Instead of high 5s it was high 50s all round as a Gloucestershire Seniors cricket team celebrated a trophy win.

And an impressive victory it was too as Gloucestershire A Over-50s won the Southern Counties Seniors Championship with a thumping 66-run win over Oxfordshire at Marlborough in a final reduced to 37 overs-a-side because of rain.

And what made the win even more special was that they’d come so close to winning the competition in recent years before falling at the last or penultimate hurdle.

“Yes, it was quite special,” said vice-captain and spin bowler Phil Edge. “Most of us have been together for four or five years so that made it all the sweeter.”

The A team are the county’s over-50s’ 2nd XI – the likes of former first class players such as Mark Alleyne and Tony Wright play or have played for the 1st XI – but Edge, who plays for Hatherley and Reddings 3rd XI, said: “It’s a decent standard we play.

“You don’t get the sledging that you get on a Saturday afternoon in league cricket – it’s played in the right spirit – but it’s serious cricket.”

Keith Knight, who plays for Shurdington, was one of the star players in the final, taking 4-22 as Oxfordshire were dismissed for 90.

Cheltenham Civil Service’s Steve Bridge finished with 3-25 and there was a wicket apiece for Haresfield’s Craig Whiting and Razi Ahmed of Bristol YMCA.

Earlier, skipper Tim Smith, of Haresfield, had top-scored with 45 in Gloucestershire’s all out total of 156 with Mike Courtiour of Knowle 2nds making 34.

“We won all 10 of our matches this season,” said Edge with some pride. “We beat Somerset in the quarter-finals and Wales in the semi-finals.

“We’ve given debuts to five players this season including Keith Knight and Craig Whiting.”

And it’s certainly been a team effort that got them through the group stages and then the knockout games.

“We pride ourselves on our fielding,” he said, “we’re quite agile. We’ve all contributed during the season – Razi’s taken 13 wickets, Keith Knight 12 and I’ve got 11.”

And the batting has been strong too, so much so that when Edge, who bats number 11 for the Seniors, went out to bat in the final it was only the second time that he had taken guard for the team this season.
 
“I haven’t needed to bat because the top five or six have always got runs,” he said. “Rob Austen has scored over 400 runs, Knighty and Steve Witcomb have both scored hundreds, and Tony Clarkson and Mike Courtiour both average over 50.”
 
So how did Edge fare with the bat in the final?
 
“I was out first ball,” he laughed. “I tried to cut one that rolled along the ground!”
 
Edge was at least responsible for the ninth Oxfordshire wicket to fall – a run out – and he plans to be back again next season as the team defend their trophy.
 
“It’s a big commitment but we’ll go again next year,” he said. “For the past five years we’ve been on a pre-season tour to Albir near Alicante in Spain, I think we’ve got quite a good reputation, with drinking and the cricket!”

Indeed they have and Edge is hoping he has many years of county age group cricket in him because as well as two over-50s sides, Gloucestershire also run two over-60s teams and an over-70s XI.
 
“I want to play until I’m 70,” said Edge, “that’s the aim for most of us.”
 
Gloucestershire A Over-50s v Oxfordshire: Tony Clarkson (Frocester 3rds), Mike Courtiour (Knowle 2nds), Rob Austen (Frocester 3rds), Keith Knight (Shurdington), Steve Witcomb (Hatherley and Reddings 3rds), Tim Smith (Haresfield), Mark Febery (Cheltenham Civil Service 2nds), Craig Whiting (Haresfield), Razi Ahmed (Bristol YMCA), Steve Bridge (Cheltenham Civil Service), Phil Edge (Hatherley and Reddings 3rds). 12th man: Rob Gaffney (Haresfield).