Ketton got off to an absolute flyer with young Roche (Stamford School) free from the burden of GCSEs clipping and pulling the ball to the short legside boundary. Roche was the first to depart with the score on 47 (he had 30 of them). Lawrence Rayner finally getting his man LBW. Rayner was rewarded for his disciplined approach and quickly snaffled Durno, clean bowled by a quicker delivery. Lewis Banthorpe came on to bowl at the most difficult end; with the short leg side boundary pleading to be breached. He is canny bowler our Banthorpe and quickly dismissed Wildsmith and new Stamford Head Boy Parkinson, leaving our favourite Yorkshireman with impressive figures of 4 overs, 2 wickets, 1 maiden and just 14 runs. Aman Dinesh our young leg spinner bowled impressively in tandem with Banthorpe, despite receiving a thump to his leg from the brutish Criddle. Some might say a dropped chance, others an impressive stop of the boundary and a rather large egg shape bruise on the shin. Borley another Stamfordian batted sublimely for 40 until falling to the wily spin of Oscar Jackson; another young Stamfordian free from the shackles of GCSEs. Jackson was under bowled by his captain with figures of 2 overs, 2 wickets and just 9 runs. Skipper Murphy getting his sums wrong and had to get Mayell to come in and bowl the final over, which disappeared for 14. Should Murphy have brought back on the reliable Sherwin, but we wanted to see what Ed could do. Burghley pegged back Ketton well to be only 127 off their 18 overs, and Murphy felt comfortable that this was very gettable.

However, the Ketton bowling was sublime. Captain Anslow (ex Stamfordian) marshalled his bowlers well and the Burghley openers could not get away. Pick of the bowlers was another Stamfordian Shrey Shah who came on, took 2 wickets in his first over and ended up with 3 overs, 3 wickets and just 16 runs conceded. Openers Sharpe and Jackson (both Stamford of course) looked comfortable but could not get the necessary strike rate up. Hurn batting at No.3 didn’t look at his majestic best and again suffered with a low SR. But cometh the hour, cometh the man, and insteps the tall elegant Ed Mayell who dispatched the ball to all parts of the ground with a strike rate of 184 and final not out score of 46 – the highest of the day. Young Murphy (ex-Stamfordian) ably assisted and scored a quick couple of boundaries before receiving a nasty ball to the midriff, which may prevent there being any more generations of Murphys playing for Burghley. Ted Parkinson (Stamfordian) almost bowled Burghley back in to the contest with 2 overs disappearing for 32; what a thoroughly decent chap. Burghley were left rueing the lack of impetus at the top of the order – with plenty of batters itching to come out and have a swing. Burghley finished on 117 for 3, just 10 runs short of their total. If Murphy had juggled his bowlers better, or mixed up the youth and maturity in the batting, who knows – but I certainly felt that Ketton were the better team. But a great game – with a great bunch of guys – and possibly one of the most beautiful views in club cricket; the cement factory putting Burghley House to shame!

This match was sponsored by Brown & Co.