Sat May 21st Match Drawn
Players
Match report
What a great day at the cricket.
Sun shining, full complement of Grannies*, and the toss won, ADM and Scotty strode out to bat like men who have just escaped their wife’s landmark birthday celebration to play sport with other men to whom they are not married / related, which in Scotty’s case, was true. Early exchanges with the Demijohns opening pair were watchful from ADM but Scotty was in the zone, and from his third ball which the scorebook records he smote for 6, he motored smoothly off towards 38 and was well set when the inevitable happened and a loopy delivery struck the pad. The first of two decisive interventions from the Demijohns ringer who was umpiring at this stage and off Scotty had to go, thinking how long it would be before he was missed from the big family lunch. Other batsmen had a go at moving things along but the innings exploded into life once Tom Penton got in – his innings gave impetus and allowed ADM to shift up gears, such that ADM brought up his 50 with a well struck six and was out shortly afterwards for a strong 67, but Penton was by then well set and motored onwards to a very decent 70. With support from Will Moffett and the Demijohns ringer, Grannies declared on 203 for 5 off 30 overs.
Quick turnaround at tea, with Xander Drury and Dan Mortlock leading the attack. A number of flashing strokes alternating between runs and near misses promised much, but the score had got up to 32 when Xander pushed one through to castle one of the openers. He then had their no 3 sharply caught at first slip by ADM – genuinely competent cricket – before going off to the outfield to recharge the batteries. After Scotty combined well with Simon Baldey to run out the other opener for 40, Alex Stone and Joss Dare applied the strangle hold. Catches were dropped and the ball fell in the gap but at last Stone had his man through the ringer’s second decisive intervention – clinging onto a huge skier which will have resulted in a quite serious fine at the end of season dinner. Joss clean bowled their number 5; Alex pinned their sixth batsman LBW and suddenly the Demijohns were 71 for 6 and the focus was on what to do with the 12 overs left.
Cue the return of the openers. Xander huffed and puffed to bring one back and trap one of the better looking batsman LBW; Dan clean bowled the static number 9, and as the fielders crowded around there was time for one last moment of magic off the last ball of the game as Joss Dare tumbled at silly mid wicket to take a one handed wundercatch which would otherwise have re-arranged his nose quite spectacularly.
Special mention to Tom’s girlfriend Sienna, who at 2pm, was slightly confused by all the rules, horrified by how long the game took and wondered why on earth she had agreed to watch; strode purposefully onto the pitch during the drinks break at 3.45pm to tell Tom to stop faffing about and take guard off 2 in order to free the arms; and was asking about subs for next year at 7pm.
Great fun, great game and hopefully more of that before the season is out. You all know where the fixtures list is!
Grannies: 203 – 5 declared off 30 overs; ADM 67, Tom Penton 70
Demijohns: 118 – 9 off 32 overs; Drury 3 for 34 off 11 overs; Mortlock 2 for 25 off 8 overs; Stone 2 for 21 off 5 overs; Dare 1 for 19 off 5 overs.
* i.e. 10 players plus a lent player from the Demijohns
Match info
Also played: Tom Penton, Will Moffatt, J McGahan, Dan Mortlock
Location
St. John's College Sports Ground,
215 Woodstock Road,
Oxford,
OX2 7AD
How to get there
Travelling north on the Woodstock Rd in Oxford the turning is on the left after Frenchay Road but before Lathbury Road on the right. It is difficult to spot as it runs between two new (as of 2014) pillars and there is no sign.