On a day where Cryfield was tormented with hail, captain Goodyear managed to find probably the only venue in Coventry that wouldn’t be affected by rain. That said, the day was to be bitterly cold with numerous (and some questionable) extra layers being worn and hand warmers out in action. The day did start brightly with the news of Bex’s drunken antics, where he decided to throw a hook combination at Kasbah’s wall. Showing good team spirit, he came to the match offering to score at least one innings, but that generosity deserted him quicker than Rooty’s scoring stint as the match ended with Bex not having picked up the pen once.
With ABG and Kabir opening, there was going to be few twos run despite having a massive boundary on one side. ABG played what is becoming known as a typical ABG innings. He was the backbone of the innings, grinding away for 44 overs for a hard fought 61. Kabir started well, enjoying some filth from the openers, however after being bogged down by a run of 9 dots Kabir’s eyes lit up as a slower ball was sent down, only for him to sky it. This left us 34-1 and we were 37-2 shortly afterwards as Rooty was caught leg before to one that nipped back. With Goodyear and ABG at the crease they looked to rotate Oxford’s first change bowlers and punish anything short. But just as Dan was starting to look comfortable he decided to give mid-on catching practice off Oxford’s off-spinner. The changing room quickly evacuated as he began throwing his kit…
Randall, very keen to get off the mark, took on a quick single second ball only for the stumps to be thrown down. The umpire giving him out despite facing in the opposite direction to the stumps, leaving us 63-4 off 22 overs. Millman, who was sitting on two ducks in his last two innings (something that Rhino was keen on reminding him), managed to break the run, although he departed for a 29 ball 4. Leaving him with an average of 1.33 so far this season, and leaving the team on 81-5.
With 20 overs remaining in the innings, the team knew we needed at least another 100 runs to post a competitive total. Kit upped the ante and hit the bowlers off their lengths, he managed to be the partner ABG had been waiting for, allowing the strike to be rotated with ease. Kit rode his luck being dropped three times on his way to a run-a-ball 29, before his luck ran out when trying to see out oxford’s off-spinner, Kit left the final ball of his 10 only to watch it cannon into his stumps. Ferdi enjoyed at quick cameo before falling to a good catch in the deep. Mihir coming in at 9 proved how wasted he was coming in that late. He manipulated the ball with ease, only registering 3 dot balls. Rhino was putting those gym sessions to good use by swinging hard. So hard in fact that his handle snapped clean in two. Kit for some reason decided to run on the pitch to collect the bat only to forget to take a replacement out with him. Now using Kit’s bat, Rhino proceeded to hit a MASSIVE six over the fence, hitting someone’s house, before being run out on the final ball of the innings.
UWMCC ended on 185-8 after 50 overs, probably a good 30 runs short.
Following a rousing team talk from the skipper, the team took the field with the intensity that would make an international side proud. Kit and Rhino opened up and bowled brilliantly; after 10 overs Oxford were on 19-1 (the former taking the wicket) having scored just the one boundary and could have quite easily been 3 or 4 down. Jake then replaced Rhino and removed the opener first ball as he spooned the ball back to him, much to Rhino’s disbelief. Mihir proved to be another inspired change as he replaced Kit at the other end and started with a wicket maiden; tossing one up, the oxford number 3 tried to hit Mihir straight over his head but a flying Kabir had other ideas as he plucked the ball out of the air to produce a stunning catch at mid-on. By this point in the game, the pitch was offering both turn and bounce, something which was being relished by the 4-spin attack. The spinners managed to keep the scoring rate down despite Mihir chucking down a pie an over. Oxford just got bogged by 35 overs of spin, never getting their run rate above 3, and were eventually bowled out in the 43rd over for 110. Highlights were Rhino and Ferdi taking three wickets a piece and Goodyear taking 3 stumping. It’s fair to say Goodyear’s mood improved drastically since his first innings’ tantrum.
It was a great win for the 1s, although the middle order crumbled, the intensity in the second innings was truly impressive, showing the meaning of death by spin!