Scorecard

Letchworth Garden City CC 1st XI v St Albans Cricket Club 1XI on Sat 25 Jul 2026 at 12:00
St Albans Cricket Club Won by 4 wickets

Match report The 1s were keen to bounce back at Letchworth after a disappointing first home defeat of the season last week. Captain Baylis was once again forced to ring in the changes, no fewer than 5 this time around, the youth policy strong once again with Matt Howeson back in at number 3.

You’d have been forgiven that most weren’t aware they were playing a 1XI game away at Letchworth Garden City. 6 (yes 6) players all went to the wrong ground, half of which have done the same thing on previous occasions. If that wasn’t bad enough Adshead was clearly convinced he was playing on the astro in the 5XI because he’d left his spikes in St Albans and warmed up in trainers. To his dismay Baylis won the toss and elected to bowl meaning a frantic dash up to Letchworth with his spikes from Madshead was entirely necessary.

Saints were met in the middle by CVL Dan Baylis opening the batting for Letchworth. A series of miscues that never fell to hand, and top edges over the slips led to a frustrating first spell. Rooney did eventually make the breakthrough by getting rid of the skipper (the leading run scorer in the league) with a sharp catch at first clip from Coulman. Coulman claimed a second snare in the slips shortly after, this one even more impressively taken behind him off Rooney. The edges behind didn’t stop there with Rooney claiming another 2 in his spell both taken in regulation fashion by Bancroft. 4-22 off 10, another superb opening spell by St Albans’ magician at the top of the attack.

Baylis duly removed the pinch hitter at last for 35 caught by Jones at mid-off, before being smoked into the middle of next week by the Letchworth number 6 who could quite clearly play the short ball.

Padki and Mulvaney came on and restricted to little avail. Letchworth not exactly putting the pressure on, but merely sticking around to try and build a total. Enter B (burglar) Adshead who mopped up the tail with a catch from Baylis, clean bowled the 9 and a smart stumping from Bancroft to wrap things up. In the midst, Mulvaney also claimed the wicket of the number 7 who was caught at long on by Baylis. 159 all out, a fairly manageable total on what looked a reasonable deck.

As starts go it was a mixed one. Bancroft looked like his usual self, sending short deliveries aplenty crashing to the boundary. From the other end chaos began to ensue. Coulman trudged off looking ever more like George Sims reincarnate after chipping a half volley back to the bowler, Howeson was removed caught behind first ball, and Padki followed with a waft outside off that found its way into the keepers gloves.

Bancroft fell shortly after to one of the worse dismissals you’ll see on a cricket pitch. Caught at first slip trying to sweep a full toss. When McCormick followed shortly after Saints were in disarray at 60-5, needing a big partnership from somewhere. Step forward Will Jones and Josh Mulvaney who both played chanceless knocks against a Letchworth attack ever deteriorating in quality. Once the captain was bowled out it became apparent there would be 1/2 bad balls an over to score off and they made the chase look pretty easy.

Jones playing a brilliant knock of 61* when all around him were falling, and Mulvaney played a calm knock into the mid 30s before being caught with 4 to get, but also entering his name into the worst dismissal of the day hat. Rooney came in and knocked off the winning runs with a lovely straight drive down the ground. A much needed win to get us back on track towards the season run in.

MOTM: Will Rooney
SOTD: Will Rooney straight drive for 4
HMOTD: Oli Coulman slip catches
DOTD: Ben Adshead forgetting his spikes

Letchworth Garden City CC 1st XI Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
9w 2b 5lb 
for 10 wickets
16
159 (46.5 overs)		     
Freddy Mullen ct  W Jones b D Baylis 35 47 7 74.47
David Sprittles ct  O Coulman b W Rooney 5 10 1 50.0
Praveen Bhatti ct  O Coulman b W Rooney 3 10 30.0
Fred McClure ct  W Bancroft b W Rooney 4 27 14.81
Nathan Sprittles ct  W Bancroft b W Rooney 1 18 5.56
Sarbjit Chahal ct  T McCormick b J Mulvaney 31 41 4 2 75.61
Liam Bishton ct  D Baylis b J Mulvaney 25 51 2 49.02
Noah Gower ct  D Baylis b B Adshead 17 34 1 50.0
Richard Stewart b  B Adshead 14 16 2 87.50
Nikhil Nimkar st  W Bancroft b B Adshead 5 17 29.41
Max Whittaker-Mead Not Out  3 10 30.0

St Albans Cricket Club 1XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Will Jones9.043600.004.00
Will Rooney10.032245.502.20
Dan Baylis6.0226126.004.33
Ashish Padki7.001800.002.57
Joshua Mulvaney9.0127213.503.00
Ben Adshead4.502036.674.14
Aidan Chennells1.00300.003.00

St Albans Cricket Club 1XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
16w 1lb 
for 6 wickets
17
162		        
Will Bancroft ct  S Chahal b M Whittaker-Mead 35 39 5 1 89.74 2 1
Oliver Coulman ct  N Gower b N Gower 1 8 12.50 2
Matt Howeson ct  N Sprittles b N Gower 0 1 0
Ashish Padki ct  N Sprittles b D Sprittles 0 6 0
Will Jones Not Out  61 88 8 69.32 1
Tom McCormick ct  M Whittaker-Mead b F Mullen 8 26 30.77 1
Joshua Mulvaney ct  N Sprittles b M Whittaker-Mead 36 60 5 60.0
Will Rooney Not Out  4 2 1 200
Dan Baylis   2
Ben Adshead  
Aidan Chennells  

Letchworth Garden City CC 1st XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
David Sprittles10.0225125.002.50
Noah Gower7.0041220.505.86
Max Whittaker-Mead7.0038219.005.43
Freddy Mullen3.3016116.004.57
Nikhil Nimkar5.011200.002.40
Richard Stewart4.001800.004.50
Fred McClure2.001100.005.50