Leeds & Broomfield failed in their quest to become the first Kent side to win the Village Cup since 1999 after losing to Milford Hall at Lord’s on Sunday.

There were three wickets apiece for Clarry McCague and skipper Ed Scrivens as Leeds were set a target of 140 to win.

But, on a sun-drenched day at the home of cricket, Leeds lost early wickets as the pressure of the chase got to them against a spin-heavy Milford attack.

Alex Czabaniuk and James Mitchinson put on 77 to nearly get Leeds home but a tension-packed finale saw Milford Hall snatch victory.

The tone for an exciting day was set as early as the seventh ball when Czabaniuk produced a breathtaking one-handed grab high to his right at second slip off McCague to remove Dominic Afford for a duck.

McCague struck again with the first ball of his next over to leave Milford Hall 9-2, trapping opener Thomas Webb in front for five.

Fellow opening bowler Neil Dibben got in on the act in the fifth over, bowling Aaron Afford with a lovely inswinger for three.

At 13-3, Milford Hall faced a rebuilding job but they quickly lost Stuart Phazey for five, driving at a full-length McCague delivery, he nicked behind to wicketkeeper Chris Davis. That left Miltford Hall 22-4 in the eighth over and McCague, getting just enough movement down the slope from the Nursery End, had figures of 3-12.

He nearly had a fourth wicket before the over was out but Daniel Betty was put down at second slip when he was yet to score.

Betty hit McCague for successive boundaries off his next over while Dibben, who had conceded just five runs in his first five overs, was also hit to the ropes by Betty, who became the first batsman to reach double figures.

Dibben got his revenge, however, trapping Betty plumb in front next ball for 13, leaving Milford Hall 36-5.

McCague, who had taken just three wickets in six previous games in this year’s competition, returned 3-25 in six overs from his devastating opening spell, Dibben bowled out from the Pavilion End, collecting an impressive 2-16 from eight overs.

Batting at four, left-hander Phillip Cheadle led Milford’s relative recovery but he fell victim to another stunning one-handed slip catch - this time from Monte McCague as spinner Scrivens struck with his second ball. Cheadle made 19 and Milford Hall were 59-6 in the 21st over.

Mark Thompson survived a run-out chance, diving in to make his ground, as he put on 36 for the seventh wicket with Harry Flowers, the pair ensuring they avoided the embarrassment of the lowest score in the final of this competition.

Flowers hit Scrivens for the first six of the innings but perished next ball, caught and bowled for a quickfire 24.

Scrivens (3-35) picked up his final wicket in the 33rd over, Alex Stenson (5) finding Fred Roberts to take a comfortable catch at mid-wicket and leave Milford Hall 112-8.

There was nothing comfortable about Roberts’ next catch, mind. It was another stunning grab in the field, albeit he needed two attempts as he caught the ball over his head tumbling backwards to remove Thompson for 32 and give Monte McCague his first wicket.

Milford Hall were all out for 139 from the final ball of the 39th over, the run out of Robert Firth (3) summing up their batting display as he charged down from the non-striker’s end for a run that was never there and couldn’t beat Roberts’ throw over the stumps from mid-wicket.

Milford Hall defended 181 in their semi-final to reach the Lord’s showpiece and with plenty of spin options in their ranks, the game was not beyond them despite a below-par total.

Scrivens hit a lovely boundary through the covers in the first over of Leeds’ reply but fell next ball, walking down the wicket he was, perhaps harshly, adjudged leg before to Christopher Dean for six.

One became two from the first ball of the second over as Monte McCague (1) softly chipped Aaron Afford straight to Flowers at mid-off, leaving Leeds 7-2.

George Davis (10) appeared to have steadied the ship but, having advanced the score to 28, he became the third wicket to fall, trapped in front by the spin of Aaron Afford.

Roberts added a couple of boundaries through the off-side but became the third wicket to succumb to the left-arm spinner, bowled off his pads for nine to leave Leeds teetering at 33-4 in the eighth over.

Clarry McCague edged his second ball for four past first slip and then survived a leg before shout from the next delivery in what was a nervy time for the Kent side.

Milford Hall turned to spin at both ends, and Clarry McCague (4) chased a wide one from Phazey, which he edged behind to wicketkeeper Betty.

Chris Davis took 11 balls to get off the mark but stability was key for Leeds rather than the loss of more wickets. However, he quickly departed, caught behind in Aaron Afford’s (4-19) final over and Leeds were staring defeat squarely in the face at 47-6.

Czabaniuk raised the Leeds 50 in the 18th over with a cover drive for four and the cheers of those who made the trip up from Kent got even louder when he dispatched Firth for six over mid-wicket in the next over.

Czabaniuk and Mitchinson were finally both able to bring a sense of calm to the afternoon from a Leeds perspective. By the time they needed 50 to win, there were still 79 balls to get them and Milford Hall’s chats between overs increased in length and personnel as the partnership gathered momentum.

The duo put on 50 in 73 balls, giving Leeds hope with sensible batting for nearly an hour in sharp contrast to what had gone before them.

The Leeds hundred came up in the 30th over but they still had plenty to do as the equation came down to 30 from the last eight overs thanks to an exquisite Mitchinson cover drive. Milford Hall rotated their bowlers around but their frontline options had all but bowled out by this stage.

Czabaniuk was down but not out when he took a blow to the head from a short-pitched Dean delivery but he was able to continue after receiving treatment. Czabaniuk wasn’t going into his shell though and before the over was out, he thumped Dean straight down the ground for a boundary to edge his side ever closer.

Mitchinson gave a tough chance on 35 when he edged Firth behind but the ball was beyond Betty before he was able to react.

Czabaniuk hit the previous-miserly Phazey down the ground for four with every run being cheered to the rafters by this stage.

But there was to be another twist as, with 16 runs required to win, Dean switched ends for his final over and Czabaniuk failed to clear mid-on as he departed for 46. The pair had put on 77 for the seventh wicket.

Dibben managed to play out Phazey’s (1-17) final over and, with 18 balls left, Leeds still needed 13 to get across the line.

The pressure got to Dibben in the next over, though, as he missed a swipe to leg after a couple of dot balls off Thompson and was stumped for one. Leeds were still 12 runs away but had just two wickets remaining.

Mitchinson knew he needed to do the bulk of the work if Leeds were to get home but he could only pick out deep mid-wicket to depart for an excellent 39.

Last-man Owen Matthews strode to the crease with Leeds needing 11 off 10 and their fate was sealed at the start of the final over when Semmens was caught on the boundary.