Zimbabwe Select XI 280 for 6 - Lymington Presidents XI 236 all out - Lymington lost by 44 runs
(45 overs per side match)

The teams, umpires and scorer - click photo for a larger version

On a lovely sunny day at the Sports Ground the annual Presidents match against a Danny Peacock (former 1st team captain) Zimbabwe XI containing amongst other good players the Test player leg break bowler Brian Murphy. Zimbabwe batted first and started piling on the runs almost straight away. Opening bowlers Christian Pain ( 9 overs 2 for 29) and Lloyd Scott (9 overs 1 for 55) were unable to make a breakthrough. Chadhani (60) and P Morgan (28) put on 89 for the first wicket but when they went Brian Murphy (95 not out) showed his class dispatching the other Lymington bowlers especially Chairman Peter Tapper to various parts of the ground (1st over a maiden, 2nd 20 runs, 3rd 20 runs, Taps was not asked to bowl a fourth!). Danny Peacock no longer playing regular cricket made a brief appearance before being adjudged lbw by new highly rated Southern Premier League umpire Bob Iles. After 45 overs Zimbabwe had accumulated 280 runs for 6 wickets. The score was helped along by a large number of dropped catches from players clearly worse for wear following the previous nights end of season party. Some of the players didn't even make it home choosing to sleep under the covers instead.

Lloyd Scott fires one in at Chadhani

The camera does lie! It looks as if Zimbabwe Test player Brian Murphy has been bowled but in fact goes on to make an unbeaten 96

In reply Mark Jackson (8) and Glyn Treagus (92) put on 48 for the first wicket which brought in former Hampshire and Somerset player and now Chase bats and Masuri Helmets John Hardy (33) who proceeded to dispatch the ball to the boundary in his usual elegant style. He struck 6 boundaries in his first 7 scoring shots and then a classic 6 before he was bowled. Former Lymington colt now with BAT Nick Jenkins (12) and Christian Pain (17) kept the momentum going but Peter Tapper (21) was ready to cut loose when he was bitterly disappointed to be adjudged lbw not for the first time in his illustrious cricketing career by a certain Bob Iles. The Presidents XI fell 44 runs short of their target.

Man-of-the-match Glyn Treagus sweeps for four on his Sports Ground return

The elegant Jon Hardy smashes another boundary

In the presentations afterwards the Lymington CC President Brian Hobby thanked all the assembled club dignitaries and the umpires Barry Gough and Bob Iles and those that had helped organise the Day as well as the visiting Zimbabweans. Thanks also to the young scorers Dan Walters and Tom Hayward. Man of the Match adjudicator Tony Wharton in summing up the award donated by former Lymington umpire Walt Drodge said it was a close call between Brian Murphy and Glyn Treagus but gave it to the latter. A lovely day enjoyed by all and a great game of cricket.

Report: Tony Wharton
Photos: John McGuirk