THE YOUNG AND THE NOT-SO-YOUNG

Royston 2nd XI took the idea of being a development side, where young
players are guided by a few older heads, to a new extreme on Saturday
when the age gap between youngest and oldest players was 60 years!
Fielding two 13-year-olds, Bonham Harper and, making his debut, Kieran
Willis-Wright, they also included Club life member Fred Bendall, a mere
73 years young.

The match was away to the ever-improving Saffron Walden 4th XI, another
developmental side, though with a much narrower range of ages. Royston
batted first, and got off to a solid start as Rory Harper rediscovered
his early season form with a dogged 38, but it was his father, Jon, who
started to step up the run rate with a quick-fire 17. This set up a
platform for Joe Carver (whose 57 not out was the 18-year-old's first
half-century in adult cricket) and Safwan Akram (32) to add 75 runs in
the last 10 overs, enabling Royston to post a competetive 168 for
six. Kieron Greig was the pick of the Walden bowlers with 2-23.

Royston had two early successes, Bonham Harper taking a good catch at
backward point to remove Grieg off Dave Isherwood's bowling, and Joe
Carver and keeper Rory Harper combined to run out Penny. Despite two
confident appeals for catches and a couple of missed chances, the
pairing of Brain (90) and Borram (46 not out) took the game away from
Royston, though 14-year-old opening bowler Toby Fynn picked up the
wicket of Brain near the end and Willis-Wright got in his first over in
adult cricket - a considerable achievement in itself, but an even
better one when, against these two free scoring batsmen, he bowled a
maiden.

The 2nd XI now have two weeks off before their season resumes at home
to Whittlesford 2nd XI on August 9.