A seven-wicket win at Oxford Downs

On Sunday 30 June, in the wake of a disappointing days cricket at Lords against the old enemy, a hardy XI (including 3 debutants) from LNZCC set out for Abingdon on a sunny day for the annual declaration fixture from 2pm v Oxford Downs – a game we had not won in a while.

As it turned out my only job as MM was to select a good side and to win the toss, and frankly I excelled in both capacities. I had demanded of the side to contest and win those 50/50 moments and sure enough there was some early controversy when their captain tried to both toss and call in the same motion. Am I right Sunny? Having rectified that and absorbed Sunny’s data packed pitch inspection I overheard that the opposition had been bowled out for 50 the day before on the same track. So, when the head requested duly landed I had no hesitation inserting. Besides the Downs have a penchant for batting at least 10 overs more than they return so my cunning plan was simply to bowl them out. Which we duly did. Leith bowled a fairly hostile and accurate spell down the hill for 9 overs on the hoof and took a couple of wickets conceding 34. Mostly leaked through the cordon and he caught a few edges and deserved at least 2 more. JD meanwhile proved an able foil into the gentle breeze and trundled through 9 also, conceding 35.

A double change saw Bassett introduced and he duly captured a wicket with his slow left arm twirlers conceding 34 off 8. Raumati (a debutant) and McMullan’s nephew bowled 5 overs of medium pace, getting a bit of shape after trying both ends before ending up with 2-35 and a smart catch to boot. Tait an 18-year-old youngster and son of my local bank manager captured 5-29 off 7 with his off spin. He plays for the Banbury first X1 and Oxfordshire so was a handy recruit. There were a couple of decent catches - none better than a one hander from another debutant - Pankhurst who had spent the afternoon floating around the mid-off region. All out for 168 off 38, their captain insisted on an international 30-minute interval rather than the customary 20 minutes, conscious no doubt that a par score would have been north of 200.

Having enjoyed their tea, Khanbhai and Lambie opened our reply having earlier shared the keeping (spilling no more than 3 or 4 regulation chances between them). They quickly made amends and in Roy and Bairstow style plundered 124 runs before Khanbhai departed with 73 to his name, and a couple of proud parents looking on from the pavilion. As is often the way, if you get one you get 2 and Lambie, exhausted by his extra duties as VC and keeping for 20 odd overs, departed soon thereafter for a well-made 53. Sunny came in and Vengsarker like carried his bat for a crisp and learned 11. Burdon attempting to finish the match in the over because he had a dinner party to attend chimed in with a well struck and rapid fire 17 before being completely castled. Pankhurst sporting a fashionable thigh pad outside his creams made a very watchful 2 as the suspense built almost allowing the match to go into the final over); before falling so that Bassett had to stride out and crack his first ball for the winning single. Ultimately, we received only 29 back but Cricket and LNZ were definitely the winners.