Two Counties Over 50s 250-6 (Ben Moyle 52, Nick Meakin 50, Phil Tomkins 49)
Old Marconians 251-7 (Jono Slater 86, Tony Curtis 82, Paul Elby 45, Martin Southwell 3-64)

Old Marconians win by 3 wickets

It was definitely a day to be a batter at the picturesque Bayford & Hertford Nondescripts CC ground. Captain Pat
Patel’s lucky toss winning streak continued and as usual opted to bat on another day of hot sunshine.
Making hay were openers Ben Moyle and Phil Tomkins. On reaching his half century from 40 deliveries
Ben Moyle also brought up the opening partnership to 100 which had taken just 14.2 overs. Whilst
Moyle retired, Tomkins remained at the crease on 46 only to join Moyle back in the pavilion just two
overs later having been caught by Jono Slater off his own bowling. A rueful Tomkins was out for 49.
Richard Polley (20) and Stephen Henderson (21) kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely until they both
fell victim to the slow bowling of Graham McKay. The big assault on the home bowlers came from Nick
Meakin (50) and Sudi Trivedi (36) as they put on 74 from just 44 balls faced. Meakin’s 50 of which 38
came in boundaries was scored a mere from 27 balls. The innings closed at the end of the 40th over with
the Two Counties on 250-6.
If the Old Marconians had looked somewhat shell shocked at tea, they suffered an early blow as opener
Watson was bowled by Chris Hills in the 5th over with only 14 runs on the board. A second wicket
partnership of 72 between Tony Curtis (82) and Paul Elby (45) ended with the score on 86 but with 20.3
overs gone, the Two Counties were still firm favourites to collect another win. With Curtis and Elby both
falling victim to Polley catches off the bowling of Trevor Money, it was left to no. 5 Jono Slater to change
the course of the game. In the same bludgeoning style of Meakin, he smashed 5 x 4s and 6 x 6s in his 45-ball 86. The half century came in 25 balls and a century was surely there for the taking until being caught
and bowled by Martin Southwell. Following his demise, just nine runs were needed from the final six balls of
which just 7 were needed. Cue great delight from the victorious Home XI.