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Leeds & Broomfield skipper Ed Scrivens couldn’t have been prouder of his team despite final heartache at Lord’s on Sunday.
Scrivens’ side fell agonisingly short of chasing down Milford Hall’s total of 139 as Leeds were bowled out for 129 in the Voneus Village Cup final.
“It’s a special occasion, ignoring the result we’ve still had a pretty unbelievable day,” said Scrivens.
“I know we’ve lost but we’ve still had a really good time.
“It was always going to be a win (playing at Lord’s). It’s very painful now. We’re obviously disappointed but at the same time we’re proud of what we’ve done and how far we’ve come.
“To spend the day on the Lord’s turf with my best mates is something I’ll never forget.
“I’m running out of words to describe how emotional it is but I’m proud of the lads at the same time.”
Leeds were in the box seat after dismissing Milford Hall from the West Midlands for a below-par score.
But, just like their opponents, they lost their first six wickets cheaply and despite a stunning 77-run partnership between Alex Czabaniuk and James Mitchinson, they lost their last four wickets for five runs to come up short.
“(Chasing) 140 at half-time we thought we had a really good chance but we went out to bat and obviously we didn’t get off to a great start, a couple of decisions didn’t go our way and we were on the back foot,” reflected Scrivens.
“I thought the partnership between Mitch and Alex was unbelievable, they really gave us a chance and that was really good of them.
“I’m gutted for them that they haven’t won as they did an unbelievable job. They should be really proud but all the boys should be proud, it’s a good achievement to get this far.
“You always think you’re in trouble (six-down) but I had full faith in the lads to still get us over the line. It’s an unfortunate loss and will take a while to sink in.
“Once it got down to needing 30 to win, you always think you’ve got a chance when there’s two set batsmen in but it didn’t seem to go our way and congratulations to Milford.
“We’ve played the same way the whole way through, we’ve tried to have fun and have enjoyed it. We’re still joking with each other and after the game we’re going for a meal together.”
Leeds were cheered on by hundreds of friends and family, and supporters who made the trip to Lord’s.
They created stand-out moments for the team and Scrivens is determined to go one better in the future.
“The goal was always to get to Lord’s and I suppose it makes us even more determined to come back next year and change the result,” he added.
“When they sang ‘Stand up if you love Leeds’ and everyone was singing it we were thinking ‘What is going on here?’, and then when we were bowling, I looked over and saw mum and dad, nan and grandad and all my family and friends in the crowd - it is something different and very special.
“It was very emotional. A couple of lads haven’t got many years left to play for the team and might be looking at retiring were tearing up.
“This is the biggest day of the club’s history by far, we had so many brilliant fans here cheering us on and even when we lost, we walk over and they’re cheering our names and clapping us.
“It’s a massive day for the club. It’s a shame we haven’t won but you can’t win them all and, hopefully, next year we get to the final, bring even more fans, and win it.”