Lord’s (Willow Cuts won toss): Cleveland beat Willow Cuts by 72 runs

Shameful scenes of fighting between Cleveland wicketkeeper Jason Anderson and Willow Cuts batsman George O’Brien marred the Champion of Champions final at Lord’s on Saturday.

It is understood the brawl, which held up play for 15 minutes, was sparked by words exchanged by the St George’s Cup Match team-mates, who had to be separated by Cleveland players as police quickly drove on to the field to restore order.

When calm was eventually restored, Anderson was asked by his president, Carlton Smith, to leave the field, with Adrian Burrows taking over the wicketkeeping duties.

Cleveland defeated Willow Cuts to win the revived competition as captain Allan Douglas starred with both the bat and ball to take man of the match honours.

“I think a little bit of frustration built up by Jason, dropping a catch and missing a stumping, but I don’t know what was said between George and Jason because I was at the other end of the wicket [bowling],” said Douglas after being quizzed in the umpires’ room once the match ended.

“Once I saw those two going at it, that’s when I decided to jump into the middle and try to break it up; me and Aaron Adams.”

Adams is understood to have taken a blow to the head in the scuffle and although he continued playing afterwards, said he had no memory of the incident. “He can’t seem to remember most of the match,” his captain said.

“The incident wasn’t between the two teams but actually between two players, not Willow Cuts and Cleveland going up against each other in the middle of the wicket. The president and coach [Clay Smith] asked Jason to leave and asked the opposing captain Dwight [Basden] if we could bring on a reserve and they obliged.”

Willow Cuts were 65 for six at that point in reply to 162 posted by Cleveland after being sent in. When O’Brien was seventh out two overs later, caught on the square-leg boundary by Damali Bell off Douglas, the writing was on the wall for the Western Counties champions. Cuts were soon dismissed for 90 in just 26.3 overs.

Douglas wrapped up the win for Cleveland by bowling top bat Malachi Jones for 31 and then had last man Kevin Fubler caught first ball by Hasan Durham to finish with figures of four for 16 from 6.3 overs.

Cleveland used just four bowlers with the other spinner, Durham, taking three for 42 from nine overs while Musson claimed two for 15 from seven overs, removing opener Dexter Basden and then having Deunte Darrell caught behind.

Earlier, Douglas was high man for Cleveland with 38, with five fours and a six, as he helped to rescue the Eastern Counties champions from early trouble at 45 for five.

Douglas and Damali Bell added 52 for the sixth wicket, with Bell scoring a valuable 24. Dennis Musson, with 24, and Durham, who added 26, added a valuable 39 for the eighth wicket between the 26th and 38th overs as Cleveland were able to post a challenging total. Opener Adams scored 23.

Three Cuts bowlers took two wickets apiece, with opener Micah Simons claiming two for 24, Kavon Fubler two for 33 and O’Brien, who started the match as wicketkeeper and then had a second stint behind the stumps, two for 38 off nine overs. Cuts used three wicketkeepers during the match, including Deunte Darrell and Kavon Fubler.

“My tail wagged very long, with a 52-run partnership between myself and Damali the most vital partnership, other than the partnership between Musson and Durham,” Douglas said. “We showed a lot of character and the way the wicket was playing, I was confident if we got to 170, 180 that we would win this game. Once we had them in the same position as us — 40-something for four — I knew it was going to be a close game. It was some good bowling between Hasan and myself to tie the runs down and pick up some good wickets.”

Last month, Willow Cuts’ Premier Division game against Southampton Rangers was abandoned at Southampton Oval after one of the visiting players had his chain snatched by a spectator at the match.

The incident prompted several Willow Cuts players to pursue the culprit, leaving only the umpires and the two Rangers batsmen on the field. The match never resumed.