Match Reports

Three weeks after chasing 241 against the Whalers with remarkable ease, Salix returned to Barn Elms hoping to repeat the trick. Instead, with a makeshift XI featuring two debutants, an emergency wicketkeeper, and several players still finding their feet, they found a Whalers side that had learned from the first encounter. Despite a spirited century stand from Adam Darling and debutant Iftkhar Jalil that briefly revived hopes of another famous chase, Salix ultimately fell 30 runs short in a contest that proved, much like a finely tuned piano, that every part has to work in harmony.

Reduced to just nine players, Salix CC overcame a ten-man Not the MCC side in sweltering heat to secure a deserved victory. It was a true team effort, with valuable contributions throughout the side, while Andy Spurr produced a match-winning all-round display, starring with both bat and ball to help Salix return to winning ways.

Salix fell just four runs short in a thrilling contest against the Gents at Barnes, despite an excellent unbeaten 99 from the opposition and a valiant chase of 181. Vijay's maiden Salix fifty and CK's classy 49 kept the hosts in contention throughout, with the game going down to the final over. Although the result didn't go Salix's way, seven debutants helped make the fixture possible and contributed to an enjoyable match played in great spirit.

Savour these Salix days, for a week after comfortably defeating one traditional opponent, the Demijohns, we went one better in despatching another, the Whalers, by eight wickets and plenty of overs to spare. This when chasing what appeared to be a daunting 241 in 35 overs, against a team we hadn’t beaten in some years, in Sai’s first game as skipper.

A storming win in Oxford gets Salix its first win of the season.

Salix entered its 34th season this weekend, which feels faintly ridiculous considering several members of today’s side have been around for almost all of them. Irwin started his 32nd Salix season, CK somehow reached his 25th Salix season game whilst still claiming to be “just helping out”.

We won, coming back from behind against one of our biggest rivals, against all the odds. Inspiring future generations for years. That’s the Lionesses victory against Spain on penalties which we were able to watch from the pub after being annihilated against the Quokkas.

In a game of remarkable swings, Salix posted 258 before reducing Flamstead to 0 for 2 in the very first over, only for the Flamstead captain to single-handedly drag his side back into contention with a stunning century. It took the calm, clinical brilliance of CK — with the ball, in the field, and in the mind — to finally put the game to bed. A victory that will live long in the memory.

These are strangely warm dry days in the formerly green and pleasant lands of England, during which we can be excused a certain amount of heat-induced hallucinations such as those team-mates prior to the game comparing the conditions to those in South Asia.