Clive Vale Veterans 107-9 Clive Vale 108-5  Scorecard

Clive Vale Cricket Club played against a team of former players from the 1950’s – 1990’s, the oldest player to take the field aged 71 and the youngest just 11. Invited to bat first the Veterans got off to a flier but after Paul Hurrell was out for 10 they slumped to 21 for 4 thanks to three brilliant catches; the best a sharp reaction dive, one handed by K. Dixon to remove opener Woodhams. The game looked over but Horsler (17), Mayatt (9) and James (19) held it together before a late flourish by J. Newman(15) and K. Brook (10 n.o) gave some respectability to the score. Wickets were shared between the bowlers with H. Neale (2-4) and skipper Carl Brook (2-11) the pick of the bunch. The highlight was surely 11 year S. Scott, on debut, who dismissed 71 year old Vale legend Bert Mayatt (debut: 1959 - 21,000 runs, 1779 wickets) and Horsler to take 2-18. S. Darroch also bowled tidily for his 2-8 dismissing the dangerous Demeza and Emanuel.

Vale stuttered early in the innings as G. Potten (2-21) and Rob Hurrell (1-36) reduced them to 11 for 3, with Nick Demeza taking a stunning catch in the gully. Maybe complacency had set in and the Veterans could surprise the young guns, after all you can’t win anything with kids. The answer came from Scott Price who bludgeoned 49 and C. Brook whose cultured 24 was only ended by a brilliant diving catch by his father, Ken. Two dropped chances by the tiring Veterans put paid to their challenge and it was left to Dixon (11 n.o) and S. Scott (7 n.o) to see them home despite the best efforts of Newman and Emanuel (1-8).

Before the match the Club held a minute’s applause for club greats Ron Harte, Laurie Relph and Peter Watson who are no longer with us, and £65 was raised for St. Michael’s Hospice.