Date Search

64 records found

Sunday 31 May 2009

Match Report

The Lord’s Taverners v Saracens All Stars XI, Mill Hill School

Saracens All Stars: 231 for 6 (35 overs)
The Lord's Taverners: 233 for 4 (35 overs)

The Lord's Taverners XI won by 6 wickets.

To view the match scorecard please click here.

Match report:

This proved to be the perfect start to the Taverners 2009 domestic season with glorious weather and a thrilling finish making it a day to remember.

In customary fashion Saracens batted first with Ian Hutchinson in dazzling form. He made 67 before being stumped by John Fever off the bowling of Chris Tarrant. Gordon Kennedy, making his debut, took 2 for 30, Mike Gatting 2 for 12 and skipper Marcus Buckland removed rugby legend Richard Hill. Toby Tarrant, Andrew Green and JK Lever were very unlucky not to pick up wickets while Brian Viner was thrilled to match the bowling figures of another debutant, former West Indies fast bowler Colin Croft who was great fun on and off the field. (0 for 26 off 3 by the way!)

A target of 232 from 35 overs was testing to say the least but Lloyd Scott and Nigel Felton provided the launching pad with an opening stand of 85. Peter Such bowled beautifully for the All Stars and recorded figures of 2 for 28 in 7. However, Mike Gatting and Neil Smith turned things around, timing the run chase to perfection.

Coming together at 167 for 4 they treated the crowd to some thunderous hitting. 51 was still wanted with 4 overs to go at which point Smith went into overdrive, his unbeaten 42 coming off just 17 deliveries. 3 were required off the last ball bowled by Nigel Wray and Gatting duly found the square leg boundary, beating the fielder stationed there by inches to end 66 not out and spark great scenes of celebration.

Huge thanks as always to Nigel Wray for masterminding another superb occasion.

To read Brian Viner's report from The Independent please click here

...Back