Henley’s Last-Minute Heroics Crown Them Champions – Tom Nugent Discusses Those Last Moments & The Successful Strategies That Got Them There.
The final week of the Home Counties Premier League Division One could have seen any of five teams raise the trophy. But it was Henley who clinched the league title, having only gained that top position in the league in the final five minutes of the season.
This unexpected victory, when the odds were stacked against them, made the win even sweeter, as captain Tom Nugent reflected on their journey to the trophy.
“We knew exactly what we had to do going into that last week, but to come out winning was a better feeling than if we’d been ahead all season,” Nugent shared, adding that their hard-fought success led to a well-earned evening of celebration.
Despite being the underdogs, Henley walked onto the pitch confident in knowing what they had to do, the pressure lifited slightly knowing that if they hit their straps and performed as well as they could, it still may not be enough.
“The margins we had to win by added a bit of pressure, but Finch had more to lose,” Nugent admitted, “we used that to settle our nerves and just went after it.”
This season, Henley saw the arrival of key players, including Charlie Dunnet, Michael Roberts (who came out of retirement), Ross Richardson and Jon Denning, among others.
“Ross had the most dismissals as a wicketkeeper, and Jon’s experience added so much. We had a solid young team, but adding players like Jon and Michael, who know how to win leagues, was important.”
Not only did these league veterans bring skill, but they also contributed significantly off the pitch by assisting with training and mentoring younger players.
Throughout the years, Henley has had a small squad of 1XI players – which has made them incredibly successful – giving each player the confidence to go out and play in their own unique way. But this year, the team went in a different direction in fielding a larger squad than usual.
“We had about 15 or 16 individuals play in the 1XI this year, which helped with availability,” said Nugent. Having versatile players like Matt Dalrymple, who previously missed games due to rugby, more available this year contributed to a more stable core squad.
With that stability, perhaps they were able to come out strong in the longer-format.
“We didn’t lose a single red-ball game, though we only won about three. But every point counted. It’s not the brand of cricket you want to play, (batting for the draw) but the league would have been decided by a matter of margins, and they all added up.”
As the team looked back on the season, Nugent explained that their almost impossible comeback, when they were practically down and out for the count, against Aston Rowant was a highlight of the season.
“We were miles behind for most of the game, but Ross batted through for a fifty. Needing 60 or 70 to win with limited time and being 7 or 8 wickets down, Searle and I put on 45 in the last five overs to clinch it. Coming from so far behind to win was incredible.”
Still, nothing topped the last game of the season. “We lost the toss and thought it was over, but we kept to our plans and that made the win even sweeter.”
Going forwards, Henley will look to take an easy approach for their winter preparations, with some players playing in Australia and others at university. But Nugent told ETDC Digital Media, that in fact the social side can’t be overlooked.
“We joke that a single night out in June won us the league. You can’t underestimate the social side of the game, so we’ll keep doing that.”
From defeating Aston Rowant despite impossible odds, to clinching a victory against Finchampstead and claiming top of league for the first time in the season on the final game, Henley’s league-winning season included a dramatic climax. A feeling that they’ll look to take into winter preparation and pre-season.
