After the wet conditions of the first few weeks of the season, it felt like the cricket season had at last got underway when Ross First XI visited Hanley Castle & Upton First XI on Saturday.

Under a cloudless blue sky Ross put in another professional and mature performance to win by 5 wickets in Division 4 of the Worcester County League. Ross have won all their matches so far this season and as they are normally stronger in the second half of the summer this augurs well for a successful campaign.

Hanley and Upton won the toss and unsurprisingly chose to bat on a firm pitch with a fast outfield. Their opening pair of R. Mathews and St Leger-Chambers got them off to a flying start with the ball flying in the air to all parts of the ground. However, this aerial 'gung-ho' approach was a little too cavalier and naïve for league cricket and Ross refused to panic, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the batsmens' luck ran out. Sure enough after galloping to 40 runs in just four overs, Mathews holed out to Michael Jeffryes at mid-off, to give Lucas Abbott the first of his two wickets.

In the next over Harry King provided the game's 'champagne moment' with a remarkable caught and bowled. Lechmere hit a full blooded drive for what he assumed was a certain four, only for King to pluck it out of the air over his left shoulder for the first of his four wickets. Lechmere left disconsolately, and was heard muttering ruefully to himself: "When I hit 'em with this bat, they usually stay hit!"

Tight bowling from Abbott, King and James Gill – supported by tidy stump work from Ed Cinderey - saw the run rate plummet before the introduction of the right arm spin of Michael Jeffryes heralded the end of St Leger-Chambers to a fine diving catch in the deep by Sebastian Warwick.

It looked like Hanley would fail to reach 100 as they were reduced to 80 for 7. However, determined and limpet-like batting from G. Mathews with plucky support from the tail, allied to a slight wilting in the heat from Ross, saw Hanley & Upton build a more respectable total. Mathews was eventually prised out on 40 by Dan Barnard and Hanley were soon all out for 166 in 45 overs.

After a satisfactory tea that rather unusually included a few butter only sandwiches with no filling, Ross sent in openers Sebastian Warwick and Jack Evans. Like Hanley, Ross too got off to a flying start with Warwick in particularly belligerent form with a flurry of powerful shots. However, unlike Hanley these were riskless runs featuring classic off and on drives that raced across the turf to the boundary.

Warwick reached a half-century in just seven overs and was unfortunate to be out for 66 playing too soon to a juicy full toss and top edging to mid-wicket.

The rapid start took the pressure off the Ross batsmen and Evans (33) and King (26) saw Ross most of the way home. It was left to David Long with a timely (21*) ably supported by the over 50 brigade - Brian Nixon (9) and David Warwick (10*) - to see Ross to a well deserved and emphatic victory in the 28th over.

After four games Ross remain unbeaten and are currently second in the League. This Saturday, Ross First XI is at home to Old Hill. Spectators are always welcome and are guaranteed an entertaining afternoon of cricket in the most beautiful of surroundings.