Friday 3rd July saw the annual Alumni vs King's XI cricket match, bringing together former pupils, current students and members of the wider King's community for another enjoyable afternoon of cricket.

With glorious sunshine overhead and just a hint of breeze across the pitch, conditions were perfect for play. A fantastic number of alumni returned to represent the Alumni XI, while a couple of Old Boys generously gave their time as umpires, helping to ensure the long-standing fixture ran smoothly.

The Alumni won the toss and elected to bat first. King's made an excellent start, reducing the visitors to 16 for 3 with early wickets from Louis Carver, Flynn Campbell and Nishock Shyam. However, the Alumni rallied impressively, with Luke Mussert (58) and Harry Adams (46) putting together a crucial 115-run partnership for the fourth wicket to rebuild the innings.

The final overs saw an explosive finish as Will Cousins smashed 36 not out from just 18 balls and Joe Bottomley added 35 not out from 21 deliveries. Their partnership included eight fours and three sixes, helping the Alumni post a formidable 208 for 4 from their 30 overs.

The King's fielders worked hard throughout and were unfortunate not to claim another wicket when Jay Greaves produced a superb one-handed catch on the boundary, only to be unable to stay within the field of play.

In reply, King's lost an early wicket but recovered well thanks to an excellent partnership between James Tall (34) and Flynn Campbell (51). The pair added 88 runs, giving the home side hope of chasing down the target. Despite their efforts, regular wickets made the task increasingly difficult and King's were eventually bowled out for 135.

The Alec Weightman Memorial Trophy for Man of the Match was awarded to Flynn Campbell, whose superb 50-ball half-century, including nine boundaries, earned him the honour for the second time.

As always, a huge thank you to all the alumni who returned to take on our current King's XI. It is wonderful to see this much-loved fixture continue, bringing together past and present generations of King's cricketers in the spirit of friendly competition.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back next year for another memorable encounter.