Result: Draw

Match Report: Stragglers of Asia won the toss and elected to bat first on a cool and overcast morning on a hard, straw coloured wicket at the Hurlingham Club. The overcast conditions helped the bowlers but the openers were patient and soon began to accumulate runs as the sun gradually seeped through the clouds and the pitch got truer and the outfield quicker. This encouraged both Tim Carter and candidate Ian Salter to take a more aggressive approach and both made quick half centuries to take the Stragglers into lunch on 167-2.

After the usual sumptuous lunch, the Stragglers (and their umpire) wandered back to the pavilion expecting to have a quiet doze while the batsmen continued to pile on the runs. Unfortunately the Stragglers were caught napping as Rogers produced a hat-trick to get rid of Salter, Dawson and Laverty and then snared Conor Brown in his following over. Suddenly the Stragglers score had gone from 174-2 to 180-6. Sensing that the risk that the innings could collapse unless affirmative action was taken, candidate Cameron Bailey and Steve Booth decided to take the attack back to the Hurlingham bowlers and in 9 overs added 96 runs with Cameron reaching his 50 in 38 balls allowing the skipper the luxury of declaring on 287 for 7 at 3pm–a sporting declaration on a small ground and on a pitch which was getting better and better to bat on as the game went on, causing some to question whether was possibly too sporting.

These doubts were only heightened as the Hurlingham openers set off briskly and at tea, Hurlingham were 74 without loss after 15 overs and in no sign of being unduly troubled by the bowling attack. After the tea interval the Stragglers bowlers managed to reduce the run rate and the pressure started to build causing first Salt to hole out to long on and then Logan to play across the line and miss a straight one. However the respite in the scoring was brief as both Gallyer and Redmayne kept the run rate going at a good rate and although candidate Rory Laverty managed to get rid of Redmayne (well caught at deep square leg by Charlie Dawson) the Hurlingham needed only 108 from the last 20 overs. However the Stragglers bowlers dug in and again the pressure told as the run rate stuttered and Rory picked up two further wickets and although the required run rate crept up to 7 an over. But Sam Chapman and Francis seemed equal to the challenge and it came down to Hurlingham needing 4 runs off the last ball to snatch victory. However Rory’s nerve held and the match ended in an honourable draw and the usual post match socialising in the Rose Garden.

Team Batting First: Stragglers of Asia

Inits Name How Out Fielder Bowler Score
1 T Carter Caught Jenkins Rogers 68
2 P Surendran Caught Stanton Hall 16
3 I Salter+ (c) LBW Rogers 65
4 C Brown Bowled Rogers 8
5 CJA Dawson Bowled Rogers 0
6 R Lavery (c) LBW Roger 0
7 C Bailey (c) Caught Stanton Salt 59
8 S Booth Not out 34
9 C Phillips Not out 5
10 S Razvi * DNB
11 R Pollock-Hill DNB
Extras: 32
Total for 7 wickets: 287

FOW: 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10:

Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
T Francis 6 1 19 0
R Hall 11 2 51 1
Stanton 8 0 58 0
C Rogers 10 3 50 5
S. Chapman 5 0 42 0
C. Campbell 6 0 21 0
E. Salt 2 0 30 1

Team Batting Second: Hurlingham

Inits Name How Out Fielder Bowler Score
1 O Logan LBW Pollock-Hill 56
2 E Salt Caught Carter Pollock-Hill 30
3 T Gallyer Caught Carter Laverty 64
4 T Redmayne Caught Dawson Laverty 21
5 R Jenkins+ LBW Laverty 9
6 S Chapman* Not out 43
7 T Francis Run out 27
8 Stanton Not out 11
9 R Hall DNB
10 C Campbell DNB
11 C Rogers DNB
Extras: 26
Total for 6 wickets: 285

FOW: 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10:

Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
C. Phillips 8 2 42 0
C. Bailey 6 1 26 0
S. Booth 10 2 40 0
R. Pollock-Hill 12 0 65 2
R. Laverty 16 2 88 3
P. Surendran 5 0 18 0