Fathers day brings out the Elstead sunday XI's big daddies

A June day to be proud of, the sun was out and the wicket was in amazing condition considering the abuse mother nature has thrown at it recently.

A keen Laggers team arrived with an ambition to take a 3-2 lead in our recent battles but it seems that the new look Elstead Sunday team had other ideas.

Asked to bat first, Elstead made it past the 200 mark for the first time in two years with a display of unusually tactical and considered thinking. Shaun Holden looked unusually relaxed at the crease and in his first outing, Francis Mills made a handsome 27 dismissing the ball with the ease of someone who has yet to understand why you'd take anything steadily (alot easier when you have still to reach your 16th birthday). Devitt as ever looked classy until a horrid shot saw him annihilate his own stumps and young Lewis got a Jaffa that no one would have been able to stop.

This bought the teaming of Bartlett and Stevenson to the wicket and whilst your normal Sunday viewer would have bet against the two, they hung around for an unusual amount of time. What must surely be a record sunday stand of 111 ensued with Stevenson reaching 32 before being undone by a wickedly slow ball whilst Bartlett reached 63 not out by stumps to leave laggers facing 207.

An excellent tea (supplemented by an superb offering from Holden and a fineable effort from Devitt) then saw Elstead take the field. Fingers Lincoln felt the familiar smack of Devitts snappy action bruising his palms and within an over he had the first wicket. Little, Green, Sheppard and Bartlett all contributed but again Stevenson took the headlines with a fivefa. Notable fielding efforts from new boy Swaine and Lewis made up for a couple of outfield TV burp moments with Nixon taking this weeks award for most time spent in the wig of shame.

Laggers made a fine effort reaching 160 until they ran out luck against the big daddy Stevenson.
A great game, Laggers provided a top opposition in the bar and the field and we look forward to going 4-2 up next year.

Nick B