Holton & Wheatley CC at Great Haseley, timed game. www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5106086 Another wet Saturday, another nervous check of all the weather apps the app store can offer, repeated glances at the sky, consulting the stars and asking the local farmer, and then you get up on Sunday morning to clearer skies and a favourable forecast. Never can a sport have been so maddeningly susceptible to the weather Gods and their fondness for a blustery showery just as you get your whites on after breakfast. But not today, the weather looked ok and it was to the bucolic surrounds of Great Haseley that the good ship Bodley sailed in assorted convoy to play new opposition Holton & Wheatley CC. New opponents always come with two competing emotional pulls – one that they look a great bunch and we’ll have one of those near perfect afternoons of gentle, evenly matched cricket, and the other that they’re a league team in disguise using our poor wretched souls as fodder for future glory to a soundtrack of sledging that would make an Australian wince. Which would it be? Well… On arrival at Great Haseley we were met with a view to bring a smile to anyone’s face, rolling hills and neatly tended fields as far as the eye could see. Our new opposition were friendly and welcoming, and the format explained to a Bodley’s bemused Captain – timed game, with the first innings being two and half hours, then tea, then the chasing team have one hour and twenty overs to chase down the total, with the prospect of a drawn match if there are wickets in hand in failed chase. The skipper weighed all this up, decided he couldn’t do the maths to work out the overs involved in the first innings, and so having won the toss decided to bowl and then if all went pear shaped, we could salvage a heroic draw. Team mates reacted sceptically to this news, but came round when told that batting second meant they could spend most of the innings prolonging tea. Like Andrew Milner. In an uncharacteristic display of cricket thinking, the skipper had also noted the damp wicket – a result of the sheets failing the during the overnight rain – and concluded that a collapse was quite likely should Bodley bat on what was described by one old sage as a pudding. Astute? Cowardly? Time would tell! A new-look Bodley eleven took to the field, with friend of the club Max taking the gloves, and owner of Bodley’s best ever bowling figures Thomas Marsh further bolstering our ranks. Special mention must go to Tim Philipson too, turning out with a year’s supply of tubigrip on his leg to strap up the calf he crocked the previous weekend. Bravo Tim! As Jones set the standard ring field and the sun shone through the high wispy clouds, Phil Burnett charged in to extract whatever bounce could be garnered from the green pitch. From the other end young Dan Shaw was likewise tearing in to give the Bod what is becoming our regular opening pair. The Holton & Wheatley openers were flying from the off though, thumping fours to the leg side as the bowlers found their line. But then in the fourth over Dan clean bowled the rapidly scoring Taha to put the brakes on. Over the next ten overs it was a largely family affair as James Shaw joined Dan with three wickets – just reward for a magnificent five over spell of immaculate control – and Phil picking finding the edge with a peach of a ball, cleanly taken by Max behind the stumps. Proper cricket this, we all thought, as we held our hosts at 39-5 from twelve overs. If you read Bodleian match reports often you’ll know by now that when you find yourselves ahead like this, there is invariably a twist to the tale - it is just a question of how you react to it! And so it was as a partnership took shape, the pitch dried out and the batters punished anything short or slightly wide. Bodley stalwarts Gavin Robinson and Andrew Milner both put in shifts but it was young Thomas Marsh – smooth run-up, fluid delivery and high action – that wrestled things back for Bodley as he picked a lovely lbw to leave the score at 120-6 in the twenty seventh over (about an hour to go!). Hopes of more breakthroughs were to be short lived though, as a careful partnership was assembled from anything stray and the batters grew in confidence. Bodley fielded well, bodies being flung around the field, with Tim using his non-compliant leg as an effective barrier, David Busby and James Reilly manning long off and Max collecting everything behind the stumps. By the close of the innings at 4.30pm the home team had racked up an imposing 181-6 from what turned out to be 39 overs. Now that the hard work of fielding was finished, tea could be taken. Regular readers will know that Bodley take their tea very