Sherborne School 1st XI 312-3 (50 overs) Fergus O’C 110*, Sam G 88

Sherborne Pilgrims 299-9 (50 overs) Ollie L-B 4-52

Won by 13 runs

This was a great spectacle for the large crowds on the Upper to celebrate OS Day. The school won the toss and batted on a picture perfect Upper. A young Pilgrims side with only one over 30 was met by a fifty partnership between Jordan G and Charlie R in ten overs before Jordan was caught for 36. Charlie again showed how much he values his wicket with an adhesive 29 till he was caught off Patrick Reynolds, the pick of the Pilgrims bowlers, with the score on 118. Fergus O’C has had an extraordinary couple of weeks and if the law of occupation applies in Dorset he will soon have rights to own the Upper. A century for the under 17s last week followed by 88 against Marlborough and 31 in the T20 warmed him up nicely for a long stint at the crease. He found a willing partner in Sam G whose luck has certainly turned and once Reynolds and Golding had finished bowling the two batsmen got after the Pilgrims attack, which was possibly blunted by Mr Tatham’s lunchtime offerings. A dazzling partnership of 164 in 21 overs was sadly ended when Sam holed out, playing for the team, for 88 of 76 balls. Fergus continued on his merry way and achieved his first century for the XI on the day he was presented an award for scoring 1000 runs for the team since he began playing in the third form. The swing band playing ‘Fly me to the Moon’ seemed somehow appropriate. It was a batting performance where our top five batted in partnerships, ran pretty well on a hot day and punished the bad ball with 39 boundaries – a complete effort.

We knew that the target still needed to be defended and were also aware that the Pilgrims’ adult cricketers would hit the ball hard. We did strike early with Parnell being well taken by the captain off Ollie LB, but then Toby Talbot-Williams and Cam Golding settled well into their rhythm and batted at the required rate against some rather inaccurate and unpenetrative seam bowling. Things improved when wrist spin was introduced. Tom M bowled a probing and testing spell, eventually inducing Toby to charge him unsuccessfully. 142-1 soon became 195-5 as a run out and a wicket for Charlie R were followed by the key dismissal of Golding bowled by Ollie LB. A partnership between two recent leavers Tom Alers-Hankey and Alfie Reynolds raised Pilgrims’ hopes briefly but the rate was beginning to climb and although Tom batted well for his 62, nobody was able to come in and give it the long handle. Ollie LB ended with figures of 4-52, while Sam G kept brilliantly with a catch and three stumpings to go with his 88, probably shading the Player of the Match over Ferg, although the vote could have gone either way…

299 was probably more than the Pilgrims should have got, as we were not perfect in the field, but it did make for a perfect early summer’s day with the shadows lengthening as the final over began. We thoroughly look forward to the repeat fixture in June.