Joel Brett honours superb fan support for ‘fuelling’ Farnsfield CC’s ECB National Vitality Plate triumph

Farnsfield enjoyed a ‘remarkable’ day out in Leicestershire on May 10th as they beat Waltham CC for the ECB Vitality T20 Club Plate, becoming the first team from Nottinghamshire to be crowned National Champions in this competition.

The Northern Regional T20 champions took on the Southern Regional T20 champions at Kibworth CC for the 2025 National Final. The original final was rescheduled from last September due to bad weather.

After winning the toss, Farnsfield elected to bat first and posted an impressive 159 for 4 from their allotted 20 overs. Captain Brett earned the Player of the Match award, having led from the front with a superb unbeaten 70.

Valuable contributions also came from Dom Cumming, Alex Ainger, and Krrish Patel. A crucial 58-run partnership between Jack Rogers and Brett further strengthened the innings.

Disciplined bowling, including a three-wicket haul from Alex West, combined with excellent catches from James Bowker and Brett, restricted Waltham’s chase. One pivotal moment came when Patel produced a magnificent catch off Ainger’s bowling to dismiss Shahbaz Khan, Waltham’s top scorer. Waltham eventually finished on 135 for 7, giving Farnsfield a memorable 24-run victory.

Brett reflected on the historic occasion as Farnsfield as a whole look ahead to what they hope to be a successful 2026.

“It was a remarkable day, not only for the 11 players who were involved in the game, but also the entire club and Farnsfield community who helped us achieve the win,” Brett told the Chad. “Having only been with the club for over a year, I could clearly tell amongst the players and supporters how much the win meant for the club, having never achieved this success previously. To have a coach with supporters travel with us on the day, as well as everyone else who drove to the ground, probably fuelled us with confidence on the day to play near our best.

“Credit must also go to Waltham CC for making it to the final as well and putting up a competitive match on the day. They were clearly one of the strongest teams we have played against in the past 12 months, which makes it even more special.

“In relation to the game, I thought our ability to convert 1s into 2s helped us put up a very competitive score of 159, especially given the size of the ground and difficulty to score boundaries. Going into the second innings, I had full confidence in our bowlers being able to restrict them, especially after the previous T20 games we played in 2025, restricting teams for less than 120.”

Brett then turned his attention back to the many travelling supporters who celebrated with the teams back at the club rooms later in the evening. Describing it as a ‘special’ occasion, the captain stressed it will be an experience ‘many of us will remember for the years to come’.