A Walsall Health Select XI beat a Rushall Select XI by 18 runs to win the Tim Oliver Memorial Trophy (Walsall posted 179 off 35 overs, Rushall replied with 161 off 35 overs)

To read the Express and Star report of the event click here.

To read the Walsall Advertiser report of the event click here.

The first ever Tim Oliver Memorial Trophy was won by a Walsall Health XI (actually, more like 26) who completed a 19-run victory over neighbours, a Rushall XI (more like 20).

The clash between two local cricket sides Tim Oliver – who passed away earlier this year – was an unusual affair applying the ’25 and retire’ rule for batsmen and a rolling substitute rule for a packed field.

Despite this, the clash between two sides Tim held closely to his heart saw The Elf win what was a narrowly contested game by 18 runs.

However, the match was really a side show to the day which was attended by a healthy crowd and helped to raise £620 for Macmillan Nurses, Pancreatic Cancer UK and Amnesty International.

The Elf lined up with many current and former players with Tim’s brother Andie skippering the side and nephew Tom also turning out.

With The Elf batting first, club legends Steve Hartshorne and Andy Gorton opened and set about starting to build a target for the visitors.

After knocking 10 off the first two overs, Hartshorne found himself dismissed for two, the ever agile Martin Liggins taking a catch off the bowling of Allsop.

Gorton had no such problems, clattering his way to 27 and retirement in a knock that included five fours.

At the other end, legend Ray Beech added 12 to the total before he was run out and Steve Fell also added a pair before a Gary Reeves catch off the bowling of King ended his run.

Modern-day legend Rob Hewlitt joined Gorton in the ’25 club’ with a knock that included four boundaries meaning at the 18 over stage The Elf were 90 for four.

Rick Jarrams fell foul to the deceptively slow bowling of Liggins for five while young Tom Oliver hit 13 before a good catch by Andy Beck off the bowling of Haliwell ended his fun.

This signalled the arrival of a number of current players and Sam Stephens (20) and Dave Preece (19) moved the total on before both fell to the bowling of Delvin King.

Dave Stephens and Matt Wright had cameo appearances at the crease, adding one and two respectively.

The brilliantly talented young George King went about mopping up the extended tail end with Dai Preece (looking for all the world like an extra from a cricketing scene in Downton Abbey) falling for five (including a majestic shot to the boundary), Paul Nicholls stumped for a duck and Stuart Slater going for six.

A superb late knock by Rich Fell (with a six and three fours in his 21) helped make the total more respectable along with a contribution by Dave Atkins of two not out and Ian Chuck of seven not out.

The score of 179-13 after the allocated 35 overs appeared a strong one and the Rushall father-and-son opening pairing of Alan and Dan Dunn initially had problems getting any momentum.

After four overs Rushall were six without loss before the big-hitting ‘Nicka’ began opening up, hitting a 28 retired with six fours in his total, suggesting he might not have wanted to run very much.

 

Young Dan Dunn batted very well to add four under some intense pressure – including the ever guileful bowling of the returning Jonathan Preece – to the total and at the 19 over stage, Rushall were 89 for 1 and looking impressive.

Dunn’s departure heralded the arrival of the Two Kings (George and Delvin) to come to the fray and put Rushall right back into the game.

Delvin hit a superb 26 retired while George – who won a lot of fans amongst the crowd with his mature and elegant batting having already impressed with his bowling – knocked 16 before falling victim to Slater.

And it was Slater who would also take the trophy wicket of Liggins, clean bowling the former Elf captain for a duck, while Chuck forced Storey to hole out to Hewlitt for 12.

Some impressive mid-innings bowling by The Elf – in particular Chris Hall (who ended 3 for 16 off four overs), Slater (two for four off two overs) and Tom Oliver (one for six off four overs in an outing his uncle would have been proud of) pegged Rushall back and they were only able to stagger from 95/2 at 20 overs to 104/6 at 25 overs.

But Everall (25 retired) and Haliwell (13 before being castled by Hall) ensured Rushall made a decent fist of the chase.

However, Foster and Edwards both went for ducks while Allsop perished at the hands of Hall thanks to a catch by Rich Fell while some brilliant fielding by Atkins helped save precious runs.

Needing an unlikely 23 off the last over, it was appropriate Andie Oliver should step up to bowl it, dismissing Beck with his first delivery and steering The Elf home to an 18 run win to take the inaugural trophy.

Ultimately, the day way a huge triumph and both teams would like to thank everybody for their hard work in making it all happen, in particular Rich (master BBQer) and Steve Fell plus Andy, Kerrie and Rachel Gorton (Two Jugs being especially magical in her sterling efforts to co-ordinate the raffle) as well as Katie’s Castles for the loan of the bouncy castle to keep the kids quiet and Firesec Electrical Limited for sponsoring the match-ball.

A good many people helped to make the day happen, thanks to everyone!

Walsall Health Scorecard

Batting

Gorton, A	retired	27
Hartshorne, S	ct Liggins b Allsop	2
Beech, R	run out	12
Fell, S	ct Reeves b King	2
Hewlitt, R	retired	25
Jarrams, R	b Liggins	5
Oliver, Tom	ct Beck b Haliwell	13

Preece, Dave	ct Liggins, b D King	19
Stephens, S	b D King	20
Stephens, D	b Reeves	1
Wright, M	b Dunn	2
Preece, Dai	ct Storey, b G King	5
Nicholls, P	st Everall, b Dunn	0
Fell, R	ct Millership, b G King	21
Slater, S	b G King	6
Atkins, D	not out	2
Chuck, I	not out	7
Hall, C	DNB
Danks, M	DNB
Extras		11
Walsall Health		179

Bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Martin, N	2	0	17	0
Oliver, T	4	2	6	1
Hall, C	4	0	16	3
Chuck, I	3	0	12	1
Nicholls, J	3	0	15	1
Wright, M	2	0	6	0
Oliver, A	4	1	24	1

Stephens, S	4	1	15	0
Stephens, D	3	1	12	0
Slater, S	2	0	4	2
Fell, R	2	0	14	0

Preece, J

2

0

6

0