50 and 25 years on Rugby Meteors and Old Tonbridgians remember finals of contrasting fortunes

By chance the 50th and 25th anniversaries of Cricketer Cup Finals in 1973 and 1998 feature the same two teams - Rugby Meteors and Old Tonbridgians.

in 1973 Rugby Meteors, captained by Ted Rose, won a thrilling game at Burton Court against the Old Tonbridgians who had won the 1971 and 1972 finals and were much fancied to complete the hat-trick.. Chasing 217 to win, Rugby needed 78 off the last 8 overs, in those days regarded as a very difficult challenge, when the previously unheralded Sandy Marshall came in at number seven to smite 56 off 29 balls. At the other end the class of Oxford and Surrey batsman, John Cuthbertson, provided the necessary composed anchor with 73 not out. This remains Rugby’s only success in a final.

25 years later Rugby and Tonbridge met again at the Bank of England ground in Roehampton. Rugby had the services of Sussex opener, Richard Montgomerie, who made 80 in the Rugby total of 234-7 in their 55 overs, despite the presence in the Tonbridge attack of Richard Ellison, the Kent and England seamer. Tonbridge, captained by Jono Arscott, had a crop of good young players emerging and it was two of those, Chris Walsh and Jamie Ford, both on the Kent staff, who put on 158 for the second wicket, Ford falling for 70 but Walsh going to an unbeaten 105 as Tonbridge won easily by 7 wickets with 9 overs to spare. It was the start of a run of Tonbridge trophy successes - five in seven years.