Sat 22nd June Charlbury 2nd vs Horspath 4th

Charlbury 2nd 236-8 (45 overs)

Richard Nash 57

Simon Smith 44

Steve Hicks 31

 

Horspath 4th 133 (29.1 overs)

Andy Glass 3-23

Mark Fitzgerald 4-34

 

Horspath won the toss and elected to field first. Richard and Simon opened the batting and got Charlbury off to a good start. The Horspath bowlers settled into a good line and length early on and Charlbury struggled to get the ball away for many runs. Richard looked scratchy early on as he did not seem able to time anything, but as the game went on he started to improve. Simon too found things tough early on, but as he started to get his eye in the runs started to come. After ten overs Richard started to click and hit a couple of boundary fours. Both batsmen ran hard for every run to ensure that the scoreboard kept on ticking over. Simon found a boundary four as Charlbury began to accelerate the innings. A double change in the bowling was made and this gave Charlbury the opportunity to attack. Richard attacked both new bowlers from the off, finding a couple more quick boundaries and with both players running quick singles the score started to increase rapidly. The fifty mark had been passed and Charlbury were heading for an opening partnership of over 100. Richard hit another couple of boundaries thru the off-side. Richard was now batting with confidence, defending the good deliveries, but also putting away anything loose. Simon too was batting well, always looking to give the more attacking Richard the strike. Richard hit another boundary four and reached a well deserved fifty. Another doubled change in the bowling was made as Horspath started to desperately search for the breakthru wicket. Finally it came when Richard miss-hit one and lobbed the ball back to the bowler and he as caught for a good 57. Tom Eaton now came to the crease. Simon hit a couple more boundaries to take the score over the hundred mark and still with plenty of overs to go. Tom started slowly, just seeing off a few deliveries before hitting a boundary. Then disaster struck as just as it seemed Simon would reach his fifty a mix-up in the calling saw him just run out for a good 44. The captain, Andy, now came to the wicket. Both players now started to try and accelerate the innings, running hard for every run. Andy hit a boundary which was followed up in the next over by Tom doing the same thing. Tom continued to hit out and this was his downfall as he skied one shot and was caught. Steve now entered the fray. Steve started slowly just seeing what the bowlers were doing before he tried to attack them. The overs were now starting to run out and so Charlbury would have to attack harder if they were to set a defendable total. Then disaster struck as first Andy miss-hit one back at a bowler and was caught. Rob now came to the crease, but was not there too long as he edged one to the wicket-keeper and was caught. Martin now came in, but was wrapped on the pads and given out adjudged LBW. Suddenly Charlbury were six wickets down as Alex came to the wicket. Alex was there for a while, but when he missed one he was bowled and Charlbury were looking in a bit of trouble. Mark now joined Steve at the crease. Steve now started to hit out and found a couple of fours before launching one out of the ground for six. Mark too hit an early boundary four as the score neared the 200 mark. A double change in the bowling was made as a new bowler entered the attack as well as one of the opening bowlers. Steve hit a couple more fours, but in trying to keep going he was caught on the boundary for an excellent 31. Abi Flory now came to the wicket. The last few overs saw both players run hard for everything, with Mark hitting a couple of fours and then Abi getting in on the act with one of her own. The running was hard, with ones turned into twos and finally Charlbury finished their innings on 236-8.

 

Charlbury now needed to bowl well if they were to win the game. Ellie and Alex opened the bowling. Horspath were a young side and so able to run lots of quick singles which is what they did to begin with. Both batsmen hit a couple of boundaries as Horspath looked to attack hard from the start. Ellie was bowling a reasonable line and length and getting the ball to move around a bit off of the pitch. Alex too as bowling well, getting the ball to swing and making both batsmen play and miss. The runs were coming quicker than Charlbury would have wanted and at this rate they would need to bowl Horspath out if they were to defend their total. Finally they got the breakthru when one batsman attacked Ellie, but hit the ball straight to Andy who gratefully took the catch. Next over and things got even better for Charlbury as Alex clean bowled the other opening batsman to leave Horspath 53-2. After 13 overs a double change in the bowling was made as Andy and Mark entered the attack. Andy dropped straight into a good line and length and made run scoring really difficult for all the batsmen. Mark too dropped into a good line and length and with his variations in flight and speed he started to make things difficult. The batsmen still ran well despite Charlbury fielding well, stopping many boundary bound shots. Andy then got the breakthru as one batsman hit the ball straight to Rob and his big hands snaffled the ball for a good catch. A couple of boundaries were hit as Horspath tried to break the shackles imposed on them, but the required rate was on the up. Charlbury were fielding really well, diving around to stop the ball and chasing down everything. The hundred mark was reached, but soon after wards Charlbury had their fourth wicket. Mark tossed one up and all the batsman could do was hit it straight back at him for an easy catch, Charlbury were slowly taking charge. One batsman was batting well, stroking the ball around for ones and twos and keeping Horspath in contention. Mark grabbed his second wicket a couple of overs later when the new batsman skied one and Andy took another good catch. Andy was bowling an excellent spell, giving the batsmen no pace to work with and keeping the ball on a good line and length. Mark too was bowling really well, getting some turn whilst also using his flight to confuse the batsmen. Then Charlbury got the big wicket. The set batsmen had a go at Mark and tried to launch him for six, but did not get all of it and the ball flew Richard’s way on the boundary, as cool as you like Richard steadied himself and then took a great catch. Now Charlbury were thru the main batsmen and with one player unable to bat only three wickets were needed for victory with plenty of overs left. Andy bowled one, the batsman had a swing and dragged his back foot out of the crease, quick as a flash Steve caught the ball and whipped the bails off for a great stumping. In the next over Mark clean bowled the next batsman to leave Horspath 132-8 and the last man in. The end came quickly as in the next over Andy clean bowled one batsman and Charlbury had won by 102 runs.

 

A great win for the seconds built on a great partnership from Richard and Simon and a good cameo from Steve, then Andy and Mark bowled brilliantly to set up victory – well played lads and lasses.

 

Charlbury 2nd 25 points