Vienna CC Wintercup Photo © ECC

Following in the footsteps of Madisons CC and Farsley CC, Pudsey Congs CC won the Vienna CC Wintercup on Sunday, as a follow up to having won the ECB Indoor Championships at Lords. The competition which has been an international tournament for the last ten years, was this year contested by Pudsey Congs CC, Teeside Polygons CC, Prague CC, Bessborough CC, Cricket World Nomads and hosts Vienna CC.

During its history, the Vienna CC Wintercup has been host to a wide variety of touring sides, and it is estimated that somewhere in the region of thirty players to have played in the Wintercup have gone on to play first class cricket, with current England Test Wicketkeeper Jamie Foster and England 1 Day international squad member Jeremy Snape heading the list of players to have played in the Vienna tournament.

Vienna CC Wintercup Photo © ECC

The tournament, in a slightly different form this year saw the Pudsey Congs team head the round robin group, winning all five games, although they nearly came unstuck against Bessborough CC, whose line-up included former Vienna CC and Austrian National Team player Wolfgang Tesar, with a 17 year old player, Ian Barrie, bowling, batting and fielding consistently to earn himself the Young Player of the Tournament award. Teeside Polygons, runners-up in the group stage lost the final to Pudsey after a valiant attempt to chase the Pudsey score of 164 from their 10 overs.

Earlier in the tournament Cricket World Nomads posted a score of 180, which is believed to be the highest in the tournament's history, and also beat the host team in their match, having recruited from the VCC ranks. Prague CC whilst finishing in 6th showed signs of improving form, with `keeper Tony Brennan, returning to the Wintercup for the first time in 2 years, being a mainstay of the team. One of the team's younger players, Siddarth, showed considerable talent, and but for injury, native Luk·ö FenĖl, would have probably assumed a more active role.

Team				W	L
Pudsey Congs CC                 5       0
Teeside Polygons CC             4       1
Bessborough CC                  3       2
Cricket World Nomads            2       3
Vienna CC                       1       4
Prague CC                       0       5

Player of the tournament:       - Matthew Doig (Pudsey Congs)
Batsman of the tournament:      - Paul Wakefield (Cricket World Nomads)
Bowler of the tournament:       - Mark Bray (Pudsey Congs)
Young player of the tournament: - Ian Barrie (Bessborough)