A glorious Sunday afternoon on Redbourn Common saw the Unicorns soundly beat fellow Division 1 side Langleybury in the second round of the Voneus Village Cup by 234 runs.

Desperate to make amends for an early cup exit against Sawbridgeworth last year, Ed Hales got his team off to a thundering start after winning the toss and choosing to bat. He took 2 fours off Ollie Ilott’s first over and after getting down to the other end he defended one ball from veteran off spinner Eddie Gunning, before launching two audacious reverse sweeps for six over the lime trees and into the car park. Redbourn Cricket Club takes no responsibility for damage to cars when Ed is batting!

Ilott’s fourth over went for 23 with Ed Hales plundering two more fours and two sixes and at the same time bringing up Ed’s 50 off 25 balls in 26 minutes with 1 single, 5 fours and 5 sixes. Redbourn’s hundred was posted in the 12th over and halfway through the 15th Ed brought up his own ton off 45 balls having delighted the crowd with a further 5 fours and 4 sixes.

Ed was out caught and bowled by Finlay Reid in the 17th over for a seemingly effortless 114, much to Langleybury’s relief. In most matches the batting side would be concerned to have lost four wickets inside seventeen overs, but the Redbourn score at the fall of his wicket was already 160 and the foundations for a big total had been laid.

With the score on 198 in the 28th over the fall of the fifth wicket brought in-form Adam Pritchard to the crease to join 17 year old George Cutler. George, having earlier been awarded his 1st XI cap, was already on 35 and timing the ball to the rope beautifully. Together they set about the Langleybury bowlers once again with deft glances and elegantly timed drives and brought up their 100 run partnership in only 71 deliveries. George reached his 50 in the 33rd over with yet another boundary. Adam raced to his 50 off 36 balls in the 38th, before George was out for a mature and well-crafted 90 off 68 balls in the final over of the innings.

Redbourn’s 314 off 40 overs was certainly a challenging total and Langleybury were soon in trouble. Opener Finlay Reid having survived a huge LBW shout to the first ball of the innings was stumped by Ed Hales off the sixth off the bowling of Dan Darvell. Two balls later Callum Moyle trapped Ross Channer in front and Langleybury were 5 for 2. Ollie Ilott was the third wicket to fall, having hit Darvell over square leg for six he attempted a repeat shot and was caught by George Cutler on the boundary.

Ed Hales stumped Josh Comes off a Henry Amos legside wide to make it four down and when Adam Pritchard removed Jake Plant (22) with his fourth ball, Langleybury were 53 for 5 and the contest was for all intents and purposes over. Langleybury limped to 80 all out in 24.3 overs. The wickets were shared around the 7 bowlers used with leggie Adam Pritchard taking 3 for 16 off 4 and the ever-reliable Dan Darvell 2 for 21 off 6.

The next opposition in the Voneus Village Cup on Sunday 22nd May is against, you guessed it, the aforementioned Sawbridgeworth.

Click the link here for the scorecard.