Sat 18th Aug Charlbury vs Brackley

Charlbury 100 (34.4 overs)

 

Brackley 104 (20.1 overs)

 

Charlbury won the toss and elected to bat first. The two Toms, Harris and Nash, opened the batting. The first over was good with a couple of runs pushed before Tom Nash hammered a free hit to the boundary, smashing the ball square of the wicket. Next over things started to go wrong. Tom Harris missed one and was bowled bringing captain, Ajit to the crease. Ajit was there a couple of overs, but when he edged one the wicket-keeper took the catch and Charlbury were 9-2 off of 4 overs. Ben Sinton now walked to the wicket. Tom flicked off of his pads and the ball rolled to the boundary, just making it over the white line. Tom was looking good, defending the many good deliveries, but always on the lookout for the quick single. Ben too started confidently, pushing a couple of singles, but looking to leave anything not on the stumps. Ben flicked a ball leg-side for four and then next over Tom hit two deliveries to the boundary, both of them teasing the fielders to stop them before trickling over the line. After ten overs Charlbury had reached 33-2. After 14 overs a double change in the bowling was made and this had an immediate impact. First over from one of the new bowlers and he wrapped Tom on the pads and he was given out adjudged LBW. Josh now entered the fray. The new bowlers had both dropped into a great line and length from the off and suddenly Charlbury found runs almost impossible to score. The overs ticked by with hardly a run being scored, then disaster struck. First Ben called for a quick single, but the Brackley fielder quickly got hold of the ball threw it at the stumps and a direct hit saw Ben run out. Then two balls later Josh edges one and the wicket-keeper took the catch. Steve and Charlie were both now at the crease and had to try and rebuild the innings. After 22 overs Charlbury had reached 48-5. Charlie then smashed one back over the bowler’s head and it ran away for four. Then disaster struck as Charlie got a fine edge and the wicket-keeper took another catch. Next over Steve was wrapped on the pads and given out adjudged LBW. Tom Eaton and Matt now came to the crease. Tom was quickly off and going when he smashed his second delivery to the boundary for four. Matt too was quickly off and going when he drilled one back passed the bowler for four. A change in the bowling was now made as the first change bowler left the attack and a spinner entered it. Matt now started to attack, launching one bowler for consecutive fours. Then next over Tom smashed the spinner for four to take Charlbury to 82-7 off of 29 overs. Matt hammered another delivery for four, but two deliveries later he got an edge and the wicket-keeper took a very low down catch. Ollie now came to the crease. Tom launched another boundary off of the spinner and so the spinner was taken out of the attack and one of the opening bowlers returned. Next over Tom tried to hit out at another delivery, missed the ball and was bowled. Dean now came to the crease. Dean pushed the ball for a two before playing a lovely lofted drive back over the bowler’s head for a one bounce four, taking Charlbury to 100. Two balls later Dean tried to play the same shot again, but did not quite catch it right and a fielder got underneath it and took a catch on the boundary.

 

Charlbury were going to have to bowl well if they were to stand any chance in this game. Matt and Ollie opened the bowling. The batsmen attacked in the first couple of overs to try and put the bowlers under pressure. The outfield was quick and a couple of early shots flew to the boundary for four. Then one batsman took a big swing at one of Matt’s deliveries, skied the ball and wicket-keeper Steve got underneath the ball and took the catch. After five overs Brackley were 21-1. After seven overs Ollie came out of the attack and Charlie entered it as Charlbury continued to search for wickets. The batsman was left handed and attacked from the off, hitting a couple of early boundaries. Brackley were pushing hard and with a low total to defend Charlbury could not have too many defensive fielders. Then Charlbury grabbed their second wicket when the left hander tried to hit Charlie for six, but could only find Josh on the boundary and he took the catch. Matt was bowling really well, getting some movement off of the pitch and with his height also getting a bit of bounce. Charlie too was bowling well, getting some turn and bounce and causing a few problems for the batsmen. Just before tea Matt left the attack and Dean entered it as Charlbury desperately searched for more wickets. The players went to team with Brackley 73-2 off of 13 overs. On the resumption Charlie and Dean continued to bowl. Dean had started slowly, but was now landing the ball in good areas and getting some turn out of the pitch. Charlie too was still bowling well and the batsmen were unable to get him away for many runs, he was also making the batsmen play a few false shots. The batsmen knew they had plenty of overs in which to get the runs so just contented themselves with pushing ones and twos around. Slowly but surely the target got closer and closer and when one batsman hit Dean for a four the game was over and Brackley had won by eight wickets.

 

Charlbury 3 points