The Queries took on the Stragglers of Asia CC at Sulhampstead and Ufton CC, close by Theale. This was a compromise venue for a game against a more London-based club, but we are old friends and share a number of joint members. Ian Perry, Mark Banham and Tim Lerwill (I faced Andy Roberts in 1973!) were playing for the opposition.
Sulhampstead turned out to be a fantastic venue with a road of a track, lightening outfield and a tree inside the boundary. Stragglers elected to bat and scored 248 for 9 off 63 overs, when they declared. AK Sharma took 2 wickets in a fine opening spell; Ted Pearson took one wicket and Moses Onyuro took 2 wickets with a particularly miserly 14 overs for 34, including 8 maidens. Dom Spencer bowled 14 overs, conceding just 57 runs and we saw some excellent leg-spin and three wickets from Chaz Chahal who was probably the pick of the bowlers.
Turning round, we had an excellent 100 opening partnership between Giles Malec (45) and Adam Cutler (75), but then lost 5 wickets for 50! It then took a fine unbeaten 100 in a 6th wicket partnership from Ted Pearson (55) and Jack Campbell (45) to see us home with 3 overs to spare (45 overs). We saw some tidy keeping from Freddie Malec and some excellent captaincy as ever from Jack Bramwell.
This fixture is worth keeping and I hope members will support it again next year.