It was seventh heaven last week for the Hertfordshire over 60s cricket team, as they skittled Sussex for just seven runs at Abbots Langley CC.

The National Over 60 Championships South East Group league match on Tuesday July 2 faced a delayed start after the opening batsmen complained that their vision was impaired by the sun reflecting off a parked car window.

The window was soon lowered but things only got worse for Sussex, as the Herts opening bowling duo, Sandy Reynolds and Keith Martin, bowled Sussex out for a paltry seven runs in 12 overs, with the visiting side’s batters contributing scores of 0, 0, 1, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 0*.

The dismissals included four catches grappled by first slip, three bowled, a stumping, a caught and bowled, a first catch in 48 appearances for veteran Simon Gelber, and a solitary leg bye.

The Sussex innings was all over at 1.50pm, with no tea ready to devour in the interval. Herts openers Si Sampat and David Robinson knocked off the required eight runs within 1.3 overs, including two Sussex wides. After the match came to a conclusion at 2.05pm, the Herts captain Duncan Elder said: “Some players were reluctant to pay their £15 match fees, but rules are rules.”

To add another astonishing footnote to the tale, upon consulting the scorebook after play’s end it was discovered that Hertfordshire’s opening bowlers had claimed identical figures, with both Martin and Reynolds ending with 6-4-3-5.

Unsurprisingly, Sussex remain rooted to the bottom of the table with zero victories from five completed games.

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