Skipper’s greatest day as Worfield earn promotion

Saturday’s eight-wicket thumping of Stratford saw the Shropshire League champions go up through the play-offs.

Worfield will play at their highest-ever level next year and Cook, who has been at the club since the age of five and overseen the triumph in his first full season as captain, needed no telling the significance of the achievement.

He said: “This is a dream come true and it is not an understatement to say Saturday was the best day of my life so far.

“Myself and vice-skipper Joe Arnold have both been at Worfield for 20 years and come up through the ranks. To take the club into the Birmingham League in our first full season leading the team really is special.

“The Birmingham League is renowned as one of the best in the country and to be part of that, for a village club like Worfield, is something to be proud of.

“It is testament to the hard work people have put in behind the scenes and just shows what can be achieved when you believe and invest in a plan.”

Having claimed winning draws in their opening two play-off fixtures, Worfield travelled to Stratford knowing a win would guarantee them a top-two finish and promotion. It rarely looked in doubt from the moment Will Weir dismissed home opener Dexter Purser for a nine-ball duck. Ryan Quiney claimed three wickets, though the best bowling figures belonged to Matthew Rees, who took 4-38 as the hosts, having been put in to bat, were dismissed for just 117.

Though Worfield lost Harvey Sage early in their reply, Ben Hudson (54 from 49 balls) and Basit Zaman (51 from 41 balls) both hit quick-fire half-centuries as the visitors chased down the target in just 20 overs.

Though South Staffordshire champions Lichfield, who also won promotion, finished above Worfield in the table, Cook believes it was his team who proved themselves the strongest over the course of the four-team tournament.

He said: “We were well on top in all three matches and though the table might say otherwise I’ve no doubt we were the best team in the play-offs.

“We knew what we had to do on Saturday but there was no way we were going to play for the draw at Stratford. We wanted to stamp our authority on the game right from the first ball, just as we have done all season. I think we proved to everyone we were a step above.”

Cook continued: “When people first come to Worfield now they immediately have a sense of what the club is about.

“It is a close-knit team, everybody gets on and socialises together off the field and there is a real desire and belief to succeed.

“When you have that dynamic it means you are a very dangerous team to play. We can’t wait for next season.”