Hampton Wick, Sunday 12 July 2026.
Hampton Wick Royal CC 233-4 dec (38 overs: Jaden Mistry 52 ret, Mitch Lockwood 50 ret, Freddie Saville 50 ret) drew with St Anne’s Allstars 223-4 (42 overs: Oliver Slatford 50 ret, Anindya Roy 48, Sam MacDonald 37*).
Report by Garreth Duncan – Photos by Anindya Roy, Garreth Duncan and opposition
12 July is an auspicious day in the English sporting calendar. In the early hours of the morning, Jude Bellingham’s extra-time winner saw off Norway and sent England into the World Cup semi-finals. On the cricketing front, it was on this day in 2009 when Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar formed an epic rearguard to save the first Ashes Test in Cardiff. That day was also a landmark one for the Allstars, as we snatched a famous victory over Salix from an equally unpromising position. And on that anniversary, we threatened an equally improbable win in one of our greatest run chases, falling just 11 runs short but ultimately emerging with the most satisfying of draws.
Hampton Wick Royals are a new opponent on the Allstars rota, recommended by Richard Slatford who is very well known to them. The club dates all the way back to 1863, and their ground in Bushy Park is beautifully maintained. Their clubhouse was cruelly targeted by arsonists three years ago, but their plans for a new one have been approved and construction will begin shortly. The club fields multiple Saturday XIs, and tailor their Sunday social team carefully to match the opposition’s standard, with a mixture of colts (and one filly) with their Dads matching us very closely in an absorbing game.
On another summer’s day which the Fast Show’s weather girl would call “scorchio”, Hampton Wick skipper Nick Dunmore won the toss and chose to bat first. Samer Hafiz began nicely with the ball, maintaining control and extracting bounce and turn off the bone dry surface. At the other end, Oliver Slatford also settled into a nice rhythm. But Hampton Wick opener Mitch Lockwood was quickly into his stride – and on a lightning fast outfield, the boundary count begin to mount up. Samer was not to be deterred, and he got the first wicket as Sam Diggins was well caught by Anindya Roy at point.
We were relieved to see the back of Lockwood as he retired on reaching his fifty, but left-hander Jaden Mistry proved equally adept. Parina Singh entered the fray, but she was soon on her way as she chipped Ben Hampton to Luke Dooley at cover. Ben was working up a lively pace – but it was a freakish event which gave us our next breakthrough. Mistry and Mandeep Singh ran two as Luke chased the ball down in the outfield – but his throw to Ben was awry. Mistry went for a third run on the overthrow – but Ben was having no “buzzers” on his watch, and hurled the ball to the other end, where it bounced off keeper Slats’ pads and onto the stumps to run out the unlucky Mandeep. Hampton Wick were 102-3 in the 18th over, and still threatening a big total.
Freddie Saville was the next man in, and started slowly before beginning to unfurl a few shots. Mistry’s retirement brought in skipper Nick, and he too looked a handy batsman. Jimmy Scott was putting his usual flight on the ball – his bowling was to rival Nick’s for threatening the overhead Heathrow flight-path – and it was he who took the next wicket, as Nick was brilliantly caught by Sam MacDonald, diving forward at slip. I bowled a couple of overs as the declaration neared, and missed a skier off the final delivery. Nevertheless, on such a good surface we could be very pleased to have restricted Hampton Wick to 233, and had every chance of being able to chase it down.
After a splendid tea, we set about the chase as Samer and Oliver opened the batting as they had done the bowling. Though Hampton Wick openers Safwan Sanusara and Isaac De Quintal both looked sharp, “OJ” went for his shots from the start, hitting particularly well both down the ground and over the covers – though he lived dangerously at times as a few aerial shots just evaded the fielders. Samer also looked in good touch, though frequently unable to pierce the infield, and was to meet an old work mate of his, Dan Diggins, out in the middle. It was his former colleague who brought about Samer’s dismissal as he played around a straight one and was given LBW – allegedly the first LBW decision I’d ever given out in my Allstars umpiring career, though Samer felt the bounce would have taken it over the stumps.
The opening pair had given us an excellent start, and as Slats joined his nephew in the middle, they continued to chip away at the target. Parina Singh had settled into a good spell, reminiscent of our old nemesis Maggie “the Cat” Page of Mighty Wanderers, and she got the second wicket as Slats slashed to point. Oliver retired on reaching his fifty soon afterwards – but at the second hydration break (no booing please), we were 112-2 and still in with a chance of winning if we could keep wickets in hand.
Ben and Roy continued the good work, raising our third fifty partnership of the day, and with 10 overs left we required 74. Ben, hilariously described by Slats as having “a big helmet”, was his usual positive self before being bowled by Mandeep Singh. Roy’s batting improves with every innings he plays for us, and as he began to up the tempo, victory seemed possible.
Sam, who had bravely volunteered to play for us despite incurring a nasty wound to his foot the day before, had a few sighters before he too hit the pedal, mixing deft sweeps with his favourite pulls. But, although they didn’t have a good day’s catching, Hampton Wick’s ground fielding was superlative, and it probably made the difference between them saving the game and us getting over the line.
35 were needed off the last three overs – but opener Safwan returned to strike a critical blow, as he bowled Roy just two short of his fifty and just as critically, left Sam stuck at the wrong end. Although he got the strike back to blast 18 off the final over, it wasn’t quite enough to see us to victory. So a draw it was, and all shook hands and congratulated each other on a day when cricket was the winner.
This was a fabulous performance of which we should feel very proud, against opponents well matched to us, and we celebrated a great day’s cricket with drinks in their marquee. Hampton Wick have everything it takes to become regulars on the Allstars fixture list, and we look forward to playing them again in 2027, by which time their new clubhouse will be in place. But next on the list for us, we head to the lovely setting of Chiswick House on 9 August as we face Mighty Wanderers for the James Abrahams Trophy.
St Anne's Allstars 