The SW15 Cup has finally returned to it's rightful home on the Heath following a hard fought game in the traditional season opener.
After losing the toss and being put in to bat on a typical April green-top RCC recovered well from the early loss of Freeborn with man of the match Sacha Hattea (67 n.o.) and Pricey (16) making steady progress to the drinks break. Poor shot selection accounted for a middle order wobble with Farrell, Hilson and Adrian falling to poor shots just after drinks but Liam Symons (37) and Dharmesh Vaghela (17 n.o.) steadied the ship and ensured that RCC posted a competitive 167 from their 40 overs on a tough pitch.
The Deers started brightly in the field encouraged by some rash shots from the Putney batsmen as Rik Walia (2-39) and Pricey (1-32) made early inroads. A ball of the season candidate from Nick Lyell (1-19), tight lines from Vaghela (1-21) and a suicidal run out left the Putney innings floundering on 90-6. Devon (33) and Putney skipper Piers (30 n.o.) played fantastic knocks and looked to be steering our rivals to victory but the introduction of Farrell (2-15) and Parker (2-6) ensured that there would be no repeat of the cupset that sent the trophy down the hill two years ago.
A big thanks to Putney C.C. for their hospitality and the best of luck for their season, we look forward to welcoming them to the Heath for the return fixture next year!