There was a great day’s cricket in the Cricketer Cup quarter-finals, the most encouraging feature of which was the appearance of four current first-class players in four of the teams. There seemed to have been a growing reluctance within counties to release even second team contracted players, whether from fear of injuries or whatever, but here was affirmation that the Cricketer Cup provides a high enough level of cricket to test the best and also that alumni bonds still matter.

At Malvern Derbyshire’s Harry Came was the star performer as Bradfield Waifs chased down Old Malvernians’ 234-7 to win by 7 wickets.. To win away at Malvern does not happen often but the 2022 winners of the Cup did so in style. They restricted Malvern to 234-7 in their 50 overs, after an opening stand of 92 between Josh Haynes and Freddie Wynn. Monty McKenzie took 2-19 off his 10 overs. Came underpinned the Bradfield innings with 90 not out, helped in significant stands by Hugo Darby with 53 and Joe Sheldon 55, so that Bradfield cruised home with more than 6 overs to spare in a week when another Waif, Gus Atkinson, took 12 wickets on his England debut.

The Kent captain, Daniel Bell-Drummond, played for Old Millfieldians at Tonbridge, where the hosts had his Kent team-mate Marcus O’Riordan. A wet wicket meant a delayed start and a 35 over game. Bell-Drummond top-scored with 32 but Millfield batted poorly and were bowled out for 136. O’Riordan took 4-27 and then made 37 as Tonbridge won by 6 wickets. Julian O’Riordan with 28 and Anthony Bissett 27 not out ensured a comfortable chase.

England and Kent wicket-keeper Sam Billings again played for Haileybury Hermits in their game at Wellington. He neither batted nor kept wicket but took two wickets as Old Wellingtonians were bowled out for 158 in 45 overs. K Danyaal with 40 and R Lane with 36 took the Hermits home by 5 wickets with 16 overs to spare and into their first semi-final for a number of years.

The day’s outstanding performance was by Ollie Batchelor of Charterhouse Friars. On a wet wicket at Charterhouse he made 113 from 121 balls in his team’s total of 175. Old Cheltonians, without their leading run-scorer Ben Diprose, succumbed meekly to 79 not out in 30 overs, Jonny Gonzor taking 4-7 in 8 overs.

Semi-finals on Sunday 28 July

Charterhouse Friars v Bradfield Waifs

Haileybury Hermits v Old Tonbridgians