Froggett: Thornes there to be shot at now

Their splendid victory over Pudsey St Lawrence in the Yorkshire Premier League final at the Zayed Stadium rounded off a truly special year, which also saw them crowned as the inaugural champions of the ECB Yorkshire Premier League South.

And captain Tom Froggett is the first to admit the next year will take some surpassing after the events of 2016.

He said: “It was all a bit surreal in the immediate aftermath and with it being the first time that anyone has done this, it made it extra-special.

“It is difficult to put into words what we have achieved in the past year or so.

“They say the hardest thing is staying at the top once you have got there and we will be there to be shot at next year.

“Winning the league itself was an achievement in intself at the first time of asking and then to have a fantastic day out at Scarborough and to top it all off with winning the final really was the icing on the cake.”

Game-breaker for Thornes, perhaps unsurprisingly was Dave Toft, who fresh from his haul of 800-plus league runs, hit a sparkling ton and weighed in with three wickets to help his side over the line against St Lawrence.

Froggett added: “Dave got 130-odd off 110 and followed it up with three wickets and a catch. It was a fairly complete all-around performance. He was the difference between the sides.

“It was also an important toss to win as they had to field in 37-degree heat for three-and-a-half hours.

“We were fielding under the lights, but while it was hot, you did not have the heat of the sun.”

Thornes, who play at Field Lane in the city, included one globe-trotting member in Sri Lankan Akila Isanka, who flew over from Melbourne, where he is playing club cricket, just to play.

Froggett added: “You get a lot of overseas players who come over with a reputation of going over for a jolly-up or cash or whatever.

“He paid his own supplement for the Melbourne stretch of the fare to come over and play for us.

“He stayed for two or three days and then went straight back.

“It was a good effort.”