RAF men add 50 overs Inter Services title to T20 triumph with 11-run victory over Army
The RAF men's cricket team have completed a terrific 2025 season by winning the Inter Services 50 overs championship in Aldershot.
In May, the Air Force were the superior service at Lord's Cricket Ground as they lifted the T20 Inter Services trophy and after wins over the Navy and Army, they have won in the longer-form of the military game too.
In the second game of the tournament, the Army beat the Navy but couldn't hold off the RAF's title surge.
Navy v RAF
The three-day tournament kicked off with a battle between the RAF and the Navy.
The Navy won the toss and put the RAF into bat, but with Tom Shorthouse in run-scoring mood, it proved to be their downfall.
The star of the RAF's T20 triumph earlier this year delivered a brilliant century and ended up scoring 129 runs from 120 balls before he fell to James Edworthy's delivery.
It led to a terrific 261-8 final score from the innings, and the Navy would not be able to match it.
Both Jack Bell and team captain Finlay Marks failed to get into that next gear as they fell on 34, and a hat-trick of wickets from Jack Fuller meant the RAF could win by 89 runs.
Army v Navy
As losers of match one, the Senior Service looked to bounce back against the 2024 champions.
For the second straight day, Marks won the toss and, this time, he felt the Navy batting first was the call. The captain led the score with a terrific performance (89 from 86 balls) and was helped by 31 from Bell and 36 from wicketkeeper Simon Whait.
It meant a great total of 217 was the Army's target, and an exciting second innings was in store.
Not many watching will have predicted that the Navy would only get one wicket as openers Graham Wiseman and Liam Fletcher dispatched any offering from the Navy bowlers.
By the time Wiseman fell for an incredible 107, the Army had knocked off 201 runs and were close to victory.
Keddy Lesporis joined Fletcher at the crease for the final moments, and he finished on 11 runs to go alongside Fletcher's 80 as the Army won by nine wickets.
RAF v Army
It meant the final match would be winner-take-all as designed in the tournament schedule.
With two high-scoring teams, the runs would flow, and the RAF set a hefty target after being put into bat. Ross Diver (56), Ollie Rogoff (72) and Shorthouse (52) all delivered half-centuries as the Air Force ended their 50 overs with a score of 269/6.
It was a daunting challenge for the men in red, but players like Oliver Cross (69), Benjamin Ringrose (27) and Jay Boynton (27) did their best to help the Army's innings.
Sadly for them, it was the earlier-than-expected exits of Wiseman, Fletcher and Lesporis that proved vital as Tom Berzins, Fuller and Luke Hansford shared the wickets across the RAF attack.
The Army's efforts took them to the final two balls of the day with two sixes needed, but Jake Benson was only able to direct Touseef Ahmad's delivery into the hands of Shorthouse, who sealed the RAF's win by 11 runs.
It marks a sensational year for the RAF, which will celebrate the double until next year's Lord's event.
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