Just 42 days on from an eventful but comprehensive win over Romsley and Hunnington, the Elf visited a lovely new ground for the club for the return leg, a slither inside the Worcester border.

The elf have been spectacular at home this season but have an indifferent record away only registering one win this season. After (eventually) finding the ground the team were keen to put that right and complete a double over their opponents. On an overcast day, Captain Nunns once again made losing a toss look easy as the home team asked the Elf to field first.

The ever reliable Dave Stephens got the elf off to a solid start with the ball but it was Dan Dunn at the other end who broke the opening partnership, getting one opener and then the other for 15 and 9 before DS finally got one of his own, with the number 3 Webb chopping onto his stumps after a number of near misses for 11. All was going well for the Elf, the opening bowlers following a familiar pattern of tight lines and lengths but leaving the ruing that they should’ve had more wickets. Often it doesn’t come back to bite the Elf, but today it did.

On a weekend where bouncers and body line have made a comeback fit for Easter Sunday over at Lords, it was the opposite here and anything not on a full length was being dispatched into the long grass or club house roof square of the wicket. First change bowlers Lauchlan and Josh Butler receiving the treatment from Jones in particular who raced to 60 before Butler had him caught trying a shot too many. Lauchlan also picked up a wicket when Peverelli snicked to keeper Chuck attempting a heave down the ground.

The wickets didn’t stop the scoring though and Number 6 McDonald began attempting to remove tiles from the clubhouse roof one cricket ball at a time. J Preece getting the most brutal treatment, though he was unlucky not to have his man, Nunns just couldn’t cling on in the out field, blame it on the pink ball skipper. McDonald eventually made it through to a brutal 100* and the Elf were set a very challenging 282 to win off 40 overs.

With Ben Stokes going full throttle in the capital, a couple of Elf’s own redheads at the top of the order tried to match the England skipper, but Chuck ran himself out in just the second over and Nunns was out for 16 and the a hard job was approaching miracle territory. While those two were out, Dan Dunn did what he’s been doing all summer so far, scoring runs, big and important runs. His 50 was quickly up off about a run a ball and the Elf began to dream of an unlikely win before the Elf’s club pro fell for 61.

The wicker’s then came in a flurry, Lester bowled trying to up the scoring for 3 and debutant Dave Hill looked assured in defence before also being bowled for a duck. Nathan Reeves came out for a swoosh and was unlucky to be out from a fine diving catch in the outfield, robbing the crowd of a potentially once in a lifetime innings. From 79-1 to 121-6, the innings was in danger of being over very soon.

With the game all but gone Lauchlan and Rich Fell dug in for some batting practice and with a partnership of 60 dragged the elf to a losing draw. Fell scoring 26 with some cool leg side flicks and power driving and Lauchlan finishing (somehow) unbeaten on 36 after providing a fair amount of catching practice for the home fielders but hopefully a score to build on, if he remembers it that is after crunching a ball into his own head in the last over of the game.

The elf eventually finished on 181-6, a long away from the score but happy enough with another fun, friendly game of Sunday cricket played in the right way.

Will Lauchlan