St Lawrence & Highland Court

Match Report

Mark Russell-Vick struggled somewhat to raise a side for the game against St. Lawrence & Highland Court. Fortunately, however, he had some years earlier instigated a Straggler breeding programme, and the Stragglers took the field with 5 Russell-Vicks on show, which is probably a family record for the Club. The relative youth of the bowling from one end was balanced with age and experience from the other, with Simon Allport making steady inroads into the opposition batting, preventing them building too big a score, and finishing with 5 for 52. The wicket taking highlight was undoubtedly the catch to remove their skipper – ct. Russell Vick M, b. Russell Vick B. With James Russell Vick behind the stumps, and the other four bowling, there was always an RV in the action. The Highland Court batting never got away, and they were dismissed for 216 in the 45th over.

The senior Straggler batsmen failed to fire after tea; with none reaching double figures, and Andrew Cloke injured in the field. It was left to Sam RV, Toby RV and Hamish Cloke to salvage some respectability from the match. Sam opened with his father, and almost carried his bat; Hamish struck out with Caribbean abandon; and Toby clubbed with enthusiasm, but all in a lost cause, the final wicket falling at 112.