Sat 6th July Charlbury 2nd vs Didcot 3rd

Didcot 3rd 133 (41.5 overs)

Ellie Norton 5-12

 

Charlbury 2nd 134-3 (41.2 overs)

Andy Glass 38 not out

Rob Collard 44 not out

 

Didcot won the toss and elected to bat first. Andy and debutant Craig opened the bowling for Charlbury and got them off to a good start. Both bowlers dropped into good lines and lengths early on, giving the batsmen little to work with. A couple of edges went to the boundary as the batsmen tried to break free. The fielding was backing up the great bowling with everyone throwing themselves around to stop any attempted shots. Then the batsmen thought they one thru the infield, but Robert Jenkins quickly fielded the ball and threw it in to the keepers end and the run out was completed. The two batsmen now just saw off a few overs, pushing the odd single, but really just trying to make sure no more wickets fell. Craig was bowling a magnificent spell, getting the ball to nip around off of the pitch and getting all the batsmen to play and miss. Andy too was bowling a good spell, using his variations in pace to cause the batsmen some problems. The overs ticked by and the scoring was slow, mainly down to the great bowling display. Then Charlbury got a breakthru. Craig got one batsman to playa a false shot and he hit the ball straight to Robert who took a marvellous catch. A couple of overs later and Charlbury were again in the wickets as Andy induced the edge and wicket-keeper Abi did the rest with a catch leaving Didcot 51-3. The two new batsmen set about re-building the innings, defending many good deliveries and just trying to rotate the strike when they could. After 22 overs a change in the bowling was made as Andy left the attack and Ayan entered it. Ayan was on the mark from the off, giving the batsmen nothing to work with. Craig was still bowling marvellously well and was still causing all sorts of problems as the batsmen played and missed numerous times. Then after bowling fourteen straight overs Craig finished his excellent spell and so Ellie entered the attack. Ellie made a massive impact as in her first over she found the edge and Simon took a good low catch. A couple of over slater things got even better for Charlbury. Ayan was bowling a good spell, getting the ball to move around a bit off of the pitch and when he wrapped a batsman on the pads he was given out adjudged LBW. Next ball he clean bowled the new batsman. Hat-trick ball, but it was not to be as the batsman kept the ball out. The hundred mark had been reached, but the overs were now beginning to run out and with six wickets down it would be hard to accelerate the innings very fast. Ellie was bowling a magnificent spell, getting the ball to nip around off the pitch and in the air and was causing massive problems for all the batsmen. Then Charlbury had another big over as first one batsman miss-hit one off of Ellie and Tom Eaton made sure of the catch, then before the over was out she wrapped the new batsman on the pads and he was given out LBW. Didcot were 109-8 and not a huge amount of overs left. In her next over Ellie found the edge and Abi did the rest behind the stumps. The last pair at the crease and they used up as many overs as they could by pushing the odd single and two. Finally one batsman hit out at Ellie, skied the ball and Rob took a good catch leaving Didcot 133 all out.

 

Charlbury opened the batting with Richard and Simon, but it was Didcot who got off to the better start. Both the opening bowlers dropped into a fantastic line and length and neither batsmen could get them away in the first few overs and even when they eventually did it was only for a single. Then disaster struck as Richard was wrapped on the pads and given out adjudged LBW. Tom now strode to the crease. Simon was still struggling against some tough bowling. Tom started slowly, but found a couple of early singles to get the scoreboard ticking along. Then Simon edged one and was caught meaning the captain, Andy, had to come to the crease. Both batsmen now sought to get the scoreboard moving at a quicker rate as both of them looked for the quick single and the odd two. Tom started to hit out and found a couple of boundaries thru the leg-side as the score started to move along. Didcot were still bowling well, giving little away and Charlbury were going to have to work hard if they were to win the game. Slowly the runs started to come, but Charlbury were getting behind the required rate, albeit not much. Tom cracked another boundary. Then disaster struck as Tom was wrapped on the pads and given out LBW. Charlbury were three wickets down as Rob walked top the wicket to join his captain. Both players now just batted out a few overs, picking up a few singles. A double change in the bowling was now made as two new bowlers entered the attack. Rob hit out at one and found a boundary four and in the next over Andy did likewise as the Charlbury score started to rise. Both players ran hard for every run and tried to pressure the fielding side by looking for twos whenever they could. The fifty mark was passed and with plenty of overs left. Didcot were now getting desperate for a breakthru wicket and so the bowling was again changed from one end. Rob started to attack more finding a couple more boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving along. The scoring was still slow, but with every run scored it felt like Charlbury were taking control of the game. Another change in the bowling was made as one of the opening bowlers re-entered the attack, but Rob was ready for him. First Rob hit him for four and then at the end of the over he launched him out of the ground for six. Andy followed this up with a six of his own in the next over as Charlbury went over the hundred mark. Didcot were now desperate for a wicket to try and get back into the game. Another new bowler entered the attack, but Rob just hit him for a couple of fours as Charlbury neared their target. The game ended a couple of overs later when a single was taken and Charlbury had won by 7 wickets.

 

A great win for the seconds built on a great bowling display by all the bowlers, special mention to Ellie’s spell, and then some great batting from Andy and Rob to seal victory – well played lads and lasses.

 

Charlbury 2nd 25 points