Hit for Six 1st XI Cricket The season started very well for St Albans School with fine victories over Haileybury, Dr Challoner’s and QE Barnet. A poor result and even poorer performance against Bancroft’s, where defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory, gave glimpses of what was to come. The annual fixture against Haberdashers’ saw only one side turn up… and it wasn’t us; we were third in a two horse race. We rallied well against Berkhamsted where the weather ruined any chance of a result, which was looking as if it might go our way, while the game against Bedford also saw us perform well for the amount of play the heavens afforded us. As far as individual performances are concerned, many showed glimpses of what they can do, but no one really stood out and said ‘I’ll win the game’. Captain Alex Cook was named player of the season for his consistent batting and Third former Josh de Caires showed bright signs for the future. Gus Laws-Mather and Charlie Scott also showed signs of promise, but both should be winning games for the School and last season, neither did. More resilience, more grit and more determination are required if 2017 is to be as good as it could be. I couldn’t fault the effort however; that was always there.
One of the better summer days: 1st XI v. MCC
MCI
Strength to Strength 2nd XI Cricket The 2016 summer saw a season of rebuilding for 2nd XI Cricket, with many of the previous year’s main contributors having left or been promoted to the 1st XI. The side that took to the field in the first match against Dr Challoner’s, however, was weakened due to key absences. Travelling with a stronger side to Haileybury, St Albans were unable to secure their first win of the season, going down by 66 runs. Facing Bancroft’s the following week, it took some batting heroics from Tom Carter, back from 1st team duties, to lead the side to a 50 run victory and a turn of fortune. Facing QE Barnet in the next match, at the top of the order, Ben Craig and Joe
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Dinwoodie helped set up a solid total of 168 – the highest total of the season. The bowlers backed this up admirably. After a washed out fixture against Bedford Modern, the 2nd XI went away to Haberdashers’ the following week, expecting the hardest contest of the season. Unfortunately, the St Albans batsmen found themselves tied down by some very accurate bowling, stumbling to a meagre total of 107 in 30 overs. The bowlers struggled with their consistency and failed to restrict the flow of runs, going down by five wickets with almost 5 overs to spare. St Albans bounced back against Berkhamsted, with Tom Carter’s allround performance paving the way for a much-needed victory. Expecting a strong opponent in Bedford
School, the 2nd XI put together their best team performance of the season. Every player who came to the crease made a contribution with the bat, to help post an imposing total of 136 for 8. Ben Hemsi’s consistent line and length frustrated the opposition into unnecessary risks playing across the line and Bedford eventually staggered to 102 for 7 off their 20 overs. A convincing 34 run victory, it was one of the highlights of the season. Although only winning four of their seven matches, the 2nd XI this season was a young side and had shown potential to move from strength to strength in the future. CJE
The Albanian 2016