them to within 12 runs of the target.   

Khan carried his bat in an innings of 46, with Zaheed Naeem having the final word with a four to end the game in style and secure the Blincoe Cup for Valkyres with two balls to spare.

SIMON CRELLIN