Biggleswade s cricketers have one more chance to win an evening competition this season. They are through to the Hospital Cup final after failing to make it a hat-trick of wins in their Heritage Cup showdown. Dunstable man Stuart Harvey s unbeaten 79 was

Biggleswade's cricketers have one more chance to win an evening competition this season.

They are through to the Hospital Cup final after failing to make it a hat-trick of wins in their Heritage Cup showdown.

Dunstable man Stuart Harvey's unbeaten 79 was the difference between the sides as Ickwell beat Biggleswade on Friday evening to win the Heritage Cup.

The watching crowd were treated to a clinical display of hitting from Harvey who was well supported by Jamal Mazhar (41).

Only Martin Whinnett was in the wickets with 3-46, bowling figures that would have looked much better if Harvey had not smashed 26 off his fourth over.

The only other two wickets came from run outs from Jimmy Hart and Frank Woodward.

Harvey hit eight sixes and three fours to take Ickwell to 156-5 off their 13 eight-ball overs, 45 runs coming from the last two overs.

In reply, Hart was smartly caught on the boundary off the second ball of the innings.

Tidy bowling from Ade Faulkner made scoring difficult as he picked up James Peacock and Whinnett to leave Biggleswade reeling on 20-3 in the third over.

Matt Twigg joined Kevin Wright and the pair steadied the ship. Wright began to play his shots and 68 runs were added in six overs until Twigg went for 23 caught at long-off by Harvey off Mazhar.

Wright upped the run rate, putting on 32 with new man Tariq Ahmad in two overs before he too was caught by Harvey off Mazhar on the boundary for a swashbuckling 67.

Biggleswade eventually fell 21 runs short of the target on 135-8 at the end. Mazhar taking 4-34 from three overs and Faulkner 3-24.

Playing for Ickwell was ex-Biggleswade player Shabz Hussain who has now won the Heritage Cup with three different sides - Bedford (2003), Biggleswade (2004 and 2005) and Ickwell (2006).

But Biggleswade progressed to the final of the Hospital Cup after beating Potton last Thursday.

Harmit Bahra took 4-16 off his four overs and Twigg 2-14 in his four as Potton were restricted to 94 all out in their 16 overs.

Biggleswade got off to their usual flying start with Hart and Wright taking 42 from the first four overs.

A mini collapse followed as Twigg, Wright and Ahmad fell in the next two overs. It was thanks to Whinnett (21no) and Bahra's sensible batting that Biggleswade made it to their victory target with five balls to spare.

Biggleswade play the winners of Bedford West Indians and Westfield in the final at Bedford Modern School on Tuesday, July 25 (6pm start).

With seven players unavailable or not eligible, Biggleswade were well beaten by second placed Flitwick on Sunday in the Beds Premier League.

New player Prateek Datta picked up both openers in his first two overs bowling his leg spin but Flitwick still reached 259-5.

Wickets fell regularly in the Biggleswade reply. Despite a run-a-ball 49 from Twigg, Biggleswade were finally bowled out for 166 in the 45th over.

A mixed Biggleswade side easily beat Codicote in a 40-over friendly on Saturday.

A 140-run partnership between Steve Snelling (60) and Jay Szwajbak (100) gave Biggleswade the foundations for a big score. Dan Szwajbak and Bruce Ditchum finished off the innings with 37 and 38no respectively in their 248-3.

Father and son Gary and Chris Waghorn accounted for seven of the Codicote wickets in their reply of 202-9, Gary taking a career best 5-43 and Chris 2-38.