2nd XI Match Report
In a tense, top of the table clash, Babbs won the toss and elected to bat (top tip, tails never fails). The Kidlington openers were on their mettle and the emerald-green pitch kept uncharacteristically low. Muaz was trapped LBW in the 5th over by left-arm over Ramzam, which brought Darren in to join Tom Murray. Both found it tough to time the ball, but the mark of a good batsman is to make ugly runs when timing is hard to come by and this duo put on 40 vital runs to swing things back in Wolvercote’s favour. Tom bottom edged a pull-shot onto his stumps and Uzman fell shortly after, reducing us to 53 for 3. Darren helped Richie settle before being trapped LBW by a Wilmot slower ball. This brought man of the match Harry Trowbridge to the crease, whose 94 run partnership with iceman Rich Oliver went through the gears and returned the momentum to the Wolves. Richie found the gaps to make 57 and Harry looked like he was batting on a different wicket to everyone else and made an assured 80 from 59 balls hitting the ball to all areas of the ground and only accelerated when the Kidlington opening quicks were brought back on. This set the scene for masterblaster Amit to do his thing and smash 34 from 14 balls before being caught on the last ball of the innings to give Wolves 261 for 8. This meant that we needed to get Kidlington out for fewer than 175 to go top the table.
Kidlington came out all guns blazing and took just 16 overs to reach one hundred. However, Wolvercote kept chipping away at the wickets. First Andy Oliver cracked a leg-stump half volley from Toby like a tracer bullet straight to Amit at short midwicket where Amit took a fine catch, diving low to his left. Richard Walker then failed to live up to his name as he survived a confident caught-behind shout from everyone surrounding the bat. Fortunately Toby had him given in exactly the same fashion the very next ball. Edd Wilmott helped Kidlington rebuild until he smashed a head-high catch to Usman off a well flighted delivery from Trowbridge. With their chance of winning slipping away, Kidlington targeted the batting points landmark of 175, that would have given them parity in the league table. However, Trowbridge’s accuracy paid dividends and Muaz and Usman took two apiece, before Amit teased with 3 wides to bring Kidlington nipple-puckeringly close to their target of 175 before putting us all out of our misery and trapping the bemused Kidlington number 10 LBW for just one run. Kidlington gun batsman Sahil Kalyan (he’s made 815 runs this season) was unable to bat as he split the webbing on his hand fielding a fiercely struck off drive from Tom Murray early in the piece. Who can say what impact this had on the game and we all wish Sahil a speedy recovery. The 2’s emerged victorious from this skirmish, taking a 1 point lead in the table with one game left and all to play for! A really incredible all round performance from a remarkable group of cricketers!
Report by CB
3rd XI Match report
On a sun drenched dust bowl at Kennington, the 3’s hosted Witney Swifts. On losing the toss the 3’s took to the field, Dan Shaw (9-2-28) and Nas (9-2-33) took out the openers. First change Yusuf Rahim (5-0-14) bowled tight lines and star of the day Irfan Shah (9-5-30) ripped through the middle order and after Ajay mopped up the tail, the 3’s had a target of 150 to win.
The chase started badly with Shyju getting that ball everyone dreads in the first over-a fast, accurate yorker. Tom Ackerman was outdone by a whole team appeal for LBW that may well have been heard in Banbury (and he hit it….)
There then followed a familiar middle order performance. Everyone got starts and everyone found ways to get out against the pies that were being thrown at us.
Throughout this credit must go to Will Symington who opened and nurdled his way to 32 of 102 balls and mature innings of 29 from Irfan but despite their efforts we fell short and only reached 117 all out.
I am duty bound to mention the following:
- Ajay dropped a sitter off Matt Bird
- Shyju took a great catch at mid-on
Report by Matt Bird
4th XI Match Report
Away at BNOCC 3s, we extended our winning streak in tosses (top tip: always call heads!) and put the rampant league leaders in to bat – a decision soon vindicated when we reduced them to 72-4 after 14 overs, sending over 1000 league runs back to the pavilion in the process. Highlights were Hijrat M (48-2 off 8) detonating the skipper’s leg stump with an unplayable outswinging yorker, and a hamstrung Will T effecting a run out with a direct hit from cow corner. BNOCC’s middle order stabilised the innings and their #7 took them to a strong score of 213 with a masterful 30-ball 58, well supported by extras (43). Simon P (20-1 off 8) and Will T (30-0 off 8) bowled beautifully and were unlucky not to have more wickets to their names. Young Hugo dP backed up his debut performance from last week with some fearless bowling at the death, holding his nerve to snare 2 wickets.
Our reply got off to a stuttering start (13-2 off 6), so Ali D (stoic for 27) and Phil L (scratchy for 31) dug in for a 54-run partnership that saw the required run-rate balloon to 8, putting pressure on the remaining batsmen. Stuart R (20) and Norm R (20) kept the chase afloat with some lusty blows, but it was that lad Will T again who put a fright to the opposition with a stand-and-deliver 27 runs batting at #11. We were all out for 177 in the final over of the day, beaten but unbowed and proud, with 5th spot in the league now guaranteed.
Report by PL