Tuesday 22nd July was the evening put aside for the annual cricket match between a side representing the staff from the International Academy Bramshill (IAB) and a side drawn from the students currently at Bramshill on the International Commanders' Programme and the International Strategic Leadership Programme. The evening was warm and sunny and a complete contrast to the 2007 match which had to be moved indoors due to continuous rain. First Class Cricket was played at Bramshill in the 1820s and, although the standard may have been a little below First Class level, there was no doubting the enthusiasm shown by both sides. The Staff won the toss and the students were asked to bat first. The rules were set at 15 overs a side and retirement when the batsman reached 25 although they could go in again if their side was all out. The success of the Student side is often measured by how many of their number come from cricket playing countries, especially the Caribbean, and this year there were quite a few! The opening batsmen were Ch. Insp. Tracy Adams (Bermuda) and ACC Rodney Adams (Turks and Caicos Islands) and they added 45 in rapid fashion before Tracy was bowled by the Head of the Academy Kurt Eyre for 23. Rodney then reached his 25 and had to retire but any chance of some sort of respite failed to materialise as Ch. Insp. Anthony Mouchette came in and hit 3 sixes before he too had to retire. The students ended their 15 overs with a score of 91 for 2 which was good but the feeling at the interval was that it was still anybody's match. The staff team's reply started promisingly with both IPA Europe Supt David I'Anson and ISLP Tutor Phil Rambert reaching double figures and Kurt Eyre batting well at the other end. At the end of the 7th over, the staff had reached 60 for 2 and victory was in sight. However, disaster then struck! Insp Robertson Rouse (Canada) came on to bowl and took three wickets in his first over with his interesting variation of overarm bowling. Two of the wickets were clean bowled and with Kurt also reaching 25 and having to retire, suddenly the writing was on the wall. Before long the scoreboard read 72 for 9 and the last hope for the staff was that, at this point, under the competition rules, Kurt could resume his innings. He and IPA Africa Supt Alison Queen managed to add a further 10 but, off the last ball of the 14th over, Alison was spectacularly run out and the match was all over with Kurt unbeaten on 31. Therefore the students won by 9 runs and maintained their hold on the Sue Roberts Trophy awarded for the match annually, their 3rd win out of 4 in the series. Can we just ask for fewer students from the Caribbean next year! It was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining evening and many thanks to all who made it possible from the IAB and Bramshill Estates and catering For the record the victorious team was Ch Insp Tracy Adams (Bermuda), ACC Rodney Adams (Turks and Caicos Islands), Supt Don Harith (Brunei), Ch Insp Anthony Mouchette (Bermuda), Asst Comm Andre Cox (St Lucia), Insp Robertson Rouse (Canada), Supt Solomon Sedumedi (Botswana), Major Khalid Al Hamdani (Oman), AIG Abdullah Chowdhury (Bangladesh), Asst Comm Quinn McCartney (Bahamas), Asst Comm Kedikilwe Dikgang (Botswana) Runners up on this occasion! Michael Beasley
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