HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Fords took to the pitch to do battle with the visiting British Officers Cricket Club (BOCC) on Sunday.

Led by captains Neilay Shah and Ziyad Madon, the team defended first hoping to keep BOCC to as low a score as possible. Though the team gave up 156 runs over 25 overs, the tenacity of the Fords' fielding and bowling took eight wickets before the inning was finished. Shah and Nick Trickett took three wickets each, courtesy of several diving catches by Madon and Shah, a perfectly taken edge by Jake Hazen, and hitting the stumps because of misplay on the part of the opposing batsmen. Andriy Mshanetskyy and Daniel Waranch also took a wicket each, helping to limit BOCC's run rate.

The Fords went into their inning to bat confident that the score was easily chaseable. Unfortunately, fate was not on their side. Mshanetskyy, Shah, and Ty Joplin -- all within the top four of the batting order -- combined for only 15 runs. But on the strength of a strong showing by Waranch (31 runs) and freshman newcomer David White (20 runs), the team managed to put up 103 runs without its best batsmen. Despite the loss, the Fords are improving game by game and look set to make a serious run in the upcoming festival. The squad returns to action next Saturday with a home contest at noon against Amvell Valley Cricket Club.