Sway 191-9, Fawley 93ao. Sway won by 98 runs

Going into the final game of this seasons exciting Tony Woodhouse competition, the trophy could still have gone 3 ways - a win for either Sway or Fawley would be enough, however, a draw would hand the trophy to Hythe & Dibden who came within a wicket of winning the cup last week.

Sway lost the toss and were put into bat on a wicket that seemed to offer a little to both bowlers and batsmen alike. Fawley strike bowler Ian McElhenney roared in with pace and accuracy and struck in just his second over removing Sway veteran Pete Bennet, caught in the slips. McElhenney was well supported at the other end by M Head who also had the advantage of some variable bounce - and in Head's second over this did for the other Sway over Ross Clark who was bowled by a shooter. If the start was bad, worse was to follow as first Matt Bramwell was bowled playing a rare defensive shot to a fine McElhenney delivery; and in the same over Isaac Fitzgerald was also bowled leaving Sway at 10-4. Young skipper Rob Steadman entered the fray with a view to steadying the ship, but after hanging around a while he too fell to McElhenney for a duck leaving Sway on a disastrous score of 22-5.

It was left to an unlikely combination of youth and experience to steady the ship. At one end was steady hand and finesse of veteran 2nd XI batsman Rick How, at the other end the rugby club power of young Will Baughan. Having seen off the opening bowling spells, How and Baughan got the recovery moving - How playing his nurdling game whilst Baughan played sensibly punishing the bad balls cracking five boundaries on his way to 35. The pair put on 41 together before Baughan was finally out. Sway again wobbled when Sam Harvey was out for just 4 and Fawley gambled by bowling the remaining overs of McElhenney and M Head in the hope of fatally wounding the Sway innings. However these threats were seen off and new bat FJ Charton continued his good run of form and together with How put on a superb partnership of 78 runs taking Sway on to 151 before Charton was dismissed for 28. How meanwhile had completed a match saving half century and was eventually out for 54, stumped as he came down the wicket with seemingly his last ounce of energy. This left Sway at 158-9, a decent total in itself but it was a fine last wicket partnership between the two youngest players - David Steadman and Lewis Marden that took Sway onto a very large total of 191-9 - the pair putting on 33 with Steadman finishing 17no and Marden 12no on his senior debut.

Loath to see the trophy go to their rivals Hythe & Dibden, Fawley came out all guns blazing. This made for some entertaining cricket as The Steadman brothers steamed in to bowl. Rob Steadman in particular was on top of his game bowling with hostility and accuracy. In his second over he produced a superb yorker to remove M Head and then the very next ball, bowlled S Jones. Matters did not improve for Fawley when in Rob Steadman's 4th over he claimed the scalp of N Jay with Matt Bramwell taking a fine catch. at 16-3 Fawley's chances of winning seemed fairly low but it remained to be seen if Sway could take the seven wickets required for victory - the Sway fielders running between overs to try and get in as many overs as possible. Fawley however recovered their composure with a fine partnership between McElhenney and Dean Head - the pair putting on 55 together. As the game entered the final 20 overs it looked like victory might elude Sway especially as a couple of catches had been put down. However in a crucial phase of the game McElhenney was surprisingly bowled by FJ Charton triggering a mini Fawley collapse as the oilmen lost 4 wickets for just 2 runs - Charton picking up 3-20 off 8 overs and Rob Steadman taking a superb five wicket haul for just 9 runs. With 9 wickets down the game seemed al over but a last wicket stand between L Read and B Cooper frustrated Sway for a while and Fawley got within 7 overs of a draw before David Steadman returned to bowl Cooper to seal the game and the cup for Sway.

Rob Steadman receives the trophy from the tournament organisier, Hythe & Dibden's Steve Chiverton.

Back: How (R), Baughan (W), Clark (R), Bramwell, Bennet

Front: Fitzgerald, Charton, Steadman (R), Harvey, Marden

On grass: David Steadman