Cadmore goes from Wembley to The Oval

Mick Cadmore would not be human if he didn't dream of "doing an Alec Stewart" at The Oval on Sunday.

Being chaired off the pitch into retirement by your team-mates as jubilant fans celebrate a famous victory is about as good as farewells get.

Stewart had that experience on Monday after England beat South Africa and Cadmore is entitled to hope it might now be his turn on the big stage.

The Oval belongs to the grass roots on Sunday, when it hosts the 12th final of club cricket's richest and most prestigious knockout tournament, the £12,000 Evening Standard Challenge Trophy.

The 50-over contest features Hertfordshire's leading side, Radlett, and Lordswood, the rank outsiders from Kent.

Lordswood, conquerors of former champions Wanstead and Finchley en route to The Oval, have a veteran wicketkeeper-batsman of their own in Cadmore and he is a record-breaker.

The 42-year-old prison officer goes into the Kent club's first major final with 16 catches under his belt, one more than the tournament record set by Mark Mason, of Malden Wanderers back in 1995.

Cadmore's enthusiastic keeping, combined with his powerful left-handed batting in the lower middle order, have been key factors in Lordswood's surprise cup run.

A winner's medal on Sunday night would complete the dream for a man who was playing village cricket for Lower Halstow three years ago. It might also persuade the burly Welshman to do a Stewart and go out at the top.

A senior officer at the Rochester Young Offenders Institute, Cadmore explained: "I was 39 coming up to 40 when I joined Lordswood and had my first go at premier league cricket. This season has been just unbelievable and getting to the Standard final is the icing on the cake. Everyone at the club is really buzzing. It's all come a bit late for me but I put it down to enthusiasm. I'm pretty fit and I just love playing."

A combination of his prison duties and a part-time job as a security officer at Wembley Stadium played havoc with Cadmore's cricket availability until recent years. Then Wembley's closure opened the door to his cricket ambitions.

An all-round sportsman, Cadmore played semi-pro football for Gravesend & Northfleet and captained the prison service's national rugby team for four years.

For more information: www.capitalcounty.com/evening standard