Mayfield agreed to bat first. Harry C showed great maturity to take the new ball and bowled well without reward. Veteran Ryan H (16) led the seam attack from the Pavilion End, picking up two early wickets. It could easily have been three, but he suffered the misfortune of seeing two chances go down in the same over.

Mayfield then put together an excellent partnership to reach 140/2 after 24 overs, a position that could easily have seen heads drop and shoulders slump. Instead, Northchurch responded brilliantly. Jacob S was introduced into the attack and struck with just his second ball, removing the opposition captain, caught behind for a well-made 72. He then claimed a second wicket with the final ball of the same over. Saunders would go on to finish with outstanding figures of 3/11 from three overs.

Mayfield eventually closed on 225/7 from their 40 overs, but it was an exceptional fightback from Northchurch. Jack M and Simon Turnball were also rewarded with wickets, while Daniel L, Marley K, Max B and Max G all bowled with discipline to help bring the scoring under control. Ten bowlers were used during the innings and the talent on display was clear to see. The fielding standards, particularly from those under 18, were excellent and showed that the emphasis placed on fielding at training is beginning to pay dividends.

After the tea break, the new-ball bowlers became the opening batters as Harry C and Ryan H looked to get the chase underway. Ryan H played some eye-catching shots before eventually falling for 18. Harry C looked increasingly assured at the crease but was unfortunately run out by a direct hit after some sharp fielding from Mayfield.

Facing tight bowling and some excellent catching, Northchurch found themselves struggling at 50/6. Andy Lerpiniere dug in for a valuable 20, while a quickfire 27 from Jacob S helped drag the innings back towards respectability.

Then came Jack M. Batting at number nine on your adult debut and arriving at the crease with the score on 79/7 could have been a daunting prospect. Jack had other ideas. Taking the attack to the bowlers, he hammered the ball to all parts of the ground, finishing unbeaten on 52. He was supported superbly by an injured Simon Turnball as Northchurch closed on 164/9 from their 40 overs.

In the end, the result felt largely irrelevant. What mattered was that a group of lads, eight of whom were under 18, produced a performance they could be proud of. There were moments in both innings when the game could easily have drifted away from Northchurch, but the players refused to let that happen. To drag themselves back into the contest, largely through the efforts of the younger players, was hugely encouraging to see.

The attitudes throughout were first class and every player contributed to a memorable day.

Well done, lads. Also a big thank you to Ali Fantham for umpiring throughout

A final thank you to Mayfield for being a great bunch and helping to make it such an enjoyable game.