MALVERN College 1st XI continued their recent run of good form with an emphatic eight wicket win against Rugby School last Saturday largely thanks to an unbeaten century by Ben Edkins.

MALVERN COLLEGE v RUGBY SCHOOL

Malvern batsmen have been through a bit of a purple patch recently and Edkins, determined not to be upstaged, provided an innings of great power and brilliance in scoring 101no to put Rugby to the sword.

Earlier, Malvern had had to work hard to dismiss Rugby for 191. The wicket was true and the outfield fast so the Malvern bowlers had to keep their discipline and bowl a tight line which they largely managed to do.

But the turning point in the match came with the introduction of the deceptively innocuous Matt King into the attack who fooled the Rugby batsmen with his change of pace to wrap up the innings with the astonishing figures of 4-5 runs.

The target of 192, made more difficult by the loss of two early wickets was mocked by Edkins. He strikes the ball well and he has every shot in the book and gleefully seized the 100 that was there for the taking.

That he was able to do so was in no small measure owing to the help and support he received from his partner Craig Wood who scored 63no in his usual immaculate and orderly fashion. The two strode off to deserved acclaim having put on an unbeaten stand of 168 winning the match in the end at a canter.

Rugby School 191 (G Vaughan 3-56, M King 4-5); Malvern College 192-2 (B Edkins 101 not out, C Wood 63no). Malvern won by eight wickets.