A SUPERB 78 from man-of-the-match Mark Wilkie secured Sessay Cricket Club a glorious npower Village Cup final victory at Lord’s.

The opener crafted a brilliant innings, including 11 fours, from 92 balls as the North Yorkshire outfit recorded the highest successful run chase in the 38-year history of the competition to beat Shipton-under-Wychwood by seven wickets.

The Oxfordshire-based side posted a total of 227-5 but Wilkie, along with opener Matthew Till, grasped the initiative from the start with aggressive strokes. Till made 56 and Nick Thorne also scored 42 as Sessay won with 17 balls to spare.

Sessay won the toss on a green looking Lord’s wicket and put Shipton into bat.

Skipper Stephen Langstaff looked like he had made a good decision as opening bowlers Stuart Peirse and Richard Till restricted their opponents to 29 after ten overs.

Shipton’s opener Andy Hemming was visibly frustrated and it wasn’t until the 16th over that they had put 50 on the board.

But neither Hemming nor partner Charlie Brain had been in any real peril and they soon became more adventurous.

Hemming, taking advantage of a ball that was slightly short of a length, smashed a six over midwicket to finish the 17th over.

Then he drove Langstaff down the ground for four, before contemptuously bludgeoning Wilkie for six over the Tavern Stand’s short boundary.

Langstaff broke the partnership in the 22nd over. Brain, looking to defend a flighted ball, saw it spin off his ankle and onto the stumps.

Steven Bates came in and brought up the 100 with two clubbing fours before a quick single recorded Hemming’s half-century.

He fell for 59, slashing at a Richard Till delivery but finding only the edge and wicketkeeper Nick Harrison’s grateful gloves.

Bates continued his smack first, defend later policy on his way to 46 not out but things really took off when he was joined by Jason Hunt.

Hunt only lasted 15 minutes, but he crashed 38 off just 13 balls – and five sixes – as Shipton set an imposing target of 228.

Sessay’s reply started superbly.

Wilkie and Till rotated the strike and, after Craig Lambert was hit for 16 from his second over, Shipton captain Paul Hemming was already making bowling changes.

He’d used six by the 16th over to try and pick up a wicket after Sessay’s opening pair brought up the 50 partnership in only half an hour.

Their aggression did not let up.

Wilkie smacked eight fours as he recorded his 50 off 57 balls – the pick being a thumping shot through extra cover past a despairing Shipton fielder.

Till then got in on the act, and drove down the ground to bring up the 100 before sending Shipton fielders careering round the boundaries as he wielded his bat at will.

There were 11 fours in his 50, off exactly 50 balls, but he went soon after – Tim Senior holding on to the catch at the second attempt close to the ropes.

Wilkie wasn’t concerned.

He continued to time the ball majestically as he moved on to 78 before an attempted sweep lobbed straight to Brain.

Thorne’s 42, from 38 balls, all but secured the win and his stumping brought John Flintoff to the crease.

The veteran had missed Sessay’s defeat by Troon at Lord’s in 1976 through injury but, arriving with 18 needed to win, he punched the air as he hit two quick fours.

It was fitting he should be in the thick of it at the finish as Nick Harrison struck the winning runs for a famous victory.