Allen shows his future potential

Old Cranleighans 229 for 7 (Allen 103, Roper M 53, Close-Brooks 4-45) beat Old Wykehamists 228 for 8 dec (Walters A 55, Roper P 3-71, Chetwode 2-37)
The antidote to the previous week's torpor with a game which ebbed and flowed and which we eventually won by two wickets with 16 balls to spare.

The star of the day was Duncan Allen, in his final year at Cranleigh. Batting at No. 6, he came with us tottering on 46 for 4 chasing 229 and smacked 109 not out to steer us to victory, moving from fifty to a hundred in 36 deliveries. His hundred came off 86 balls in 81 minutes, the eighth-fastest century in the club's history. He put on exactly 100 with Mike Roper, who made 53 opening the innings, and our tail was strong enough to provide support even when Roper departed.

Allen had earlier struck with the fourth ball of the day, the visitors' captain Ed Craig doubly disappointed to have fallen to a Johnny Gates catch, but a nine-man Wykehamists side batted solidly right through. Chetwode and Phil Roper took on the lion's share of the bowling, tying down the batsmen throughout, and Allen, Matt Crump and Sam Worthy all turned in tidy spells.

As an intended Cricketer Cup warm-up it served little value, with only two of the likely starters on display. Allen, unfortunately, is barred by the competition rules until the third round, and Rob Jones had little time to make his mark as he fell for a three-ball duck.