Oxfordshire County Council Staff CC at Great Tew, thirty five overs Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5238413/scorecard On another day so hot that people seem genuinely surprised that we still play cricket when it’s like this Bod CC and todays rivals, the Oxfordshire County Council Staff CC, make their numerous ways north, to Tew. Bod arrive for a 1pm start, the idea being start early, finish early and get home with a bit of the day left. Unfortunately this wasn’t picked up by the Councillors so the Bod 11 plus supporters find some shade and relax for a bit. More serious teams might have started some catching drills or got some stumps out and do some bowling, but it was too darned hot. Eventually the oppo start to appear, spurring a few of us (younger ones, it should be noted) to have a net. We played the OCCSCC for the first time last year, a strange match which managed to encompass a really bad injury, some excellent batting from both sides and some frustrating umpiring so what would this game bring? Hopefully not more of the same… The pitch is dry, but there’s more green on show than most of the games played recently, wicket looks good for batting. Gareth wins toss and does the only sensible thing, bat. Matthew and David, striding out to the crease, together again after David’s unauthorized trip to the states, with David hopefully to improve on the Holton game and Matthew to continue where he left off last weekend. Which they do. OCCSCC start with the type of canny bowling that looks like pie but turns out to be foie gras, hard to put away. Good lines and length but both Bod openers treat the good balls properly and the wide balls with disdain, the fast outfield helping the ball to the boundary. Matthew the first wicket to fall, for 36, the first to be caught out by one bowled outside the stumps that turns in on the rough and clips the outside of the stumps. A good bat though, keeping both David company and the score ticking over. James comes and then unfortunately goes, the second victim to one that cuts back in off the rough whilst the skipper gets carried away and nicked having a slog. By this time David has reached 50 and retired, Dan has come in and biffed a few and Tim does a lovely and typical Tim innings, smashing his first ball for 4, whacking a few more then getting involved in a daft run-out. Andrew, Dave B and James Riley finish off our 35 overs, taking the score up to what feels like a below par 165. Tea, savouries from Gareth, sweet stuff from Stu, scones with cream (messy), ginger and apple cakes, welcome jaffa cakes from number-one supporter Sheila. A camper van arrives just as we stop for tea, the occupants watch for a while, confused no doubt, by a bunch of cricketeers not playing cricket but lolling around eating instead. A plate of scones hopefully made them feel better. Play resumes. An opening bowling partnership of Dan and Stuart to start. A contrast in style if ever there was one. Speed, ability, run-up, carry not to mention the usual cricketing measure of good bowling, line and length. Despite all that it’s the elder of the two who makes the breakthrough, the first wicket one that keeps a bit lower than it should just outside off which the batter drags on then a nice caught behind sees of the two dangerous openers. The caught behind was particularly pleasing, a friend of Dans from league cricket, who’d been scoring big recently, nice chap as well. Gavin then takes an excellent catch off Dan’s bowling, a low ball that flew to him at point. With a low score to defend Bod need to take wickets as well as keeping the run-rate down, they’re doing both at this point but some big hitters are at the crease now. Tight bowling from Andrew, James and Gavin helps but the oppo batting is good enough to keep them in the game. Then a top edge onto the nose of one of the bats, and he retires, a door opens, not how we’d choose but still, an opportunity. Bod pick up some more wickets, a nice catch for Tim off Andrew, Dan clean bowls one, beaten for pace and Matthew picks up a wicket with a catch from Dave B. Trouble is we’d dropped a few as well, all hard chances, especially two potential caught and bowled which were hit back to the bowler at a fair lick. OCCSCC reach the target with a few overs to spare, 20 or so runs on the board for us and taking a few of our chances might have led to a different result, welcome in a season which has seen precious few victories, but it was a good game, with plenty of good cricket on show and nice friendly oppo. And an achievement to have played in such heat as well. SA
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Note from the Ed.Generally written on the night of the match after a valedictory pint. Any sparkling prose or accuracy is entirely accidental. Archives
September 2022
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