Under A perfect summer sky and surrounded by rolling Hampshire fields it is not difficult to cast one’s mind back more than 250 years to when Hambledon was the country’s premier cricket club. A quarter of a millennium later, the club’s legendary Broadhalfpenny Down ground is still used, primarily for 3rd XI fixtures but Hambledon’s main home is now the gently sloping Ridge Meadow.

Nor is it difficult to imagine the atmosphere only 20 years ago at Ridge Meadow when Hambledon won their national semi-final in front of 3,000 supporters to secure a day at Lord’s. The Hambledon legends sitting outside the pavilion, and one still playing, certainly haven’t forgotten. “We had an exceptional team that year,” remembers Mark Le Clercq, still batting at No.3. “A lot of experience and a lot of lads who had grown up together and played together for 10 or 15 years. We only played about 12 players in the whole tournament.”

Robert ‘Topsy’ Turner, the best Hambledon player in living memory, agrees and has now retired to become Hambledon’s keenest supporter. Does Topsy, now in his 60s, wish he could be out there today? “Oh yes. If my knees were all right I’d be playing,” he says matter-of-factly. So far this year, though, Hambledon have been doing just fine without him. Having beaten Easton and Martyr Worthy, the team that kicked off TWC’s Road to Lord’s, by 30 runs and then Burridge by 160, the ancient club had been Hampshire’s form side going into the regional final against Paultons.

Batting first on a slow, low track, Hambledon were initially pinned down by the visitors, for whom Chris Dunn put in a heroic nine-over spell up the hill under the scorching early afternoon sun. Captain James Scutt, who scored a century in the last round and also hit a ton in the league the day before, was run out early on and it wasn’t until Dan Hewitt reached the crease at third wicket down that the run rate began to pick up. The allrounder’s excellent running and stylish stokeplay brought him 77 not out and hauled the home side to 198 from their 40 overs.

Paultons had their work cut out and a succession of top-order batsmen fell to rash shots and run-outs. Three fearsome sixes from Andrew Collins briefly put the frighteners on Hambledon before he was dismissed by James Atkinson (4 for 34), as Hewitt took his second fine catch on the deep midwicket boundary. “If you’re going to hit it to anyone, hit it to Dan,” mused a happy Topsy Turner as he strolled into the clubhouse for another pint while the Paultons lower order scrabbled to 117 all out.

From here on in, Hambledon are hopeful of a cup run like 1989. “As soon as you can get out of the county round then the momentum takes over,” says Le Clercq. “People want to play and we’ll get a lot more people following, a lot bigger crowds.” And if the Hampshire side are to repeat the achievement of 1989, it will, of course, be under Topsy Turner’s watchful gaze. “Oh yes. I’ll be there,” he grins.

Benj Moorehead is editorial assistant of The Wisden Cricketer