James Thorpe was the Ansty hero in an extraordinary Sussex Junior Under-11s Festival final at Great Walstead.

Ansty, who batted first and made 100-8, were on the brink of defeat as Horsham advanced to 95-5 in their reply.

But Thorpe took four wickets and ran out a fifth batsman as Horsham collapsed from 95-5 to 96 all out.

Thorpe, who finished with 5-27, said: "I couldn't believe it. It was incredible. My team-mates went wild at the end. Horsham were dead silent. They were shocked."

Yet it was a day of mixed fortunes for the Ansty match-winner.

He was out for a duck and had 17 runs scored off his first over as Horsham raced to 22 from the first two overs. They were pinned back to 40-3 before Chris Hoare (14) and Aidan Chase (11) steered them to 77 and at 81-5 they were cruising.

Ansty manager John Thorpe, James' father, said: "We were on the back foot. We didn't think 100 would be enough and after the way they started I thought we might lose by ten wickets. We were looking to save a bit of honour.

"But I put James back on as a last throw of the dice.

"They outplayed us for 80 per cent of the game. I've never seen anything like it."

Skipper Joe Hallam (27), James Newsome (17), Ben Towler (ten) and Mark Dale (12) helped Ansty to their total as Will Irwin (3-18) and Tom Ripley (2-13) bowled tightly.

Howard Hoare, the Horsham manager, hopes his side will learn from the final experience.

He said: "The wheels came off. It would have been a hat-trick of Festival titles for Horsham but that's the way it goes."

Ansty: James Thorpe, Leo Anderson, Jamie Newsome, Adam Galbraith, Joe Hallam (capt), Ben Towler, Mark Dale, Callum Brown, Tom Handley, Jack Anderson, Rory Dormer; George Godwin, Jack Treharne, Josh Menzies, Ashley Hart, Dan Perry, Jonathan Crickmore.

Horsham: Guy Duhig, Freddie Bridges, Tom Ripley, Aidan Dodsworth, Ben Williams, Aidan Chase, Matt Butler, Jay Patel, William Irwin, Christopher Hoare, James Head.

Group winners: Glynde and Beddingham, East Grinstead, Ansty, Horsham, St James's Montefiore (Ditchling), Chichester Priory Park.

Other teams included: Bexhill, Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove, Lingfield, Crawley, Three Bridges, Balcombe, Cuckfield, Scaynes Hill, Roffey, Ifield, Preston Nomads, St Matthias, Goring, Eastergate, Felpham.