Lashings make it six on the bounce but the day is Davidson's

Lashings World XI made their sixth visit to Eversley Cricket Club on Friday, the outcome of this visit the same as the previous five – a win, on this occasion by 106 runs.

Like India’s Wasim Jaffer last year it was Eversley’s Alex Davidson who stole the show, top scoring with 72 not out in a defiant chase of a mammoth total.

Requiring a run rate in excess of eight runs an over the Eversley batsmen gave a good account of themselves but struggled in their efforts to amass the required target.

The Lashings opening pair of New Zealander James Marshall and Jaffer raced out of the blocks scoring at a rate of nearly ten an over finding themselves 94 for no wicket after 10 overs.

Although it would appear explosive this opening was in fact littered with shots of class and timing. This highlighted in the cover driving of Jaffer as he stroked opening bowler Jack Sever for three consecutive boundaries.
The scoring rate was slowed via the deceptively quick bowling of Gareth Cummings. Cummings while not only economical did for James Marshall on 61, the quick glove work of Ben Saville finding the Kiwi out of his ground, as he finished with figures of one for 25.

Wasim Jaffer was finally dismissed with the score at 164 hauling out to the long-on boundary off spinner Chris Last, Captain Shane Green pouching the steepling catch.

The catching of Green also saw the back of current New Zealand international Ian Butler for 44 off the bowling of Australian overseas Blair Lindsay and former-England batsman Graeme Hick 30, setting the example after two earlier dropped catches from his teammates.

It was the dismissal of Hick off the bowling of Bucknall that prevented the visitors from passing 300, a big psychological edge for Eversley going into their chase.

Amidst the wickets and the stroke play of Jaffer ex-West Indies captain Jimmy Adams scored 66 off 58 balls in an innings obdurate in nature.

In their chase Eversley lost opener Phil Wise early for 4, a Yorker from Devon Malcolm cleaning him up. In light of this Captain Green and Lindsay showed valiant resistance both playing shots in a partnership of 41.

This pairing came to an unlucky end as Lindsay chipped his attempted cover drive to Pakistani Mohammed Akram off the bowling of Mark Ealham for 15. The same could be said for Ben Saville ran out for 18, Phil DeFreitas rolling back the years hitting the single stump he had to aim at. Another wicket soon fell, Cummings first ball for the second year running.

As wickets fell Davidson was not deterred, playing his shots to take his remarkable average against the Lashings World XI beyond one hundred.

A solid innings from Chris Last saw him score 20 before being bowled by Phil DeFreitas, Nigel Cresswell adding a late cameo of 11 as the Eversley innings finished 190 for 6.

The unbeaten innings of 72 from Davidson which included seven fours and three sixes saw him pick up the man of the match award in his sides losing effort.

Green said of Davidson’s innings: “It was the highlight of the innings; he hit some lusty blows as well as knocking the singles around showing a maturing aspect that is coming in to his batting”.

“It is an honour for me to captain such a talented Eversley team and once again despite chasing leather for 35 overs we acquitted ourselves well in the field. The batting gave us an opportunity to show our ability and we all worked exceptionally hard in the face of some very high quality bowling”.

Green later went on to thank those who have worked tirelessly in the organisation of the Lashings fixture, an integral event in the clubs calendar.