Sully bang the drum

More out of hope than expectation, a group of teenage supporters from Exhall and Wixford brought a drum to Lord's for the npower Village Cup final. After somehow sneaking it past security, their intention soon became clear - each run and wicket for the Warwickshire side would be celebrated with a triumphant banging and, if it hadn't been for the miserly stewards, the support would have continued unabated even as Welsh side Sully Centurions coasted to a predictable 79-run victory.

Sully were hot favourites to win, and the result was rarely in doubt. Lloyd Smith struck a well-paced 113 - including four sixes - on a slow wicket, and the calibre of his batting looked at odds with most village teams. The same could be said for 16-year-old Michael O'Shea, who has played for England Under-19s. His assured 79 contributed to a third-wicket partnership of 174 with Smith. The Exhall bowlers simply were not of the same quality, and Sully posted 243 for 4 in 40 overs.

There have been grumblings from many sides, mostly those brushed aside by Sully on the way to the final, that Sully are too strong for this competition. They are closing in on the South Wales League title and, at full strength, boast 375 Welsh caps. They have also been accused of taking the game too seriously, but the final was played in a great spirit, with both sides generous in their on-field applause for each other.

Sully's captain, Jamie Sylvester, is an intense man who, according to some of his team-mates, comes from the Nasser Hussain school of hard-nosed leadership. Whereas many sides regard mis-fields as part of the make-up and charm of village cricket, to Sylvester they are anathema. But Sylvester came across as very fair, and he certainly wasn't letting on if he was confident of victory. Even after Sully had posted the second highest score in 33 Village Cup finals, he was pointing out that Exhall were at their most dangerous when chasing a target. It was his seventh time as a player at Lord's, and the honour of sitting in the home dressing room hadn't diminished. "If you can't get your team motivated while sitting in this dressing room, then you never can," Sylvester said.

Sully's dressing room was a more professional space than Exhall's - the suits hanging from the pegs wouldn't have looked out of place at Manchester United. But it was relaxed, and the players spent most of the time on the balcony, where they, and Exhall, were joined by their families to watch the closing stages.

Exhall were outplayed, but the taunts of, `How did you get this far?' from the some of the 200 or so Sully fans were harsh. They played well and achieved several memorable run-chases to get to Lord's. Exhall's 12th man Brett Green, who had a stint on the field when John Simpson started to feel the affects of returning from Prague at 3.30am on Saturday, was overawed by the occasion: "We've just had someone from the BBC up here (in the dressing room) and the other day Sky Sports came to our ground and filmed us in the nets. We never expected anything like that." Preparing to take the drinks out after 20 overs, he complained that the day was going too quickly.

Aside from the cricket, perhaps it will be Scooter Wicks, the Exhall wicketkeeper, who best remembers the day. His mother, father and brother had arrived from Australia on the Sunday morning to watch him play, and he couldn't hide his joy at seeing his family. The Wicks family took their place among the 300 or so fans in the stands. However, judging by the sound they made, there could have been thousands. As the match trundled its way to an inevitable conclusion, and the beer trundled its way to the heads of many spectators, the loosely segregated sets of fans exchanged songs and playful insults. The songs sounded spontaneous - in that they trailed off when no one could think of the words - but it contributed to an enjoyable, informal atmosphere.

The crowd especially enjoyed Simpson - betraying no signs of a Czech hangover - bringing up his fifty with a six, a four and a six. It was Simpson's third match at Lord's, but he admitted to nerves. He fell for 58 to Ryan Sylvester, the pick of the Sully bowlers, and Exhall finished on 164 for 7.

Sully were deserved victors, and headed back to Wales with the sole intention of celebrating. Exhall had the same idea. "We'll be having a drink at our clubhouse," Simpson said. "We'll also be joined by about six coaches of fans, some of whom have come from neighbouring teams. We're a very sociable club, and I'm sure we'll prove that tonight. It's been a great day."