It’s a ton up for Simpson in the 3rds!
And the Over 60s 1st XI top the Midlands South East Group and look well set for a tilt at the title
The 1st XI became the first Oxfordshire Over 60s side to top their County Championship regional group when winning their final group game this week, while all-rounder Mike Simpson also rattled up a century for the 3rds in their win against Warwickshire.
The 1sts were away to Buckinghamshire at Buckingham Town CC and ran out comfortable winners by 76 runs but looked in more than spot of bother when Bucks won the toss and asked the visitors to bat.
Skipper Manger and Nick Morman opened in the absence of the injured Darryl Woods and both went for 0 having faced the grand total of four balls between them and with the score on 0-2 Bucks were enjoying a dream start.
But the depth of Oxon’s batting has been the team’s major strength this year and Charlie Anderson and Paul Hemming soon had things under control and moving in the right direction as they added no less than 119 for the third wicket, before Anderson fell just three runs short of a much deserved fifty.
Hemming as usual battled on and added another 35 for the fourth wicket with Nick Edmonson (20) before he too was dismissed for another fine knock of 63, which together with 22 from Rupert Taylor, should have seen Oxon well past the 200 mark but the innings fell away somewhat as Bucks fought back well to restrict Oxon to 197.
For the hosts Kevin Woodhouse and Bobby Fryer did the early damage that put Oxon on the back foot and they both turned in excellent figures of 3-29-7.3 and 1-21-9 respectively.
In reply Bucks made a steady start with Steve White again looking a real danger as he settled in and looked set for a repeat of his good knock against Oxon earlier in the season. However, opening partner Anwar Mahmood played too freely and went early bowled by Jon Woods (1-36).
Batting at three Michael Farnon again played freely and again paid the price when he was well taken by Neil Megson off the bowling of Paul Hemming with the score on 54. Then shortly afterwards the dangerous White was trapped lbw by the resurgent Ian Curtis, quickly followed by Adrian Johnson to the same Megson/ Hemming combination.
Murray Scott battled gamely for 20 as he looked to halt the slide but he succumbed to a caught and bowled from Steve Roberts, and thereafter the remaining batsman surrendered tamely to a superlative spell of left arm spin from Ian Curtis who turned in figures of 5-19 from his nine overs, to bowl out Bucks for just 121.
Next week sees the 1st XI start their series of eight second round matches which will decide the County Championship quarter finalists when they take on Sussex at Horsham CC.
The 3rds travelled to Coventry this week to take on Warwickshire at Standard CC and returned home with a fine win by 86 runs mainly thanks to a fine century by Mike Simpson.
Warks won the toss and asked Oxon to bat after which Ralph Orchard and Howard Lancaster got the innings off to its customary steady start before Orchard went for 17. That then brought in Mike Simpson alongside Lancaster, both of whom have been in prime form with the bat.
And both continued in same vein, with Lancaster accumulating steadily as Simpson played the more expansive role and began to dominate the homes sides bowling. Lancaster eventually departed for a well-made 63 as Simpson pressed on towards his hundred, finally bringing it up with two well struck fours before departing to another attempted boundary in the pursuit of more quick runs to add to the final total of 238 for 4.
In reply Warwickshire lost wickets at regular intervals and were always struggling to keep up with the required rate, mainly thanks to a good team bowling performance, with that man Simpson again at the centre of the action taking 3-14 from his nine over spell. He was well supported by Steve Wison with 2-32 from his nine and Nigel Walker with 1-26 from nine overs despite two dropped catches off his own bowling!
In the end the Warks reply petered out somewhat despite a fine battling 50 from Clive Lee and the innings closed on 148-8. leaving the visitors with a handsome 86 run win.
Not such good news from the 2nd XI this week as they went down to Worcestershire by four wickets in a low scoring affair away at Birlingham CC near Evesham.
The hosts won the toss and asked Oxon to bat after which skipper Andy Haynes and fellow opener Ivan Mulford, were making steady progress when Haynes fell lbw for 16 with the score on 39 off 10 overs.
Mulford continued his good work and was looking set when run out for 33, but the usually reliable middle order failed to fire as four batsman came and went all for single figure scores, before Steve Kelly (18) and wicketkeeper Rob Kerr (28) stopped the slide and managed to restore some respectability as the visitors eventually managed to muster 138 for 7 from their 45 overs.
For Worcs Andy Harn (2-26-9), Martin Woodward (2-9-9) and Rob Sharp 2-18-9) proved to be the undoing of Oxon’s batting.
With ball in hand however the visitors showed again what a good bowling unit they can be even when defending a low total.
Graham Nelson and Andy Slater both struck early with successful lbw appeals and Worcs were in trouble at 17-2. Rob Sharp then joined opener Peter Harler and gave the senior batsman the support he needed as they chipped away and added 52 before Sharp was again pinned in front by skipper Haynes, who followed up by dismissing Tony Consett first ball caught behind.
It looked like game on for the visitors as Worcs slid to 69-4, but at the other end Harler continued his steady progress.
Steve Kelly managed to winkle out two more home wickets, but in a tense finish – thanks to obdurate support from Ian Sadler and Graham Saint – Harler’s 79 not out from 116 balls eventually saw Worcestershire over the line.
For Oxon all the bowlers did their bit. Openers Slater and Nelson returned figures of (1-19-6) and (1-21-7) respectively, while skipper Haynes was the pick of them with (2-14-9), well supported by Steve Kelly with (2-36-8).
Despite the defeat the 2nds remain in third place in the Midlands Division and next week entertain Bucks at East and West Hendred CC in a must win game to keep them in touch with rivals Warwickshire for the second of the two places up for grabs to progress into the main Cup competition play offs.
The Over 70s Oxs/Berks 1st XI was at home this week and went down to a seven wicket defeat at the hands of Hertfordshire. The visitors won the toss and asked Oxs/Berks to bat and they immediately made the early breakthrough they were seeking when Nino Trapani went for just two with the score on three.
Derek Watts and the in-form Ian Harvey then looked as if they were repairing the damage with steady progress before a run out saw Watts depart for 21 with the score on 38. Again Harvey and new batsman Jerry Senior looked set in adding 35 before Senior went for 13, shortly followed by Harvey for 21.
With the score on 75-4 a partnership was required, instead three wickets fell for 25 runs before Adrian Manger (25), Charles Bury (11) and Nigel Walker (22) ensured respectability by adding a quick fire 65 runs in the latter overs before the innings closed with the score on 165 for 9.
For Herts the opening pair of Sandy Reynolds and Alan Hunter really turned the screw on the hosts, returning figures of 0-11 from nine and 2-16 from five, well backed up by Keith Martin (2-18-9) and Phil Waters (4-30-5).
So a good start was needed by the Oxs/Berks bowlers to get a result and Trevor Spindler and Nigel Walker did just that when sending back Dominic Ingram, David Robinson and David Spring all for one run each, with just 45 on the board. However, at the other end current England Over 70s opener Duncan Elder was busy scoring most of those runs and look ominously well set.
And so it proved as he went relentlessly on making an impressive 111 not out, well supported by Alan Hunter who made a steady 38 in an inbroken stand of 121, which saw Herts home by three wickets.
Next week the Oxs/Herts Over 70s XI are at home to Warwickshire at the University College CC ground in Oxford.