Try again boys!
Over 60s 2nd XI final wrecked by rain and postponed………until 2025!
The Over 60s 2nd XI’s season-defining cup final against old rivals Wales proved to be something of a damp squib when rain prevented the game going beyond tea when the two sides met at Kidderminster CC.
Wales won the toss and chose to bat on what is usually considered to something of a ‘road’ on which to bat, but Oxon still managed to make the early breakthrough when Graham Nelson had Aswani caught by Steve Kelly for six when the score was on 22.
And things were looking even better when Robin Pykett managed to sneak one through the defences of Williams bowling him for just seven when the score was 44.
However, thereafter the Welsh pairing of Murray-Williams and Powell proved to be unmoveable and proceeded to bat without further trouble for the remainder of the innings, compiling an unbroken stand of 153.
Murray-Williams made 83 not out from 140 balls and Powell 74 from 89 as Wales totalled 197 from their allotted 45 overs, a score that also reflected the tight bowling of the Oxon attack and how well supported they were by their team mates fielding.
Sadly the outcome of such a finely balanced cup final between two well matched sides will remain unresolved this season as the rain that fell during the tea interval persisted through out the rest of the afternoon and the game was eventually called off. The game will now be replayed at the beginning of the 2025 season on a date yet to be finalised.
Meanwhile, the Oxfordshire Over 70s XI were busy this week, playing the final two fixtures of their South West Friendly League matches by playing Worcestershire on both Monday and Thursday!
On Monday the two teams locked horns at Shipton under Wychwood CC and in a somewhat one-sided affair the visitors ran out winners by six wickets, after winning the toss and inserting their hosts.
And the die was cast early when Oxon lost both openers with only two on the board. Jerry Senior was first to go when he was lbw to Paul Thompson for nought and he was quickly followed by Tim Gush for a single – again trapped in front by the same bowler.
Nick Warry and Jim Head looked set when both getting into double figures, but Warry departed with the score on 26 when he was caught by Glyn Thomas off the bowling of Dave French for 13 and Head went lbw to Martin Woodward for 14 with only four more runs added.
And from there it went from bad to worse when in quick succession Roger Hutchence, Errol Masters, Howard Voisey, Dave Beck, Steve Wilson and Suresh Patel all went in quick succession for scores of ten or less, leaving Colin Houseman not out on seven, with the total a disappointing 70 all out from 40 overs.
For Worcestershire Martin Woodward returned the extraordinary figures of eight overs, three maidens, 5 for 6! Paul Thompson, Glyn Thomas and Joe Davis also all returned excellent supporting spells with economy rates of two an over or less.
In reply the visitors made fairly light work of the chase, but not before left arm seamer Colin Houseman had given the visitors a glimmer of hope when he removed both openers. Colin Hobbs was caught by keeper Jim Head for 19, while Richard Fisher was bowled for seven just four runs later, immediately followed by Richard Brown for nought.
However, Joe Davis held firm on 27 not out – despite losing Paul Lippitt for 9, bowled by Errol Masters – and Worcestershire cantered home by six wickets in the 24th over.
Two days later it was pretty much roles reversed when Oxfordshire travelled to the picturesque Eastnor CC, near Ledbury, where again it was the away side that triumphed, this time by a comfortable 74 runs.
Acting Oxon skipper Peter Howe won the toss and elected to bat, but it was the hosts that struck the first blow when Derek Watts was bowled by Paul Thompson for just seven with the score on 10.
However the new pairing of Ajit Shah and Pete Burrows soon settled in and had the scoreboard ticking over nicely without looking in any real trouble.
So it was something of a surprise when the usually prolific Shah was bowled for 39 by Ian Roberts instead of kicking on to another big score. Nevertheless with Burrows looking particularly fluent the two had posted an excellent stand of 115 for the second wicket in 26 overs.
And he continued to dominate the scoring as he went on to complete an excellent century finishing on 106 not out off 100 balls in a two hour stay at the crease, which left Oxon on 173 for 3 from their 40 overs.
The consistent Paul Thompson was the pick of the Worcestershire bowlers with the remarkable figures of nine overs, three maidens, 1 for 9.
In reply Worcestershire were soon in trouble as their top order was blown away by Ajit Shah and Alan Weaver – as ever – well supported by Nigel Walker who effectively dried up one end by bowling his eight overs for just 10 runs.
At the other end Shah struck early by removing Colin Hobbs, bowled for just a single in the fourth over, followed next ball by Joe Davis – this time caught and bowled, with the score on just three in the fourth over.
Alan Weaver then weighed in with the next two wickets when he bowled Richard Fisher for six in the 10th over with the score on eight, soon followed by Ian Roberts – again bowled – for three in the 14th over with the score on 15, while Paul Lippitt departed not long afterwards for eight with the total a worrying 19 for 5, this time thanks to a catch by keeper Peter Howe off the bowling of Hugo Ritson-Thomas.
Tony Price and Glyn Thomas then launched something of a fightback when they posted 40 for the sixth wicket. Price battled hard for 12 runs off 34 balls, while Thomas struck the ball nicely for a fluent 23 from 28 balls before Price was caught by Ritson-Thomas off Howard Voisey, soon followed by Thomas, lbw to Voisey, with the total on 71-6.
Two more quick wickets fell to Voisey and Weaver before number 11 Dave French battled away for 14 from 24 balls to edge the hosts to within one run of the respectability of three figures at the end of their 40 overs.
Unsurprisingly the Oxon bowlers enjoyed their day out in the shadow of Eastnor Castle. Shah finished with 2 for 3 from four overs, Voisey 3-15 from two overs, while the pick of them – Walker included – was Weaver with 3-7 from a full complement of eight overs.