The morning dawned clear and bright over the verdant expanse of Outwood’s cricket ground, much as a fine day at sea might promise fair winds and steady tide. The two sides—Outwood Cricket Club and the RNVR—prepared to engage in a contest worthy of admiral’s praise.

From the outset, it was clear that young Middleton was a man possessed of great resolve. With the poise of a captain taking the quarterdeck in the face of the enemy, he took guard at the crease and set about his task with the steadiness of a seasoned officer. His strokes were precise and well-timed, each boundary a well-directed broadside against the RNVR bowling. By the time he had reached his century—a full hundred runs in just 67 deliveries—there was a palpable sense among the spectators that victory might well be within Outwood’s grasp.

His partner, Crawford, held firm on 33, and then Evans came to the crease with the assured manner of a first lieutenant ready to reinforce the flagship. His sixty runs, fashioned over 77 balls, were a masterclass in patience and enterprise. The RNVR bowlers—especially the enterprising Yash Bharushali—mounted spirited resistance, taking wickets at intervals, but the home side’s innings had by then gathered a formidable momentum.

Teasdale and Baldry contributed gallantly; Kendall and Markley stood steadfast, the latter dismissed only late in the innings, having added 14 valuable runs. When the innings closed at 301 for 5 in 43.4 overs, it was as if Outwood had anchored in a strong and defensible position, ready to repel any counterattack.

The RNVR reply was, as naval tacticians might say, a bold but ultimately ill-fated sortie. Cadle fought hard, scoring 31 runs before Kendall’s cunning bowling saw him caught. Crichton was dismissed cheaply, bowled by the unyielding Zach Evans, who emerged as a true captain of the bowling attack.

Despite spirited contributions by Dale—57 runs—and Y. Bharushali’s lively 56 highlighted by four sixes, the RNVR innings began to falter under sustained pressure. Evans’s five-wicket haul turned the tide decisively in Outwood’s favour, supported ably by the steady efforts of Kendall, Burgess, and Middleton himself, who returned to claim a final wicket and seal the match.

When the last man fell for 225 runs, Outwood had secured victory by 76 runs—an outcome as satisfying as a hard-fought naval engagement won through strategy, stamina, and unyielding resolve.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the players exchanged nods of respect, the kind shared by sailors who had weathered a fierce but honourable engagement. The day’s campaign at Outwood was complete, and in the grand tradition of British sport and naval history alike, it was a triumph won through courage, skill, and steady nerves.