Absent friends!

Hard yards for the senior group teams as holidays and injuries begin to bite

With a number of key players missing this week through injuries and holidays the dream start to the 2024 season faltered somewhat as the last of the group’s unbeaten teams finally succumbed to defeat.

The 2nd XI’s winning run was ended by a strong Warwickshire side in what was always going to be a tough away game at Four Oaks Saints CC in Sutton Coldfield. 

Andy Haynes’ side went down fighting by just three wickets in a very low scoring game which nevertheless was only concluded in the 40th over of the second innings.

Forced to bat when winning the toss with two players still struggling with traffic on the motorway as the start loomed, the visitors were soon in trouble at 18-2 from six overs with the Warks bowlers maintaining an immaculate line and length on a helpful if somewhat slow pitch.

And wickets then fell steadily throughout the innings, with only Tom Scrase (22) and the ever consistent Steve Partington (30 not out) really batting with any authority. Chief tormentors were Russell Lowry with 3-26 from nine overs and Russell Longhorne 3-24 from nine. Oxon made only 111 and were bowled out in just 35 overs.

Game over – or so most of the home supporters thought! However, with the Warks reply at 18-2 off 6 overs (sound familiar?) it was soon very much game on – and what a battle it proved to be. 

Ian Curtis’ left arm spin first accounted for Mike Weir – well stumped by Jerry Senior – and then Graham Nelson removed the dangerous Abid Din caught by Dave Warner at mid-off.

Richard Jackson (29) and Phil Clarke (23) then steadied the ship and Warks look back on course for a routine win. However, a shooter from Robin Pykett accounted for Jackson when he looked well set and when Clarke went soon after caught in the gulley by Graham Nelson off Curtis, Oxon were not slow to grab the opportunity offered.   

First Steve Partington trapped Chris Layton in front, Jerry Senior then took a fine low catch off Pykett to remove the obdurate Longhorne and Curtis weighed in with his third wicket when he bowled Lowry. Warks at 71-7 were a long way from home with number nine Dave Rogers walking to the wicket.

However, the game swung yet again as Rogers and number eight Steve Dellow – under no time pressure – mixed stout defence with hard run singles and the odd boundary to post the 41 runs required to see the relieved hosts home by three wickets, with just four overs to spare.

For Oxon Ian Curtis showed his class with a superb spell of 3-21 from nine, well backed up by  tight spells from Steve Partington (1-16 ), Robin Pykett (2-30) and Graham Nelson (1-23). 

Next week the 2nds are at home to Leicestershire at Banbury XX CC, when a win will be imperative to keep in touch with division leaders Worcestershire and maintain the gap between themselves and third placed Warwickshire.

There was better news for the 1st XI as they sought to return to winning ways against Berkshire at Challow and Childrey CC, where they were comfortable victors by seven wickets, despite having to chase down 217 for 7 by the visitors who won the toss and chose to bat.

Berks skipper Jim Warren lead from the front with a fine 56 from just 41 balls and was well supported by Chris Garrod (28) and John Bates (28), with Bates and Warren posting 79 for the third wicket.

With the ball for Oxon, Steve Roberts returned another remarkable spell conceding just 16 runs form his nine overs, while top wicket taker was off spinner Rupert Taylor with 4-63.

In reply the hosts winning total was anchored by Darryl Woods with another peerless display at the top of the order, making 88 from 87 balls in 137 minutes at the crease. He posted 77 with Nick Mormon (19) for the first wicket, 40 with Charlie Anderson (16) for the second and 78 with Paul Hemming (31 not out) for the third. Nick Edmondson (20 not out) then saw Oxon home with Hemming.

The 1sts remain top of the south east midlands division but next week have a tough away trip to Watford Town CC where they take on second placed Hertfordshire.

The 3rds made the long trip to Wembley CC to take on Middlesex shorn of a number of their regular players, including skipper Clive Ricks. However, the new faces stepped up to the plate under stand-in skipper Ajit Shah and made a decent fist of a mammoth chase after the hosts won the toss and opted to bat.

Giles Elwis (53) and Jay Villiers (59) put on 114 for the first wicket before both were bowled in quick succession by Mike Simpson who with 2-31 from nine overs was the pick of the Oxon bowlers, well backed up by David Brook’s 0-30 from nine.

However, the rest of the bowling card made for difficult reading as Chris Chunilall (48) and Peter Berg (76) piled on the runs, with the Middlesex total finally topping out at 263-3.

Undeterred the Cropredy pairing of Ralph Orchard and Adrian Beecroft set about the Oxon  chase with a nice steady start before Beecroft departed for 20 with the total on 35. Ajit Shah then joined Orchard and the pair kept the visitors very much in the hunt with a superb stand of 132 for the second wicket before Orchard retired hurt for a very gutsy 53 from 77 balls. 

Shah then went on to play a captains knock of 75 before he departed at 178. However Mike Simpson with 38 not out kept up the pressure on the Middlesex bowlers ably assisted by Chris Butcher (19) and Simon Oldfield (14 not out). However the home sides 263 was still well out of reach when the Oxon innings closed at 243 for 3.  

Despite this being their second defeat in successive games this was another fine fighting performance by the 3rds. Next week the team is at home to Berkshire at the Brasenose College ground in Oxford when, like their colleagues in the 2nd XI, a return to winning ways is essential to maintain their push to qualify for the cup rather than the plate competition.

The joint Oxs/Berks Over 70s 1st XI was away this week, when they travelled to Frocester CC in Gloucestershire, where they unfortunately ran in to two batsman in prime form and subsequently went down to a nine wicket defeat.  

Oxs/Berks won the toss and chose to bat after which the side compiled a very respectable 211 for 7 from their 45 overs.

The innings was built around two stalwarts of the Oxfordshire game, with Steve Partington opening the innings and scoring 59 from 93 balls before retiring undefeated with a lower leg injury, while batting at four, Adrian Manger rattled up a run a ball 51 before falling lbw. 

For Gloucs Graham Clarke was the pick of the bowlers with 3-40 from nine overs, well backed up by John Turton with a tight opening spell of 2-28 from nine.

However, it was the host’s batsman who really caught the eye as the home side made very light work of a 200 plus run chase, which should have been no surprise given their pedigree!

Openers John Evans and Keith Daniels are both current England Over 70s internationals and Evans is the current England captain. Both were soon into their work and scoring freely despite a very tight spell from Oxs/Berks’ own England player Trevor Spindler who only conceded 17 runs from his opening spell.

Now also missing Partington’s bowling, the remaining Oxs/Berks bowlers were unable to offer any tangible threat to the host’s opening pair until the 27th over when Evans was eventually bowled by Ian Harvey, during which time they piled up a huge opening stand of 153, of which Evans made a run a ball 92. 

Daniels then pushed on with new batsman David Collinson (25 not out), and took the hosts through to the win with seven overs to spare, eventually finishing on 78 not out.

Next week the Oxs/Berks Over 70s travel to Keynsham CC near Bristol where another tough away game awaits against Somerset.