Royal Navy Cricket Legends retain their crown at Inter-Services

Following close of the heels of the Men’s Inter Service tournament, for the third year running the ‘Legends’ (over 45s) of Service cricket gathered at the iconic Wormsley cricket ground to contest the Legends Invitational Hundred Festival.

Established under the patronage of Sir John Paul Getty within the grounds of his estate, the festival used the end of the COVID pandemic in 2021 as the catalyst to re-ignite the spirit of comradeship and competition of serving and ex-serving cricketers. Retaining a strong military charity link, this year’s Festival had the Armed Forces Equine Charity as its nominated beneficiary.

As defending champions, the Royal Navy benefitted from being able to rest aging bones and aching bodies for the first match of the day as a strong RAF team defeated an experienced Army side. Quickly finding their feet in the second match the Senior Service restricted the Army to just 97-2 from their hundred deliveries before making light work of a rain-reduced chase reaching 49 for the loss of a single wicket from just 27 deliveries built around a swashbuckling 17-ball 36 from Mark Toogood.

With the rain having cleared the scene was set for the showdown between the sailors and the aviators to see who would lift the silverware. Batting first the RN posted a healthy 119-6 with Toogood again the mainstay (40 from 37) and ably supported by John Batley’s controlled 29 not out off 18. 

With their title on the line, the Royal Navy rose to the occasion and had the bowling of current RN Cricket Association President VAdm Andrew Burns and Chair Capt Andrew Ainsley (2-23) to thank for steadying the ship in the middle of the innings. It all came down to the final set of 5 deliveries and ageless strike bowler Dave Garbutt restricted the RAF against the odds to just 3 runs to see the defending champions retain their crown by a single run.

In a day with cricket, comradeship, and charity as the real winners there was no denying that cricket is alive and well in the broader military community and the RN Legends are grateful to Longman’s Cheese for their support to the team and event.

The Royal Navy Cricket Club offers social cricket to all serving and ex-serving members of the naval family and are actively recruiting new members to play, administer, and officiate. If you are interested then please contact RNCC Secretary Mark Smith - [email protected].

Photographs provided with the kind permission of Simon Dutson Photography (www.simondutson.com), where other photographs from the tournament can be seen.