25 May 1969 v Repton Pilgrims

Eight of the side who played at Malvern were in the side for the first match of 1969. Clive Williams, Mark Faber and George Meyrick came in for Daniels, Christie and Cottenham, and Repton came to Agar’s for the first round, as did a Daily Telegraph correspondent. He duly reported on a very convincing, if slightly unexpected victory. ‘The turn up for the book was Repton’s defeat at Eton. Repton are the side most feared, the ‘Yorkshire’ among Old Boys, so to speak, but they succumbed emphatically, having made the tactical error of putting Eton Ramblers in. W.G. used to say, did he not, that you should think about it sometimes but do it never. Eton’s response was to put the 100 up in the first 20 of their possible 55 overs, chiefly thanks to a brisk 50 from M.V.C. Williams, the young joint Headmaster of Ashdown House’. Michael de Grey hit well before he ran out of partners and then took four cheap wickets in a convincing victory.