City Invitational Cup a Huge Success
The inaugural City Invitational Cup proved the competitive juices never die as Mark Ramprakash’s Soldiers’ Charity XI eventually claimed the trophy over Matthew Hoggard’s City Select XI following a dramatic tie.
They might be retired England stars but the two captains argued their cases long into the night as the trophy was awarded by virtue of Ramprakash’s side losing just three wickets in their total of 184 whereas Hoggard’s lost six in the run chase.
At a sun-kissed HAC ground in the heart of London, the twenty-over game couldn’t have been closer as players from the Army, the HAC, corporate supporters and guests tried to raise their standards to those of the ex-internationals that also included Paul Nixon and Chris Read.
Man-of-the-match JD Boynton sparkled with bat and ball, and just edged out team-mate Ian Redfern to the prize, although Jordan Morgan’s powerful 36 not out, gave the game its perfect grandstand finish.
Match report by Dean Wilson.