D'INVERNO GOES MASSIVE WITH 22 IN ONE OVER TO WIN THE MATCH

Unfortunately it wasn't for the Weekenders but for a team of Goldsmith's College academics against a group of similarly dedicated public servants from UCL on Wednesday afternoon. But at Balliol College on Sunday, where the Emeriti entertained the 'Enders, the atmosphere was no less tense at the pivotal moment of the afternoon - the toss. The last five encounters have ended in drawn blockfests so the visitors went Portugese when stand-in skipper Harvey won and inserted. After a slow start where no runs at all came from the first five overs at one end the home side reached 156 off 38 overs probably about 40 runs below par on the best strip of the summer. Freeman rolled back the years with a tidy spell of flighted offies and was rewarded with a wicket thanks to a stupendous over-the-shoulder running catch in the deep from Corey Swift. There were two other good catches in the slips and only one chance spilled.

Hogben and Harvey began steadily against some superb swing bowling from Gwynn and weren't separated until the score was 148 and the game all but won. A mini-chokelet followed Harvey's departure but Corey Swift settled it with a meaty thrash to the cover boundary. So ended five years of hurt.

Emeriti 156-6 dec. off 38 Wheater 38 Extras 13 Corey Swift 8-1-38-0, Douglas 11-5-42-3, Jeyaratnam 6-2-18-0, Dunne 8-1-36-2, Freeman 5-1-19-1 Catches: Corey Swift 1, Douglas 1, Dunne 1

WCC 159--3 off 31 overs Hogben 81*, M. Harvey 41, Vickery 2, Lyons 0, Corey Swift 4* dnb Dunne, Douglas, Clive Swift, Mike Freeman, Sam Freeman and Jeyaratnam.