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Result - The Royal Household CC

Sun Jul 17th Grannies come an honourable second

Match report

In the run-up to the game some bright spark spotted this on-line:
�Ashley Gray, a 19-year-old from Queensland, scored 358 in 40 overs
while playing for the Royal Household Cricket Club against the Tambler
Valley Ramblers in Windsor last month. Gray, who is the overseas
player for Actonians in the Middlesex League, was making a guest
appearance. He hit 34 sixes and 26 fours, and was on 240 when he
suggested it may be time to give someone else a go, an idea that got
short shrift from his team-mates. The RHCC eventually won by a mere 334 runs. What a fun day out for the Ramblers that must have been.�
For a number of the Grannies this whetted their appetite for the fray, in case this character might be coming to try his luck against us. For others it just whetted their appetite - particularly when it turned out he was in their line-up and they saw the lunch which was to precede play - and they proceeded to devour with relish the sumptuous fare (pictures available) most generously laid on for us, and 150 members of the Royal Household, by a kind sponsor.
Knowing that no-one could field with facility after the feast, the captain winning the toss elected to bat. Cliff Dare got a few. James Scott got more (40) in style. And Tom Hamilton, professing not to like slow bowlers, hit theirs and a couple of quicker operators all over the Great Park, scoring a sumptuous 47. Martin Stringer and Chris Rooney latterly tucked in and we finished our designated 25 overs (it had rained during lunch, though few had noticed) on this slow track on a respectable 157 for 5.
Tea followed � another immodest affair � and the bowlers, keen not to get too wound up at the prospect of the fielders having to fetch their deliveries from territory patrolled by slavering bloodhounds, tucked in.
It so happened that this was one of the top Grannies bowling line-ups and we might have had the burly young Queenslander a number of times but our luck was out, as we beat his bat repeatedly, and lured him into strokes which on another day would have seen him caught. As it was, he managed to carry them to victory with 96* in 21 overs. We got 3 of them out, Tom Hamilton getting 2 and Gerald Slocock1.They bowled well, but Dom Ely, Tom Gibbs, Martin Stringer and Cliff Dare did too. And the fielding, especially by those not allowed to wear gloves to stop Mr. Australia�s pulverising strikes, was a joy to behold for the one who was allowed to wear them.
Despite a couple of �moments��.we did enough to be asked to make this a regular fixture, an invitation which was accepted with alacrity, despite an unpleasant rumour that we might have to bring our own sandwiches next year.

Match info

A late and very welcome addition to the fixture list. A one-off for now, to be played in a garden party atmosphere at a very special venue, but may become a regular. The Grannies therefore on probation and a 'safe' side (q.v.) therefore selected.

Location
Windsor Castle,
ENGLAND

How to get there
Go to www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2323904