3rd XI Match Report vs St Marys CC 1st XI

Match Summary: St Marys CC 148-8 (40), OGCC 150-9 (39.3) - OGCC win by 1 wicket.

The sun was shining down on the Newfound Sports Ground as the 3s travelled to St Marys, in an attempt to build on their first victory of the season vs Herriard last week, and repeat the dose of a good win at the same ground a year ago. Lightning M-Cults and Matty Hall returned to a fairly settled side, featuring John Simmonds, who impressed on his 3s Debut with a 4-bag vs Herriard. The skipper won the toss and bowled first, remembering the up & down nature of the surface from 2023, and the short boundary on one side.

Dave & Hursty took the new ball, as the St Mary’s openers started cautiously - with a slow outfield, scoring wasn’t easy, even when targeting the shorter side. Both bowlers would beat the bat on a few occasions, but couldn’t find that elusive edge. Matty Hall was introduced early into the piece and started a metronomic, unchanged spell that put the squeeze (0-23) on the oppo. John S replaced Hursty, and after a couple of loose deliveries that went to the boundary, settled into his rhythm, and seemed to challenge the batters every ball with his ‘Derek Underwood/Michael Yardy’-esque bowling, without a reward.

At 71-0 at drinks, the O’s had kept a lid on the run-rate, but hadn’t made the breakthrough - enter Cults, back from a trip to Cornwall, steamed in from the pavilion end and in typical style, flighted a delivery far too tempting for the batter to resist having a swipe at, getting the O’s their breakthrough. One brought two, as a change of ends for Simmo immediately paid dividend as their other opener who had just passed 50, chipped one to Safi at midwicket. The St Marys number 4 came and went just as quickly - attempting to hit the ball back to Radley College, skied one which was gratefully pouched by Safi, giving John his second (2-26).

The O’s kept the squeeze on, fielding well and minimising boundaries, as Cults (3-34) snaffled a caught and bowled, before taking his 3rd after some quick work behind the stumps from Greg. Dave (1-28) and Hursty (2-36) came back and picked up wickets to help the O’s gain an additional bonus point, with St Mary’s finishing on a 148/8. A great effort in the field and from the bowlers.

Skipper Nick and Henry opened up in our chase, and looked good, both getting going with boundaries through the offside. The St Marys bowling was a mixture of wayward deliveries that totted up the extras columns, and wicket taking deliveries. Henry (7) soon nicked to slip on the drive, bringing in Safi (1), who’s off stump was pegged back by the first change bowler. Netty came in and immediately counter attacked, striking three crunching boundaries down the ground. Just as the partnership was starting to flourish, Nick was stumped for 22.

Alfie & Netty built towards drinks (75-3), as the O’s were halfway to their target. The O’s unfortunately continued to lose wickets at regular intervals as Alfie (8) was out LBW, and Netty was sent packing by a worldie of a grab from the St Mary’s WK, one-handed, full-stretch, leaving the O’s on 91-5. The experienced duo of Dave R and Matty Hall steadied the ship and edged the O’s closer to the target. St Marys were seemingly a bowler short, and needed to make up the overs. Dave (15) duly indulged, and ignored the short boundary, launching a massive 6 over the long boundary, before getting bowled looking to repeat the dose, 111-6 - Nelson struck.

Nerves were heightened as Greg was caught off a waist-high no ball, however quick thinking from the cover fielder ran out Matty H (8) at the non-strikers (118-7). With 31 still required from 6 overs, Cults (9) joined the fray, and flicked a couple of lovely boundaries through the leg side, before kicking a straight one. Good running from Hursty and Greg ticked the O’s ever closer, but Hursty (3) followed Cults’ example, playing all round a straight one (that may have gone underground) and gave Safi his 3rd LBW victim of his umpiring stint. 140-9 - 9 runs required from 17 balls, 1 wicket remaining.

Enter John Simmonds, our hero with the ball last week, was needed to get us over the line. Standing tall, and in his debut innings as an O’s player, John eased nerves, crunching a boundary through the leg side. Greg (8*) was cool as a cucumber from the other end, looking assured in defence and knocked singles without taking a risk - save for the first ball of the final over, where an inside edge rolled perilously close to the stumps, but thankfully missed and allowed a scampered single. John (8*) finished the job with his second boundary.

A deserved victory for the 3s but certainly made the chase more difficult than it should have been - a great bowling and fielding performance won us the game, and contributions down the order helped get the O’s over the line, and make it 2 wins from 3. Next week, the O’s host Sherfield who sit in 4th, one place above the O’s.