Foster will be keeping his fingers crossed

13 April 2012

James Foster's head will be at Chelmsford on Sunday when he keeps wicket in Essex's National League match against Derbyshire, but his heart will be 40 miles away at The Oval.

Wanstead, the east London club that produced the 21-year-old heir apparent to England wicketkeeper/batsman Alec Stewart, take on Bexley on Sunday in the final of club cricket's richest knockout tournament - the £12,500 Evening Standard Challenge Trophy.

Wanstead captain Jon Hinton said: "I gather that 'Fozzie' asked Essex if he could have the day off to support his club on their big day. That's typical of the lad.

"He knows how much this final means to us because he grewup with most of the team and has stayed friends with them."

Wanstead will be hoping its fourth time lucky after the heartbreak of losing three Challenge Trophy semis in five years.

Foster was in the team that lost the 1998 semi-final to Teddington and played in every round up to the semi-final in 1999, when he was a frustrated spectator at Brondesbury before joining up with the England Under-19 squad the next day.

Hinton believes the Foster factor could see Wanstead to victory and the £5,000 winners cheque in the 10th final of this 50-over tournament to find the London area's top club side.

He said: "Nine of Sunday's team came up through the colts and there are lots more tocome. Wewon the National Under-15 tournament last week and our Under-16s are in the Essex final next week."

The young man filling Foster's gloves at The Oval will be 20-year-old Rob McKay, who moved from Fives & Heronians at the start of the season on the recommendation of his best friend from Forest School - a certain James Foster.

Foster is set to become Wanstead's fourth Test cricketer this winter, following in the footsteps of Johnnie Douglas (1920s) and Fred Rumsey and Barry Knight (both 1960s).

The Rumsey family will be represented at The Oval by Fred's sister Jean, who was First XI scorer for many seasons.

Meanwhile, Stuart Hume completes his four-year stint as Bexley captain in the final. The 30-year-old off-spinner leads out his side for the last time having been one of four survivors from the team that lost the 1996 final against Teddington.

Hume wants to dedicate this final to his good friend Graham Kersey, the former Kent and Surrey wicketkeeper who died in a car accident in Australia at the age of 25 later that year.

He said: "Graham was a very popular club member. I first played football with him when we were 10. We went to the same school, Bexley and Erith Tech and we shared a good few beers."

Surrey have made a point of giving Bexley the home dressing room which contains a picture dedicated to the memory of Kersey.

Hume will hand over the captaincy after the final to batsman David Pask, whose fine innings of 54 set up the semifinal victory over National Knockout Cup quarter-finalists Saffron Walden.

Surrey and England batsman Mark Butcher will be man-of-the-match adjudicator and will hand over a bronze statuette and £500 cheque to the player of his choice. The game starts at 11am and admission is free.

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Foster will be keeping his fingers crossed

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