V for Victory in the Vis Vineyard

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Croatia Tour match reports by Garreth Duncan – Photos by Anindya Roy, Garreth Duncan, and opposition

Click here for more photos from our amazing Croatia tour

Saturday 27 September 2025. St Anne’s Allstars 172-8 (30 overs: Anindya Roy 47*) beat Sir William Hoste CC 78 all out (25 overs: Gren Thompson 4-24) by 94 runs.

SWH v Allstars Saturday scorecardDownload

Overseas wins are precious indeed. Just ask Europe’s golfers, who put us all through an emotional wringer on singles day at the Ryder Cup before finally scrambling over the line at Bethpage. Their long wait for an away victory was exceeded only by our own, it being 15 years almost to the day since Vivek Seth led us to victory in the Dordogne. And on a glorious sunny day in Croatia, it was fitting that an Allstars side containing six survivors from that famous day in Eymet combined with our new generation to take us to victory in fine style.

Vis had long been on our radar as a possible tour destination, recommended by both Allstars who had toured there with other clubs and by regular opponents. Their ground is a stunning setting within the vineyard owned by Oliver Roki, who set up Sir William Hoste CC in 2002, almost two hundred years after the Royal Navy captain after whom they are named organised cricket on the island during the Napoleonic Wars. A number of banners line the ground, including some curious references to beans (we were to learn why at the lunch interval) and others to the sixes tournament Vis hold each year.

With many of our opponents having jobs in tourism to go to in the evening, we arrived at the ground for a 9am start, almost certainly the earliest in our 25 year history. Before we began, we presented Vivek with a special commemorative cap to mark his 100th appearance for the Allstars. We batted first by arrangement, with SWH’s captain, ex-Lancashire League pro Craig Wear, seemingly harbouring some doubts about the strength of their batting line-up.

Skipper Matt Biss and Samer Hafiz opened up for the Allstars, only to find that, in the bowling department, our hosts were much better than they’d led us to believe. On a bouncy artificial strip, left-armer Damir and Lenko both looked very lively indeed. Damir struck the first blow as Samer edged to Craig behind the stumps, and Matt had almost seen him off when Damir demolished his stumps. Paul “KP” Bowman began well, edging ever closer to the landmark of 1000 runs in Allstars cricket, and Rob Jackson also started positively before he was bowled by Lenko. KP was also just beginning to cut loose when he was bowled by Steve Haslemere, who had organised the first tour to Vis in 2002 with his St Radegund pub team from Cambridge before moving to the island. All of a sudden, we were in a spot of bother at 55-4.

KP’s dismissal brought together our two first time tourists, as Barathwaj Nagarajan joined Anindya Roy at the wicket. Both worked the ball around nicely while finding the odd boundary, with Barath executing some particularly deft glides down to third man, until he took on the wrong fielder and was run out going for a risky second run. I swiped and missed without much timing at my first few balls from Gaga, before one found the middle and flew for a boundary. That shot settled me nicely, and Roy and I kept the scoreboard moving as we pushed for singles while putting the bad balls away. We’d put on 40 at a run a ball before Steve ended my fun with a superb low catch by Craig off an inside edge.

Gren Thompson and Nick Chadwick both quickly came and went to unplayable deliveries from the pacy Vikram Bika, and 138-8 still seemed a few short. Enter Alfie Arrand to supply the perfect finish to the innings, as he and Roy opened their shoulders with 33 coming off the last 4 overs. Roy’s unbeaten 47 was far and away the best of his Allstars career to date, repairing the early damage before accelerating just at the right time, and 172-8 looked more than defendable.

After the second drinks break, we began perfectly as Gren was on the money straight away, breaking the opening stand by wrecking Mediĉ’s stumps. This brought about the key moment of the game as Craig strode to the wicket. The opposition had all told us that he can win games on his own, having hit an unbeaten 120 out of their total of 170 against Burley last weekend. But Alfie was more than up for this challenge, and produced an absolute crackerjack of a delivery which crashed into his pads. After the loudest appeal we could muster, umpire Jono Beagle’s finger went up.

Gren quickly took a second as Serdio was nicely caught by Rob at cover. But if Roy’s innings was to be declared our tour’s “prosecco moment” on our final dinner on Sunday, I was to surprise both myself and the rest of the team by providing the champagne one. Lenko launched Alfie high in the air towards cover point. I called for the catch and ran for it more in hope than expectation, but somehow clung on as it dropped over my shoulder. After just 6 overs, SWH were 24-4 and sinking fast.

Our excellent day in the field was to continue, as Samer soon got amongst the wickets with James Abrahams taking another good catch at extra cover to send Bika on his way. Another soon followed as our generous host Oliver could not keep out a searing delivery from Gren which wrecked his stumps. Ante soon edged to Matt behind the wicket to give Samer a second- but Gren’s was undoubtedly the spell of the day, and he finished it imperiously as he bowled Gaga with his final scheduled delivery. Gren’s 4-24 were the best figures of his long Allstars career, SWH were 45-8 and we hadn’t even reached the mid-innings lunch break.

We were treated to the first helping of our hosts’ superb local cuisine – a great fish stew with beans – with the game seemingly almost won. But, just like the Americans in the Sunday singles, SWH refused to give in without a tremendous fight, as Steve and Vedrun put up stout resistance. After 12 overs, their stand was finally broken as Vedrun hit an excellent delivery from centurion Vivek to Roy at cover. Having pulled up injured after bowling just 3 deliveries in Ibiza, every ball Chadders bowled without breaking down was greeted with cheers, and it was him who finished the job as Steve feathered an edge to Matt before sportingly walking.

SWH were the most generous of hosts, and we were treated to a magnificent traditional Croatian peka dinner and lovely wine at Oliver’s restaurant that evening. The victory party went long into the night … but could we make it two in two the following day?

Sunday 28 September 2025 – two innings match (abandoned)

St Anne’s Allstars 1st innings 103-7 (15 overs: Matt Biss 38*, Samer Hafiz 37) drew with Sir William Hoste CC 1st innings 109-3 (15 overs: Craig Wear 59*, Paul Bowman 2-9).

SWH v Allstars Sunday scorecardDownload

We awoke to the sound of thunder around the island on Sunday morning, and the prospect of any play seemed unlikely. But the weather briefly relented, and we agreed on an Allstars Festival-like Fifteen15 two innings format, with the Allstars batting first by arrangement again.

With last night’s festivities no doubt still swirling in our heads, we quickly crashed to 11-4 before Matt and Samer steadied us with a stand of 79. Gren, playing for the opposition as they were short, bowled KP to leave him stranded on 999 Allstars runs – but 103-7 still seemed like a decent enough first innings total.

Although Chadders’ tour injury curse was to strike again in his second over, KP took a couple of early wickets, and my golden tour weekend continued as I trapped Ivo plumb in front. Craig then showed us what his team had missed out on the previous day as he raced to a fifty to give SWH a narrow first innings lead. But the lightning had been around us all day, and the rain finally arrived at lunch to put an end to the contest. We were more than happy with the draw, and the first unbeaten overseas tour in our history.

We were treated to one more sumptuous lunch before saying goodbye to our hosts and presenting Steve with one of our new Allstars caps for all his help organising the tour from their end. One of the great Allstars tours – where will 2026 take us?

Gardeners dig deep for victory in West London classic

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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.

Gardeners v Allstars 2025 scorecardDownload

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.