Just six days after the Two Counties Veterans staged their Presidents Match at Elmstead, the Over 70s XI returned to play there against the East Anglian Veteran Ladies (plus a couple of Gents), and defeated them by eight wickets with nine anda a bit overs to spare.
The Ladies started well, with ex-England international Janet Southgate and Marilyn Smith not being afraid to put bat to ball. It took an ill-judged call for a run which finally separated them with Smith being run out for 26. Sue Benson then joined Southgate, and while they were together they had control of the contest. Benson retired when she reached 50, but after that control was taken back. Just before the close of their innings Southgate did something nasty to her thigh, retired hurt on 93, and took no further part in the match. In the 40th and final over a bowler, Bruce Tompkins, did finally claim a wicket. Two run outs and one retirement before that. 195-4 was the score they closed with.
The outcome of the match was never in any doubt as Jerry Hadcock and John Stuck soon had us well ahead of the required five an over. They added 95 before Hadcock was dismissed lbw for 28. Steve Isaac then joined Stuck in the middle. At the 20 over drinks interval, Stuck had reached 80 out of 134-1. Then with just eight runs required from 11 overs, Steve Isaac bizarrely hit the ball onto his own stumps, around his own legs, for 41, and the second wicket had also added 95. John Stuck took his score to 109 not out, before Chris Martin brought the match to a conclusion with almost 10 overs remaining.

EAST ANGLIAN VETERANS LADIES 195-4 (Southgate 93 retired hurt, Benson 50 ret., Smith 26)
TWO COUNTIES OVER-70 198-2 (Stuck 109 not, Isaac 41, Hadcock 28)

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.

With the worst of the heatwave having passed, Two Counties Veterans assembled at Elmstead Cricket Club for their Annual Presidents Day contest. Patel’s Pirates taking on Meakins’ Marauders, and after 80 overs of fiercely contested action the match reached a dramatic conclusion with the Pirates losing their final wicket to the final delivery of the 80 overs for the Marauders to force a tied match. Probably the most agreeable of all outcomes to this, the most friendliest of all friendlies.

The Marauders won the toss for the 40 over match, with slightly amended playing conditions whereby a batsman scoring 50 will retire, but can return once all the other players have batted. The Marauders’ Stephen Henderson became the first to retire, while Fraser Eadie and Simon Sargeant both came close but were dismissed for 43 and 48 respectively. Steve Isaac closed on 23 not out, as the Marauders’ 40 overs ended with 230-5 on the board. Tony Oram with his eight overs only costing 24 runs was the most economic of the Pirates bowling line up.

One of the advantages of batting first is knowing what we have to defend, but this is counter-balanced by the stiffness that sets in during the quick turn round between innings. The early part of the Pirates reply saw them remain fairly equal to their opponents scoring rate. Sudi Trevidi eventually reached retirement, but as the Pirates looked to be getting closer and closer to victory, they were losing wickets. One key turning point could have been the run out of Kevin Ross for 20. Dan Luxford kept the Pirates in the hunt, but in the 37th over, he was caught and bowled by Sargeant for 45. It was now 217-9 and Trevidi was on his way back to the middle. The Marauders tactics were to try and keep Tony Oram on strike. Six runs were required but Tony managed to scoop a four over the infield and down to the boundary behind the wicket. Simon Sargeant then bowled a wide which levelled the scores, so it ll came down to the final ball, with Tony Oram needing a single to win it. The run never came as he lobbed the ball to mid-off where Nick Claus took the catch with tied the match. Martin Southwell, with 3-32 was the Marauders most productive bowler.

MEAKINS’ MARAUDERS 230-5 (Henderson 50 ret not out, Sargeant 48, Eadie 43, Isaac 23 no)
PATELS’ PIRATES 230 (Trevidi 55, Luxford 45, Patel 22, Wakefield 20, Ross 20, Southwell 3-32, Sargeant 2-33)

The players and supporters then enjoyed the traditional fish and chips and other hot food.  Thanks go to Elmstead Cricket Club for hosting the game, the two captains and Stuart Carpenter for the arrangements for the day.