The youthful Eaton Socon skipper Zac Taylor won the toss and had no hesitation in choosing to bat first, on a flat looking pitch that looked like it had runs in it.

Dinesh opened the bowling after a 6 week lay-off and uncharacteristically his first ball was dispatched confidently by the opening bat for four. Normal Dinesh service was quickly resumed, with the overconfident opener lobbing the 4th ball of the over to McIntosh Senior at mid-off who completed the simplest of catches.

Harry Armstrong (the first of 5 leggies in the side!) opened from the other end for Burghley and was soon challenging the Taylor with tight lines and a good length.

The number 3 came in for a good time, not a long time, hitting Dinesh for one four before inexplicably trying to cut a good length ball outside off and skying an easy catch to Armstrong Senior at gully.

While Harry Armstrong continued to bowl good line and length, with the occasional full toss, Dinesh was back to his miserly ways, moving the ball in and offering the batters no scoring opportunities. This frustration quickly translated into wickets, with Dinesh getting two wickets in his fourth over, one clean bowled the other ricocheting off the batter’s pads as he watched it trickle slowly up to the stumps and gently dislodge the bail.

With Eaton Socon reeling at 22 – 4, Dinesh was removed from the attack (in the interests of keeping the game alive) finishing with figures of 4 – 10 from his 4 overs.

This brought the diminutive Aaryan Ghandi to the crease for Eaton Socon at number 6. Small in stature but big in heart, he immediately looked set to halt the flow of wickets with fierce determination.

Henry Price replaced Dinesh, the Under 13 wicketkeeper looking every part the full-time leg spinner. Henry bowled with nice flight, turned the ball and was unlucky not to get any wickets; having one dropped chance behind the stumps and several close calls with balls in the air somehow evading the fielders. Henry finished with the commendable figures of 0-38 from his 8 overs.

Meanwhile Taylor and Ghandi were batting with a maturity beyond their years, playing solidly in defence and punishing any loose balls that came their way. Harry Armstrong finished his spell wicketless, with figures of 0-44 from his 8 overs.

Taylor and Ghandi were progressing well, having played themselves in nicely, and were still watchful but seizing every scoring opportunity on offer.

Robbie McIntosh came on for Harry, channelling his inner Liam Livingstone with a mixture of leggies and off spin that kept the now well-set batters guessing. Chances were created, but the batters continued to ride their luck, while still accumulating runs as their partnership reached 100.

Cometh the hour, cometh the Murph. Replacing Henry Price, Andy Murphy was next to try and break the burgeoning partnership of the two Eaton Socon youngsters. It was just the change in tactic that was needed. Having weathered the storm of leg spin, Taylor looked perplexed facing the infamous Murphy Moon-balls and had no answer to the flight, guile, and sheer altitude of the balls he was facing. Eventually, Taylor went to sweep a good length ball on the leg-side, but could only manage a thin edge, which the latest keeper, Fletch Murphy, gleefully accepted with his gloves just above the ground. A somewhat bemused Taylor reluctantly left the field, after confirming that the ball had carried, understandably disappointed to get out on 76, caught Murphy, bowled Murphy. A Burghley first!

Murphy’s moon-balls continued to mystify the Eaton Socon lower order, numbers 7 and 8 getting out for 1 run between them. Murphy’s spell finished with the excellent figures of 3-28 from his 5 overs.
The next batch of leg spin was provided at both ends by an eager Charlie Sharpe (keeper) and a less enthusiastic McIntosh coming on, if only to deny Murphy the chance of a rare fifer.

Charlie Sharpe went on to claim the remaining two wickets with his part-time leg-spin, finishing with 2-18 from 3 overs, while the less said about the bowling of McIntosh Senior the better. Eaton Socon ending their innings on what looked to be a slightly below par 203.

The break between innings brought the rare treat of a traditional cricket club tea, something of a rarity post Covid and something that Eaton Socon is renowned for. They did not disappoint.

Following a lavish spread of 3 curries, Mac and cheese, pizza, pork pies, scotch eggs sandwiches and lashings of cakes, there was nobody keen to open the Burghley innings with Chris Armstrong. Son Harry was the only volunteer, and it proved to be a good, if only option.

The father and son opening partnership proved to be effective, putting on 50 in the first 10 overs. Harry’s watchful defence proving to be a good foil to the more aggressive senior Armstrong, who was clearly enjoying his debut for the Development XI as he set about the Eaton Socon opening bowlers with great gusto.

Harry was the first to go, disappointed to be caught behind for 30 having got himself in and seen off the opening bowlers in an excellent opening stand of 95 (100 partnership jibbed).

Coming in at 3, Kavin joined Chris and in customary Kav fashion, he started his innings looking like he had a train to catch. Armstrong senior and Kav continued to score freely, taking advantage of any loose balls, and rotating the strike well as Armstrong passed 50 and Kav approached his own personal milestone.

Just as Chris was approaching his first 100 of the season, he chanced his arm once too often from the excellent bowling of the young South African Leggie, Etienne Maritz and was caught on the square leg boundary by Zac Taylor, taking a really good running catch to deny Chris a first maximum of the match that would have taken him to his first 100 of the season.

This brought Robbie McIntosh to the crease, facing compatriot Maritz who was bowling well, giving few scoring opportunities, and turning the ball sharply away from the right handers. McIntosh was resolute in defence but unfortunately, when Maritz did eventually offer some width, he couldn’t quite get on top of his square cut and smashed it to a grateful gully.

Fletcher Murphy was in at 5 and looked determined to finish it off and get himself a red inker. At the other end Kav was rapidly approaching his second half century for Burghley at close to a run-a-ball. Sadly, with just 4 needed to win and 3 needed for his 50, Kav played one shot too many and was out caught off the bowling of the dangerous Maritz.

This meant that with just 19 runs needed for the win, the Development Bears had just lost 3 wickets for 15 runs. McIntosh Senior came in at 6 and with 4 balls of the excellent Maritz to face was keen to get to the non-strikers’ end, running a leg-side bye from his first ball. Fletch took a single from the final ball of the over to put the Dev Bears within one shot of the win. On the third ball of the next over, Fletch pounced on a long hop, pulling the ball powerfully to the square leg boundary to complete the win.