OUP at Jordan Hill, eighteen overs.
Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5251551/scorecard The consensus amongst ourselves is that OUP is our longest-running continual fixture. There is also consensus that it is one of our favourites. We’ve been on the wrong end of a fair few tonkings, have inflicted a few ourselves, and been involved in plentiful tight matches too. Not to mention a certain 107 not out that lives long in the memory. And so to this year’s instalment, a twenty over affair reduced to eighteen on account of the gloomy sky and near 6pm start. Tonight’s skipper Matthew Neely lost the toss but was asked to bat, to his great relief, having spent his day off designing batting orders for every eventuality, so long as we bat first. A welcome first game of the season for Dips saw him open the batting with the skipper, and these two – the kind of opening partnership England’s Test team could do with, if only they’d admit it – set about their business with assurance and some hard running. OUP mixed up the bowling, starting with some slower stuff, and changing it up frequently. A steady start became a productive middle period before Matthew was unceremoniously caught for 17. This brought your author to the crease, in the kind of form that would probably keep him in an England Test team opening spot. Nevertheless, Dips was going great guns, and despite his partner causing alarm with an over-eager two that thankfully saw him reprieved, made his way to a very well deserved 30 and retirement. Next in was Tim Philipson, finding form and bringing a great cheer from those on the comfortable side of the boundary. After a nick behind Dave Shorten joined Tim and a partnership formed, with young Dan Shaw replacing Tim after the bowling changed yet again. Dave and Dan added some urgency to proceedings with good placement and sharp running, and Bod were eyeing up a 130 plus score, not really knowing what par is for eighteen over games. Alas – oh, it always happens – a rather handy bowler, quick and swinging it a bit, cutters too – came on and slowed things down. James Shaw replaced the younger, and with Shorten bowled by a skiddy one Max Bulldock joined James and proceeded to run like a certain retired Jamaican sprinter. Brilliant stuff Max, and a final tally or 113 from eighteen for the Bod. We thought that was probably about par, if we field well. This being an evening game, and reduced already for light, there was no tea. Andrew Milner was inconsolable and for a brief period it looked like the match would not continue until Bodley’s garrulous gourmand had been fed. Thankfully Judit had brought apricot and coconut sponge cake, and Andrew’s belly was suitably full. So, crisis averted, onto the second innings. Given the slow burning suspicion that 113 was actually well below par, things started well, very well. Dave Shorten and Dan Shaw opened the bowling and kept things tight, whilst a close field mopped up everything the batters fired back at them. Shorten picked up the first wicket, a terrific one-handed caught and bowled that he followed up shortly after with a full-throated lbw. Whilst all this was happening the OUP skipper and opening bat had been steadily accumulating, with Bod well aware of an ability to hit big should the mood take him. Before a partnership could properly settle though, Jono Taylor, playing his second game for the Bod (of hopefully many more) picked up the other batter with a clean bowled, which he soon followed up with a fantastically athletic run out after Dave Shorten had rifled the ball back to the bowler as a second was attempted. With numbers 5 and 6 now at the crease and the tail not too far away Bod had reason to be cheerful, and with James Shaw now bowling in tandem with Matthew these most miserly of bowlers picked up a wicket each to leave the score still some way from the finishing line, and Bod sensing victory. The field pushed back, cutting off boundaries and sweeping up anything that got through the close fielders left up. James Riley and Jono in particular were throwing themselves around with wonderful abandon to put the pressure back on the batters, and the energy was inspiring the rest of the team. Max was sharp with the gloves and James Shaw took a whirling high catch from Matthew’s bowling. Good cricket. A couple of decent overs for OUP saw the score creep towards and then past 100, with some big hitting and wristy boundaries scored behind square dissecting the fielders and swinging the momentum back in the hosts favour. It was tight, tighter than a tight pair of socks that have been in the wash too long. Very tight. Eleven from the final two overs needed, and Bod take it to a final over, the skipper with the unenviable task of delivering it with five required for OUP to take the first dance. Field comes up, Matthew gallops in, dot ball. Five to go. Two runs. Bah. Two more runs – scores tied, bah! Next ball a single is scrambled, and OUP get over the line, just. As has been the case quite often this year, it’s another final over loss for Bod, but a great game, played in the right spirit and with good performances from all involved. Well played OUP. As the bar opened and any remaining cake was gobbled up, talk turned to reinstating our traditional Sunday game against OUP for next season, a move we all look forward to immensely. Not least Andrew, who is already studying the menu for tea. GJ
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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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