Match Report – 3s Vs Oxford Brookes 2s (05/05/2021)
The 3rd XI got the BUCS season started yesterday against Oxford Brookes on an amazing ground with a track made for a high scoring game. The later than planned arrival meant no warmup and a quick change into the whites to get the game started. Winning the toss, Kunj decided to have a bowl first.
After an eventful first over by Archie Bates, giving the batsman a free hit on the first ball, he was warmed up to pick up some wickets, with Olly Stewart swinging the ball and attacking the batsmen’s stumps. Both the opening bowlers kept bowling a tight line forcing their openers to play rash shots. Eventually, after a dropped catch of a free hit by Joy Mukherjee, who till the end of the game didn’t realise that the catch wouldn’t have mattered, took a diving catch off Archies bowling getting the opposition skipper out early doors.
As the game progressed, Zain Khan and Joy joined the bowling attack. Zain bowling a wonderful spell dismissing the other opener and slowing down the scoring rate, till the man of the match Jacob Marquiss runs through the Oxford Brookes batting line up picking up 4 wickets along with a brilliant run out from deep in the outfield. With an amazing death bowling display, by the experienced 3rd years, Matt Alexander and Sharky restricted Brookes to just 190, you can say they had a Warwick like collapse from 170 for 3 to 190 all out. The fielding effort was terrific given it was the first game of the season but a few too many dropped catches did hurt the team. The gif below is the perfect representation of how one of the catches was dropped.
The chase was led by our social exec, James Patient looking positive trying to attack the bowler will building a steady inning with the support of Zain at the other end. The slow and steady start was brought to an abrupt stop due to a change in the weather. The lighting and hail cost the team a loss of precious overs but with the revised total set of 159, the openers began the chase once more.
A collapse after the first wicket saw the team left a difficult task of chasing down the total, the steady presence of Matt at the crease and a few small cameos by Harry Rogers, James Clarke and Archie pulled us close to the total but still not being enough to win the game. A remarkable effort by the 3s to restrict the opposition to under 200 after a tough start and posting a total of 117 in response, while batting in difficult conditions. Special mentions to Archie Bates, James Clarke, Will Hale, Zain Khan, James Patient, Olly Stewart, and Harry Rogers for making their BUCS debuts.
We will be hosting the Birmingham City Men’s 1 at Cryfield next week.