26th APRIL 2019

On a warm spring evening with the Oxshott Village Sports Club heaving with hundreds of aspiring young cricketers, the GB Vets were looking to overturn a 2/3 defeat of last time. A doubles match was added with scoring PARS to 15 and Pars to 11 for singles.

Dennis Champion at No.4 took on long term adversary and fellow GB Vet Patrick Fleming. Previous encounters favoured Patrick and so it was again on this occasion, 0/3. Karen Hume at No.3, not at her best, struggled against a stronger player. Another 0/3, so 0/2 down!

Andy Davies at No.1 and Adam Rich at No.2 needed to get the GB Vets back into the match, and so they did in style winning hard fought games 3/1 respectively.

So 2/2 with the result of the Doubles match being the decider.

This proved to be a memorable, momentous and enthralling match with Nigel Belle and Mick Lowe for the Vets against Mike Shattock, also a GB Vet, and his partner Graham Whitehead.

All looked lost for the GB Vets going 0/2 down, 10/15, 11/15 and in the third 14/14 staring a 0/3 defeat in the face. But determination, skill and luck (in that order!) by the Vets managed to save the day 17/15! A tough 4th went GB Vets way…..just 15/13. So with a packed, enthusiastic gallery cheering every point it again came down to 14/14 in the final game. It really could have gone either way but Oxshott sneaked it 17/15.

So a 3/2 win for Oxshott.

A most memorable evening was rounded off with ample supplies of various liquids, chilli con carne, salad, garlic bread and much jovial banter!

Nigel Belle thanked Mike Shattock for arranging the evening and enthused about one of the main objectives and reasons for being a GB Vet – that of playing in friendly, competitive and highly enjoyable matches with like minded Clubs. Thank you Oxshott!

Full results were as follows: 

Nigel Belle
Match Manager