seriously, with one member of the club taking it especially so. 1980s TV heartthrob and evergreen silver fox Nigel Havers has already been lined up to play Bodleian ragamuffin Andrew Muffin in the story of his storied life, and the real thing was tucked into his rattan lounge chair before you could say taramasalata. As team mates spread themselves out on the hard grass and took to their simple fare, a reclining Andrew carefully navigated his Levantine feast. Jumbo couscous, subtly spiced dips and spreads, bread from Oxford’s choicest bakers, and meats prepared to Roman recipes were all enjoyed in the utmost comfort with a civility our Edwardian forebears would doubtless approve. This being a warm day, and Andrew being that most exacting of diners, all of this was washed down with the finest Italian sparkling, kept pleasingly cool in a chiller. Bravo Andrew, a truly memorable tea today. To be quite honest the rest of us are getting a little jealous! Enough of all that though, we had a chase to undertake. Aspiring opening batsman Gav again strode out first drop, with Thomas completing the new partnership. With 182 to win, or a draw if we manage not to be bowled out, a good run rate was needed, as was a little luck on a pitch still showing a little low bounce as it dried out. Gav duly tonked the first ball for four and the next for two, after which all decided the game was in the bag and set about raiding the scraps of Andrew’s banquet. What we had not realised from our lofty position on the boundary, was that the bowlers were generating quite some swing at quite a good pace, and Thomas was unlucky to be the recipient of one such swinger that homed in on the stumps and deceived our new young opener. This brought James out to join Gav and though Gav fell in the next over James and new number four Max thereafter gave the wicket taker the full face of the bat and scored where they could from the other end. 4-1 from a five over spell tells you just how well that opening spell was. A change of bowler brought more opportunities, though ten overs per bowler meant you had to take your runs when you could. The partnership built quite wonderfully, with the skies clearing and the sun helping even out the devil in the pitch. A fluent James eventually fell to a good ball, nicked behind for 24 in the fourteenth over. Phil joined the energetic Max and again a partnership built, these two taking us into the final twenty overs and just about up with the required rate. Phil was unlucky to be run out – though it was a terrific bit of fielding and throw – for 21, leaving us on 91-4 with sixteen overs left and 91 to chase. So treat it like a T20 basically, definitely chaseable. Dan Shaw was now batting with his good friend Max and these two proceeded to put together a punishing partnership, running hard and striking some lovely boundaries as they pounced on anything wide and carved the leg side open. Dan was finding his range with increasing ease and had soon overtaken Max as Bodley raced towards the total. A dramatic run out with the score on 146 put a premature end to Max’s sparkling innings, an invaluable 36 runs added and plenty gained for his partner through sharp calling and running too. Thirty six needed from eight overs – skipper’s orders were to keep going for it and the by now hungry for runs Andrew walked out to take up the cause. Sadly, but also a reflection of some great second spells from the home team’s bowlers, nobody could keep Dan company and after Andrew was well caught at square leg, the skipper and James Reilly were cleaned up by what we’ll agree were unplayable deliveries. With just a couple of overs left to play the home team had restricted us to fighting for the draw, those wickets cutting the run rate right down. David Busby joined Dan and whilst runs were still being made we fell what felt agonisingly short, despite it being a deficit of 23 as the draw was indeed claimed with two wickets in hand. Dan finished on a superb 47 not out to go with his first innings wicket, whilst honourable mentions go to Thomas’s figures of 5-0-16-1 and to James Shaw for 10-4-29-3 and a quick fire 24 runs. Bodley fielded well – thank you again Tim for such a committed effort on one leg – and a close game ensured that all results were a possibility until close to the end. A huge thank you to our hosts – we couldn’t have asked for a better game or a more picturesque setting and we certainly hope this is a fixture we’ll see on the calendar for years to come. Our next match is Wednesday 1st September at Jordan Hill, against old friends OUP. No tea at this one so if you’re coming to watch please do bring Andrew something to eat. GJ.
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