Sat 30th April Charlbury vs Radley

Charlbury 274-7 (45 overs)

Ashley Rump 196 not out

 

Radley 140 (36.2 overs)

Bimalka Liyanarachchi 3-31

 

Radley won the toss and elected to bowl first. Charlbury got off to a terrible start as Dean was bowled in the first over. Ashley strode to the wicket to join Nik and was off the mark first ball with a boundary four. The Radley bowlers had quickly dropped into a good line and length and this made it hard going in the early overs. Ashley hit another couple of boundary fours as Charlbury reached 33-1 off eight overs. Nik was doing a good job opening the batting as he just looked to stay there and take the shine off the new ball. Ashley was in an attacking mood and anything that was slightly off line was punished for runs. Ashley then launched one of the opening bowlers back over his head for six. A change in the bowling was now made as one of the opening bowlers made way for a spinner. Nik was still playing well just stroking the ball around and looking for the odd single to give Ashley the strike. Ashley was now starting to motor on and a second six brought up his fifty with the score only on 64-1. Then disaster struck as Nik lost his patience, swung hard at the ball, missed it and was bowled. Craig now strode to the crease. Radley were still bowling well and with the pitch now quite coming on scoring was not easy for most of the batsmen. Ashley was making the game look easy as he stroked ones and twos around, just to keep the scoreboard ticking over. After 16 overs Charlbury had reached 82-2 and so Radley changed their bowling around again as the other opening bowler came out of the attack. Craig missed an early delivery from the new bowler and was bowled meaning Steve arrived at the wicket. The hundred mark was brought up in the 21st over and Charlbury were now looking to push on and take complete control of the game. Ashley hit another couple of boundaries and then Steve hit one as well as the Charlbury score started to get a move on. Radley were still bowling well and were causing some problems for the batsmen. Ashley then hit another big six off the spinner as he approached his century. A boundary four in the next over took Ashley to a well deserved hundred as Charlbury reached 139-3 off 29 overs. With the overs now beginning to run out both batsmen began to run just that little bit harder and were turning ones into twos. Steve was batting really well as he pushed the ball around for singles just to give Ashley the strike, but also went hard at the ball if he was given anything loose. Then disaster struck as Steve miss-hit one and just lobbed the ball to mid-on to take an easy catch. Josh came to the crease, but was not there too long as  a good delivery early in his innings bowled him. Charlie now joined Ashley at the crease. The ball was still not coming onto the bat and all the new batsmen were finding it hard to time their shots. Radley then changed their wicket-keeper round and the keeper who started came on to bowl. Charlbury just looked to push singles around to keep the score moving along. Ashley hit out at the new bowler and launched him for a huge six and then in the next over he hit the other bowler for a big six as well. Charlie edged one and was caught by the wicket-keeper as Charlbury reached 191-6 off 38 overs. Bimalka now joined Ashley at the wicket. Ashley was now in top form and was hitting the ball wherever he pleased. One bowler now came out of the attack and one of the opening bowlers re-entered it. The two hundred mark was passed in the 41st over and Charlbury were now looking to set a defendable score. Bimalka was looking for a single off every ball to ensure Ashley got as much of the strike as he could. Bimalka missed one and was bowled. Ollie now came to the crease. Another six from Ashley saw him pass his 150and then next ball he repeated the act with another six. 228-7 off 43 overs and Ashley now just looked for the big hit. A couple of singles were taken and then Ashley hit another huge six. The last over started and Radley brought their other opening bowler on. Ollie hit a single to give Ashley the strike. Ashley then hit the next two deliveries for six. A two followed and then a boundary four. Last ball of the innings and Ashley launched the bowler out of the ground for his eleventh six of the innings as he finished on a club record 196 not out and Charlbury ended up on 274-7.

 

Radley were going to have to bat well if they were to come close in this game. Ollie and Jake opened the bowling and got Charlbury off to a reasonable start. It took a couple of overs for the bowlers to find the right length and line, but when they did they started to cause problems for the batsmen. Jake grabbed the first wicket in the fourth over when he clean bowled one batsman, leaving Radley 15-1. Ollie now began to find his length and line and with it the batsmen started to play and miss. Jake was bowling really well and all the batsmen were struggling to lay a bat on him. One batsman smashed Ollie to the boundary for four, but in trying to repeat the feat next ball he hit the ball straight to Charlie who took a good catch. After ten overs Radley were 41-2 and were going to have to push on hard if they were to get anything out of the game. Charlbury were bowling really well and the fielders were backing the bowlers up with diving stops. Jake then grabbed his second wicket of the game when one batsman played at a wide delivery and dragged it back onto his stumps. Charlbury were now in control of the game, but were still going to need to keep taking wickets so as to pick up maximum points. Ollie came out of the attack and Hasula entered it as Charlbury brought on a spinner. Hasula dropped straight into a good length and line and made run scoring very tough. In his second over Hasula got a wicket when the batsman hit the ball straight back at him softly and he took a good low catch. 54-4 off 17 overs as Bimalka now replaced Jake in the attack. In only Bimalka’s second over one batsman took a couple of steps down the wicket, swung his bat and missed the ball, quick as a flash Steve took the ball and whipped the bails off to stump him. The new batsman decided the only way to go was to attack and attack hard. He quickly clattered a couple of boundaries to get the Radley score moving along. The hard hitting batsman continued his assault on the Charlbury bowling, hitting out at anything he considered to be loose and in doing so found a couple of sixes. After 23 overs Radley had reached 93-5, but Charlbury needed to get the hard hitter out as he was staring to push the score along quickly. Hasula came out of the attack and Ollie re-entered it. The other batsman now started to hit out at a few and the Radley score continued to mount. Then Charlbury got the hard hitter when Bimalka wrapped him on the pads and he as given out LBW. In his next over Bimalka clean bowled the new batsman and Radley were seven wickets down. Then Ollie got in on the act as the batsman took a couple of steps down the wicket at him, missed the ball and before he could get back in his crease Steve threw the stumps down for his second stumping of the game. 108-8 off 30 overs and the game was nearly over. Ollie now came out of the attack and Charlie entered it. One batsman tried to hit Charlie out of the attack, but Dean caught him on the boundary and Radley were 133-9 off 35 overs. In his next over the game ended when Charlie clean bowled one batsman and Radley were 140 all out.

 

A great way to start the new season built on an absolutely fantastic innings by Ashley and then all the bowlers contributed in bowling Radley out – Well done lads.

 

Charlbury 30 points