WYLAM showed they meant business from the start as they ended Hexham Leazes’ three year dominance in the West Tyne League KO Cup.

A roaring start through openers Graeme Raffell and Alex Rayner ultimately proved decisive as they lifted the trophy for the first time in 10 years.

Halfway through their innings in the 20 over contest, they were flying at 68 without loss and even a second half wobble couldn’t put them off their goal.

Chasing a fourth successive triumph, Hexham were never in the running in reply despite decent contributions throughout as their chase ended 29 runs short.

Wylam didn‘t need any time to settle into their stride and they hit Scott Ferguson for 15 in the opening over of the game, man of the match Raffell and Rayner putting the pressure on immediately.

It was in stark comparison to the following over, Liam Pringle opening with a maiden to shore things up.

But the first 10 overs were dominated by some excellent batting from the two Rs as they took Wylam to 68, a top score of 140 plus on the cards.

They were regularly finding the boundary but their time together was ended in the 10th, Rayner trying to add a six to his five fours only to be caught right on the boundary by Raji Kingman.

Andy Paton came in and showed patience as Raffell pushed the score on, Paton surviving an early scare when dropped by Andrew Webster on the boundary.

With the score on 77, Raffell’s eye catching performance with the bat ended to a brilliant diving catch from Kingman to introduce Ben Duncan to proceedings. And he wasted no time by hitting Ben Griffiths for four from the first ball he faced.

Hard hitting Paton had been conservative in his opening four overs, but he became his expansive self in the 14th by hitting his first four of the day. It became three boundaries two balls later as he took a liking to the slow bowling of Paul Newton.

Paton fell in the next over as he sent a high one straight to the safe hands of Kingman, and skipper Mark Wilson and Duncan pushed the score along steadily.

Scuffing one to point to Ferguson, Duncan departed and, from 116-4 with three overs remaining, things turned sour for Wylam as they were all out for 124 in the final over as they gave away cheap wickets.

In a torrid 18th over, Wilson was run out by Ferguson before David Teasdale and Jonny Greenwood were both bowled for ducks by Newton.

Replacement Graeme Tones was relieved to see off the hat-trick ball with a single, but that was as good as it got as he was dismissed by a good delivery from the impressive Griffiths.

The Hexham skipper then had Steven Wilson caught by Webster, with the innings coming to an end when Ben Thompson ran out Paul Robinson as he chased an extra run with Liam Bell.

Hexham would have been happy to have restricted their rivals in the second half of the innings, but they were unable to rack up the runs as their opponents had.

Wylam opener Duncan was causing all sorts of problems and conceded just three runs from his opening three overs, Leazes openers Webster and Thompson struggling to get away from him.

The deliveries from Tones were similarly impressive and it brought about the breakthrough in the fourth over, Thompson’s struggle for runs this term continuing as he was clean bowled.

Duncan got his reward the following over, tempting Griffiths to smash one down the throat of Paton who showed good hands to hold onto the rocket to put Hexham in trouble on 17-2.

Webster and Pringle steadied things as they picked up singles to make it to halfway on 41, before Pringle was lbw to Robinson.

Leazes’ biggest hope Webster followed soon after when bowled by Duncan, the reigning champions with a lot of work to do as they required more than nine an over from their remaining eight.

Stephen Donnison and Newton batted well and stuck around for the next four overs, but the ones and twos they were restricted to wasn’t troubling the target.

Newton was expertly caught by Robinson off Tones to end the pairing, and Raji Kingman was stumped by Rayner in the next over to take the score to 88-6.

Donnison’s participation, which included the game‘s only six, was ended in the 19th as he too was stumped.

With Hexham requiring 31 for the win as they reached the final over, they lost two further men with Andy Brown going to a duck to another brilliant Paton catch and Billy Kingman leg before from a Robinson delivery.

david.coulter@hexham-courant.co.uk