The annual King Alfred’s Trophy, organised by the Raqueteers, once again brought together the four familiar teams: Raqueteers, St Cross, St Giles, and Hospitals. As tradition dictates, all squads assembled outside the old, crumbling pavilion—currently closed for a full rebuild. With a mix of April sunshine, a chilly breeze, and pitches that bore the marks of council cutbacks, the day’s cricket was set in motion.

Semi-Final: St Cross vs Raqueteers; we took the field first, tasked with containing a Raqueteers side bolstered by big-hitting openers, including our own Rishi batting for the opposition. Despite the early onslaught, St Cross managed to restrict them to a competitive 131 in 20 overs—a respectable score given the slow outfield and tricky conditions.

Chasing the target, St Cross had to navigate Rishi’s fiery yorkers, but a deep batting lineup, good partnerships, and composed innings from Jamie and Saurav saw them home with confidence. For the first time, St Cross advanced to the final.

Final: St Cross vs Hospitals: Captain Glen made the bold call to bowl first in the final—a decision that paid dividends. Hospitals struggled to find rhythm against the pace of Olly and Saurav, combined with the accuracy of Jamie and Saksham. Wickets fell steadily, and they finished on 121, with all bowlers contributing.

Chasing 122, St Cross didn’t get off to the best start, with tight off-spin from Dr Mohsin and disciplined medium pace from the medical all-stars of Hospitals. It felt like a multi-specialist consultation on a cricket pitch.

Saurav, steady as ever, built a crucial partnership with Tek, laying a platform for the chase even as the run rate crept up. That’s when Joe SW stepped in—after a quiet settling-over, he exploded in the next, sending four towering sixes across all parts of Riverside pitch 1. With a polished finish from Jamie, St Cross crossed the line with overs to spare.

With that, St Cross lifted the King Alfred’s Trophy for the first time—a proud moment for the team. A big thank you to the organisers and sponsors who continue to make this spirited tournament possible year after year.