WCC v London Theatres.

LTCC won by 120 heavenly runs. And retain the Ainley Ashes, love.

The Ainley Ashes are contested annually and smashingly in memory of Tony Ainley, a great sportsman and a lovely man. It would be hard to imagine a less fitting memorial than this consistently hissy encounter which plumbed new depths this year. A flare-up between bowler and batsman occurred an hour into the game - possibly not helped by the intervention of the square-leg umpire, a member of the Evita chorus – and the subsequent fractiousness soured the afternoon long before the rain arrived to ruin the contest.

None of which should obscure the LTCC’s gorgeously super top-order assault that saw 105 come in the first 16 overs and Sparkles’ fantabulosa five-for which was just to die for.

LTCC 210-7 34 overs
Custow 36, Wright 37
Douglas 8-1-47-0; Patel 8-0-58-2; Lyons 9-0-54-0; Cooper 9-2-39-5 Catches: d’Inverno 1, Patel 1

WCC 90 all out
Lee 17, Hogben 0, Maloney 8, M Harvey 11, Cooper 15, Patel 6, Lyons 8, J Harvey 5*, Douglas 5, d’Inverno 2.