HADDENHAM Cricket Club played their first competitive fixture on home turf for more than 10 years at the weekend - and they christened it with a superb win. Dozens of delighted spectators turned up at the village s Recreation Ground for the first time sin

HADDENHAM Cricket Club played their first competitive fixture on home turf for more than 10 years at the weekend - and they christened it with a superb win.

Dozens of delighted spectators turned up at the village's Recreation Ground for the first time since the late 1990s to see Haddenham score a superb 129-run victory over a plucky March Town IV side on their brand new pitch.

Haddenham were disbanded 13 years ago due to a lack of local interest but reformed as a nomadic team last year with a host of new players. The pitch was finally completed earlier this year and played host to its first competitive match of the decade.

The match itself was a high scoring affair as, opting to bat first, the home side racked up some 322-7 from their 40 overs, an unprecedented scoring rate of some eight-an-over. Veteran Geoff Buck led the way with a match-winning 182*. Dillon Wass also impressed with a solid knock of 62.

With plenty of runs to play with in reply, the home side could afford to set an attacking field and their endeavour was rewarded as the visitors toiled. An excellent innings of 81 from James Sheppard held up the victory party but when the stalwart was removed, the bowling attack made light work of the tail, keeping the score down to 193 at the close of the innings.