Semi-Final Prevview

The semi-finals of the Nicholson Cricketer Cup take place this Sunday 28 July. There are two recent winners, Old Tonbridgians (2019) and Bradfield Waifs (2022), and two clubs whose last final appearances were some time ago.

At Charterhouse, the Friars take on the Waifs. Historically the Friars are one of the most successful Cricketer Cup teams, lying sixth in the Merit Table with three wins and three losing finals, but their last time in the final was in 2005 when they lost to the Waifs. This year they have come through the hard way from the preliminary round and have chalked up wins over Old Eastbournians, Shrewsbury Saracens, Old Brightonians and Old Cheltonians. They will not lack for support at Charterhouse and will hope that their impressive centurion from the last round, Ollie Batchelor, will fire again, while James Hamblin, inducted into the All-Time Hall of Fame in May, still performs well with bat and ball.

Bradfield Waifs will hope to emulate the success of their Over 50s team, which has won that inaugural competition, and that Derbyshire’s Harry Came is again available after his match-winning innings at Malvern in the quarter-finals. They are a strong all-round team with most of the players from the 2022 winning final still playing.

At Haileybury it is 41 years since the Hermits reached their only final, but they have been strengthened by the availability of Kent and England’s Sam Billings and will hope that he can play again. Their opponents, Old Tonbridgians, reached the final last year under the captaincy of Hugo Snape, who remains in charge. They have county players in Marcus O’Riordan (Kent) and Ollie Sykes (Surrey) in what is a youthful side with the majority only having left school in the last three years.

Both matches start at 11.30.