Clergy from the Diocese of St Albans joined colleagues from the dioceses of London and Southwark on 29 June for a friendly Church Times Cricket Cup fixture. The annual match is an opportunity for clergy, and this report comes from the Revd Adam Prior from Oak Church Stevenage, who played in the match.
On Monday 29 June, one of the longest rivalries was reacquainted as a combined London and Southwark team took on St Albans on an ancient village ground, north of Stevenage. The serial Cricket Cup winners, London, combined with Southwark guile. Electing to bat first, London started smartly, with Sam Rylands hitting the shot of the day—a huge six, clearing the road and several houses, before being bowled by young Carter Botha for 11. At the other end, Andy Rimmer was cutting and driving with delight before he too got out to a smart caught-and-bowled, again from young Carter Botha.
The fall of these two openers brought the key partnership of Chris Lee and Pat Allerton. Both batsmen are at the core of many a London innings, adept at taking matches away from opponents, and again this appeared to be the case. Scoring freely, cutting, driving and pulling, both fell in their mid-40s, just short of deserved individual 50s. Lee was bowled for 46 by Adam Prior with one that reared on a length, and Allerton was bowled by Mike Macey for 42. Useful lower-order runs, pitched in by Dan Moffatt, Joe Moffatt, Charles Cotton, and David Loft, posted a score of 183 off 35 overs. Given London/Southwark scored 98 off the first 12 overs, the St Albans bowlers—including Martyn Botha, Prior, Sawyer, and Macey—pegged it back well, coupled with brilliant fielding from Dan Drew to limit them to 87 runs from the next 23 overs.
St Albans also began their chase well, with 50 off the first 10 overs. Martyn Shea, Dulan, and Matt Corbridge all impressed before each was removed by Allerton and Rylands respectively. Rylands bowled good lines, finishing with tight figures of 2-16 in 8 overs. Allerton moved the ball off the seam, making it difficult to score against, and even took two wickets in two balls, finishing with a very worthy 3-31.
As Allerton finished, so came the introduction of Gareth Williams, who bowled with great control, taking five wickets in 8 overs (5-34) and slicing through the middle order and tail of St Albans. Some resistance was offered by Prior (18) and Macey (22), but both fell in a single over from Williams, which ultimately took the game away. John Laing offered some big hitting with an unbeaten 13, but the combined London/Southwark team was too strong with ball and in the field, alongside outstanding wicketkeeping from Loft, who conceded zero byes! The combined team ran out winners by 28 runs, brilliantly captained by Joe Moffatt, who patrolled the covers akin to Jonty Rhodes in his heyday.
At the end, an agreement was reached to repeat this fixture on the last Monday in June next summer. How lovely it would be if other dioceses joined too; the joy of cricket and clergy fellowship in the backdrop of God’s creation is there for all to enjoy and celebrate again.