A changing of the guard for the Old Reds with 8 debutants selected to represent PAOC in the annual Chester Bennett cricket match against SPOC. With only two players over the age of 25, the game presented a great opportunity to inject some new blood into the game and for the ‘young’ old scholars to show their stuff.

A late change of venue due to a clash on the Saints Main Oval saw the game held at PAC for the third consecutive year. PAC won the toss and elected to bowl first.

The Saints top 3 got the blues off to a good start. Quality bowling from Lachlan Griffiths and Will Daniel went unrewarded and before we knew it Saints had powered off to 1 for 85 off 17 overs, with dangerman Mike Cramner looking ominous. In one of the better Chester Bennett innings in recent times, Mike batted beautifully notching up a quality hundred in the 40th over to put Saints in a commanding position at 4 for 205 with 10 overs to bat.

If it wasn’t for a great spell of bowling by Hamish Latchford (7 overs 0 for 13) and good comeback spells from Will Daniel (9 over 3 for 30) and Hiran Lecamwasam (9 overs 1 for 61), the damage could have been much worse for the Reds with Saints eventually setting us a target of 257 to chase from our 50 overs.

After another unbelievable feed put on by the school, it was down to business in the chase but unfortunately a run of early wickets meant that we never really got any momentum. PAOC slumped to 5 for 48 before a good partnership between Cameron Pritchard (40) and Will Dalwood (25) gave us a glimmer of hope.

It was not to be though with the Reds getting dismissed for 147 in the 32nd over. Saints much too strong.

Credit must go to PAC and the groundstaff for accommodating the late venue change and to the umpires and scorers for making the game possible.

With the new faces in the team it is also time to hand over the keys to a new skipper with Jack Latchford agreeing to take over the captaincy reins for PAOC for next year’s match where the Reds will no doubt look to bounce back.

SPOC 9 for 257 (Cramner 105, Alegretto 42, Delmont 42, Daniel 7 overs 3 for 30) d PAOC 147 (Pritchard 40, Roberts 3 for 24, Cramner 3 for 13)

- Michael Richardson