Wanstead & Snaresbrook On The Hunt For The Double   You are here: Home » News Detail

Wanstead after securing the league title

If you had offered a league and cup double triumph to Wanstead & Snaresbrook Cricket Club 1^st team Captain Arfan Akram before the season had started, he would have snapped your arm off.

But the Essex outfit are just one game off that impressive feat as they face York.CC in the Final of the ECB National Kingfisher Beer Cup this Sunday.

After finishing 2^nd in the Essex Premier Division the last three years in a row, the club secured the title this season just two points ahead of runners-up Chelmsford.CC.

Skipper Akram feels every player played their part in securing the league crown: “We had addressed being consistent as being a key element for us if we were going to win the title, and the players delivered brilliantly. We played really well as a team throughout the year, and it’s a huge relief after coming so close previously.”

Opening batsman John Chambers certainly played his part in helping Wanstead secure their first league title since 2008, hitting over 700 runs in the competition with an average of 105.

Akram has also led from example at the top of the order this season with 750 runs in 16 league matches.

The bowling exploits of Joe Ellis – Grewal, Mohammed Fayyaz Khan & Zain Shahzad were also vital in both securing the league triumph for Wanstead and reaching the final of the ECB National Cup for the first time.

No Essex side has ever won the ECB National Cup, and Akram says the club are overwhelmed with the support shown ahead of the final: “We’ve had so much support from people around the club, and the county, as well as lots of good luck messages through Twitter which has been fantastic.”

It certainly going to be a closely-fought final at Derbyshire CCC on Sunday with York, Yorkshire Premier League Champions this season securing 15 victories on their way to the title.

The final will start at 11am at the County Ground, and the match is free entry for all spectators.