16/06/2026
Raunds Town 1XI vs Long Buckby 1XI Match Report:
Raunds Town 1XI made the trip to Long Buckby and after winning the toss, skipper Lakhan elected to bowl first, backing the side’s confidence in chasing totals this season.
Lakhan and seasonal 1XI debutant Taz took the new ball and immediately put Long Buckby under pressure. Both bowlers were economical and made scoring difficult, with Lakhan striking twice early to remove both openers and set the tone for the innings. Taz was unfortunate to finish wicketless after a disciplined spell that deserved more reward.
Long Buckby’s number three and four responded well, rebuilding the innings with a solid partnership before a bowling change brought the breakthrough Raunds needed, courtesy of Guesty. Despite creating opportunities throughout the innings, Raunds were left to rue several dropped catches that allowed Long Buckby to maintain momentum and add valuable runs. After a dominant first half with the ball, Raunds felt they had let the hosts off the hook somewhat as Long Buckby eventually posted 245-6 from their allotted overs.
In reply, Lakhan and Nigel got Raunds off to a measured start. The pair negotiated the new ball sensibly, rotating the strike well and laying a strong foundation for the chase. Nigel’s well-crafted 33 came to an end just as Raunds looked set, bringing Matt Green to the crease.
Green injected momentum into the innings with an entertaining 31, finding the boundary regularly while keeping the scoreboard ticking. His dismissal triggered a brief collapse, but vice-skipper Ollie joined the skipper to keep Raunds firmly in the hunt.
Lakhan led from the front, reaching his first century of the season and ensuring the required rate never drifted too far out of reach. His superb knock of 101 kept Raunds in contention deep into the chase before he was eventually dismissed with around 50 runs still required from the final seven overs.
As the pressure increased, Ollie continued to fight, launching huge sixes to keep hopes alive. However, wickets fell at the other end and when Ollie eventually perished attempting to force the pace, Raunds’ challenge came to an end.
Despite a tremendous effort, Raunds fell just 26 runs short in a fantastic game of cricket that was decided by the finest of margins. There were plenty of positives to take from the performance and the side can be proud of the fight shown throughout.
Man of the Match: Lakhan – 101 runs and 2 wickets.
A special shoutout to Lakhan’s sponsors: B. Trivedi & Family, M. Trivedi & Family, N & P Pandya, H Naik & Family, P.Thaker & Family. A. Gill, AJ and A. Backory.
