The ACS Wandering XI had their most decisive win of the summer when they easily accounted for the Lord’s Taverners XI at the sun drenched and superbly appointed Cricket Willow complex at Shepherd’s Flat on Sunday January 24th.
Bolstered by Peter Leggett’s young recruits the ACS were able to unleash a barrage of speed after Tim Winter won the toss for the Taverners and elected to bat.
Carson (36) and Ferguson (30) actually handled the new-ball and the pace and bounce of the Delaney twins Mike and Vince, and Reece Williams and Mick Molloy with some aplomb. The outfield was lush and slowish, but Carson was prepared to lift drives over the in-field and Ferguson slashed anything short over gully.
Then a superb overhead slips catch by Jayden Clay opened the door for the ACS and the medium paced in-swing and leg-cutters of Jason Quayle made inroads into the Taverners’ middle-order.
And even when the besieged batsmen thought they had seen off the most ferocious members of the ACS attack, Des Lloyd was introduced and he promptly broke through with sheer pace and broke the top of the middle stump. It was a stunning delivery, notable enough for Lloyd win a bottle of red as Man of the Match.
With young Perry soundly holding up an end the Taverners finished on 121 after their allocated 40 overs.
On the pristine Cricket Willow synthetic surface this looked insufficient and so it proved. Peter Leggett, perhaps fortified by the impressive lunch provided, clouted the second ball he received to the square-leg boundary for four.
It set him on his way to 35 (ret) and he and Steve Kish opened with a stand of 51.
Only the accurate left-arm swing of Perry slowed their progress. Mike Delaney at No.3 brutally punished anything short through and over covers before badly tearing a calf muscle while charging to complete a run.
It was a setback for Delaney, but the result was well in hand. Quayle, Vince Delaney and Ken Penaluna guided the ACS to an easy victory before Quayle celebrated the result with the first six of his career.
It had been a tough day for the Taverner’s captain, Winter, but his one-handed catch at square-leg from a hefty pull shot was as good as you would see. Hopefully it was some consolation for him.
It removed Des Lloyd and brought the day’s on-field proceedings to their conclusion.