London Playing Fields, Boston Manor, Sunday 10 August 2025.

Salmagundi Gardeners 146 all out (35 overs: Graham Bruce 42, Mathan Olaganathan 3-19, Sanj Sharma 3-37) beat St Anne’s Allstars 122 all out (33.2 overs: John Kingston 30, Saurabh Bezalwar 4-14) by 24 runs.

Report by Garreth Duncan – Photos by Anindya Roy, Garreth Duncan and Nathaniel Hill

Salmagundi Gardeners and the Allstars are so close, we are almost as one. The briefest glance at each others’ websites easily reveals how many Gardeners have made guest appearances for the Allstars, and us for them, over the last few years. This fixture was eagerly anticipated all season, and we had a playing 11 in no time who were all keen to get out there and get one over some old team mates once more. And it was a close run thing, as we pushed the Gardeners right to the end before they secured victory in the 34th over.

Boston Manor was a new venue for us – although the ground is easily viewable from the M4 above, actually reaching it proved a challenge to many. Mathan Olaganathan, captaining the Allstars for the first time, won the toss and asked the Gardeners to bat first. Leading by example, Mathan began where he’d left off against Mighty Wanderers with a superlative spell down the slope. Gardeners’ opener Saurabh Bezalwar looked dangerous from the start, but Mathan set him up expertly with two balls in the corridor of uncertainty before firing in a yorker to pin him LBW.

Matt Biss, in a novel opening bowler’s role, began tidily against opponents who know him so well, and Vivek Seth also found a nice length and probing accuracy. But it was Sanj Sharma, tuned up by a net session in midweek, who struck the next blow, sending Gardeners’ skipper Richard Higginbottom on his way with another LBW decision – although Richard seemed to think it pitched outside leg – to leave them 34-2.

Graham Bruce, another Gardener who has featured in Allstars colours, and James Ansell steadied the ship as they put on 53 for the third wicket. Shahed Ahmed, who took up social cricket with the Gardeners before joining the Allstars, also began nicely – but Lady Luck was not on his side as a couple of catches went down. It was the recalled Sanj who broke the stand shortly after the drinks break, with a beauty that took out Ansell’s middle stump, and he followed up by castling Douglas to make it 102-4.

Douglas’ wicket brought about the shootout we were all awaiting, as the young gunslinger Alfie Arrand, who had toured Ibiza with us last year, strode to the wicket and announced his arrival by crunching his first ball through extra cover for a boundary. Mathan reacted straightaway by bringing himself back into the attack, and was rewarded instantly as he knocked back Alfie’s stumps. Shahed finally got his reward as he bowled Jeremy Gostick, before Mathan got a third as Jignesh fell in the same fashion to leave Gardeners 119-7.

As wickets fell at the other end, Graham had remained steadfast, and he began to open his shoulders with only the tail left for support. Joe Silmon, returning to England for a final Allstars appearance, found some turn with his leg-spin, but it was Anindya Roy who finally removed Graham by bowling him for a well-worked 42. In the final over, Roy grabbed a second wicket as John Kingston held a catch at slip, and Gavin Hudson was run out going for an impossible single off the last scheduled delivery. Gardeners’ total of 146 looked within reach – but we knew their bowling attack would make it difficult for us.

Matt and John began steadily, picking the gaps for singles and twos as they saw off opening bowlers Hamzah and Jignesh. Sensing the need to accelerate, Matt charged Hudson and was stumped. John continued on his way, upping the rate as he glanced a couple of boundaries off Alfie – but on a hot day, exhaustion eventually took its toll on him as he was run out for a very well made 30.

It was at this point the game really swung in Gardeners’ direction, as the brilliant Bezalwar took hold with his superb leg-spin. Turning the ball both ways and bowling with unerring accuracy, our middle order had few answers to his craft. Bezalwar began by bowling Lipu Rahman, who had kept wicket superbly – and after Roy had become our second run out of the day going for a crazy second run, Bezalwar struck another critical blow as he bowled Mathan to leave us 78-5.

Joe strode out for his final Allstars innings to join Shahed at the wicket, as we battled to stay alive in a tight contest. Joe’s fighting knock was ended by an unplayable grubber from the handy left-arm spinner Sachin Dispanje, before Sanj Sharma went for a big shot against Bezalwar and was bowled. Shahed continued to keep the flame burning, dispatching Bezalwar for an imperious six – but he eventually went for one reverse sweep too many to become his fourth victim.

With the game still close enough that one big over could turn it, Gardeners kept the pressure on as Alfie and Jignesh were recalled. Undeterred, Vivek came to the crease and kept pushing for runs before unveiling a sparkling cover drive for four. Nathaniel Hill provided handy support before being run out as Vivek tried to keep the strike. Finally, with 25 needed off the last two overs, I went for glory against Jignesh and skied him for a return catch.

So the Gardeners have the bragging rights in this most friendly of contests. But this was a fantastic contest in which everyone played their part, and we all celebrated a great day’s cricket in the Plough. We look forward to seeing the Gardeners next season (and maybe even one or two of them in Croatia…) – but we’re quickly back in action next Sunday, as we take on The Min at Alexandra Park in north London.