Cuckney cricketers one game away from dream Lord's final

Cuckney Cricket Club are just one game away from a dream final at Lord’s in the Cawston Press Village Cup.

Captain Richard Bostock is expecting “another huge test” when his team welcome Yorkshire’s Woodhouse Grange, four-time winners of the competition, in the semi-final this coming Sunday (2 August).

Both sides have made the last four despite facing player eligibility challenges due to the Village Cup’s rules.

They both field sides in the top divisions of ECB Premier Leagues – Cuckney in the Nottinghamshire Premier League and Woodhouse Grange in the Yorkshire Premier League North – meaning anyone who has played first XI league games in 2026, barring players aged 17 or under, has instantly been ruled ineligible for the rest of their Village Cup campaign.

Bostock said: “They have a fantastic history in the National Village Cup as former winners and, although this is their second XI, they’re flying high in the equivalent competition in Yorkshire, so they’re a quality side in their own right.

“At this stage of the competition, one of the biggest challenges for every club is managing player eligibility.

“Balancing first and second team commitments while staying within the competition regulations isn’t straightforward, so we’re expecting another very strong opponent. It’s something both clubs have to navigate, and that’s part of what makes reaching this stage such an achievement.”

Cuckney reached the last four with a tight home victory by seven runs over Herefordshire club Brockhampton, who play in the Worcestershire County League’s top division.

Bostock added: “Brockhampton were an excellent side and probably one of the strongest teams we’ve faced this season.

“They had real depth with the ball and restricted us to what we felt was an under-par total on our own ground.

“That said, we battled hard to get ourselves to what we felt was a defendable score, knowing we’d have to be at our very best with the ball.

“What pleased us most was the way we responded in the field. We knew it would take a real team effort and that’s exactly what we got. We kept changing the bowling around throughout the innings, looking for different match-ups and trying to stop Brockhampton settling.

“Every bowler came in, hit their areas and played their part, which allowed us to keep asking questions and stay in the game.”

The younger element of Cuckney’s side again drew praise from their skipper, with “outstanding” bowling from Tommy Bush and “exceptional” wicketkeeping from Oscar Butcher being highlighted in particular.

“Even when they put together a couple of good partnerships, nobody panicked. We stuck to our plans, found wickets at important moments and kept believing right until the end.

“To see another of our young players, Harry Ballard, trusted with key overs late in the game and helping us get over the line was really pleasing.”