This weekend marked the halfway mark of the senior cricket season for Oxford Cricket Club, with three wins and three losses across the five senior sides in action.

Starting on Tuesday night, the Men’s 1st XI were playing their first match of the year in the Hartwell Cup, away against Oxford Downs, after rain and concessions scuppered their previous three fixtures. Stand-in captain Julian Laird lost the toss, and Downs elected to bat first. Bowlers found it tough going in the heat, with Downs racing to 51/0 at the end of the Powerplay. Openers Barnaby Talbot-Williams and Louis Delport continued to press home the hosts’ advantage, with Delport bringing up a sparkling century from only fifty-four balls. Delport fell two balls later for 106, ending a 161-run opening stand at the end of the fifteenth over. Downs continued to accelerate, finishing on an imposing 228/4 from their 20 overs, with Talbot-Williams finishing on 80* from 46 balls. The bowling figures for Oxford did not make for pretty reading, with Laird’s 1-22 being the highlight. However, there was also a first wicket for the Club for Josh Towell, usually a wicket-keeper on a Saturday.

In reply, Oxfords top order collapsed to 30/4 by the end of the Powerplay, with Dylan Parkinson (0), Finn McKeown (1), wicket-keeper Mahammad Sayyed (14), and Laird (8) all back in the pavilion. Things went from bad to worse, as 30/4 became 42/7, before Will Clarke and Raj Kiran Chowdaboyina each made 23 to keep things respectable for the side. Oxford finished on 102/9 from their 20 overs, losing by 126 runs.

On Friday night, the Oxfordshire Cricket Board Women’s Hundred returned, with the Women’s 1st XI taking on Oxenford at Marston Sports Ground. Maisie Wright was at the helm for this one for Oxford, as the visitors won the toss and elected to bat first. Openers Hannah Webster (29) and Daisy O’Connor (19) built a solid platform, putting on fifty-seven for the first wicket. Shanna Oliver joined Webster after O’Connor was run out by Wright, and both continued to build. Late wickets for Felicity Rae-Welsh (1-5) and Nerys Garrod (1-3) swing momentum back into Oxford’s favour going into their innings, as Oxenford finished on 111/3 from their hundred balls.

Wright and Ruby Wilkie opened for Oxford, and the former immediately went on the attack, hitting twelve boundaries, while Wilkie played a supporting role. Both combined for an unbeaten hundred-run partnership, with Wright finishing on 67* from 35 balls, and Wilkie on a run-a-ball 34* as the side won by ten wickets with thirty-four balls to spare.

Onto the weekend action, and the Men’s 1st XI were taking on Datchet. With regular captain Jack Wilkins’ schedule meaning he was unable to play this away game, Julian Laird again stepped up to lead the side. Datchet won the toss and elected to bat first, and made a solid start. Brad Taylor kept up his tireless efforts from recent weeks, bowling nineteen overs on the day, while there were sixteen overs for left-armer Will Smith. There were contributions all the way down the order from Datchet, with runs for Rahim Akhtar (39), Tom Bevan (40), wicket-keeper Samand Khan (28), and a 55-ball 77 from Joe Thomas. However, the real highlight of the innings was a breathtaking 165 from 113 balls by Nick Kimber. Datchet declared on a mammoth 397/7 from fifty-three overs.

The Oxford reply saw the side fall to 40/6 by the thirteenth over, with only Finn McKeown (15) making double-figures in the top seven. Raj Kiran Chowdaboyina (34) and Taylor (19) steadied things with a 50-run partnership after McKeown’s dismissal made it 63/7. However, it was a lost cause, as the side were bowled out for 115 in the twenty-eight over to lose by 282 runs.

Back over at Jordan Hill, the Men’s 2nd XI were hosting Witney Mills. With regular captain Richard Musk away, Arthur Muir stepped in to lead the side. Mills won the toss and inserted Oxford. Muir and the returning Kasim Nawaz put on 41 before Nawaz was out for 13. Ali Shah and Muir combined for 72 before both were dismissed in quick succession for 48. Wicket-keeper Mahammad Sayyed smashed an unbeaten 92 from 79 balls, and was supported by a fine 32 from Louis Prestedge, as the side finished on 263/7 from fifty-three overs.

Mukul Mahesh (2-22) took two early wickets, before Philip Evans (1-20), Charlie Lawn (2-24), and Jack Wilkins (1-37) got in on the act to leave the visitors. 96/6. In addition to a runout for Mahesh, Muhammad Saqib took one wicket, and Muir two to remove the tail, bowling Mills out for 120. Jamie Trudgeon was left stranded on 32* for the visitors, as Oxford won by 143 runs.

The Men’s 3rd XI made the short journey over to play Horspath. Captain Steve Hurt won the toss and chose to bowl first. Mamun Ahmed’s golden arm picked up two early wickets, while there were regular wickets for the medium-pace of Adnan Khan (2-25) and the wrist-spin of Lewis Drummond (3-28). No one from Horspath made more than twenty-five, as Ahmed came back to pick up his second five-for in as many weeks, finishing with 5-34 from another fifteen over-spell, as Horspath were dismissed for 117 in the forty-first over.

In reply, Oxford lost Hurt early for nine, and the returning Chandru Lakshminarayanan for three. Charles Gall dug in for a gritty 17 from 52 balls, while the middle order of Ben Andre (19), Nugith Jayawarna (17), and Emilia Bartram (18) all contributed as the side edged closer to their target. In keeping with their run chases in recent weeks, they let the opposition back into the game with a late wobble, as 82/4 became 91/7. A run-a-ball 17 from Arshad Siddiq and assured batting from Drummond (7*) and Ahmed (5*) saw the side over the line in the thirty-ninth over to win by two wickets.

Hurt was pleased that the team secured another hard-fought victory:

“Another great performance with the ball at Horspath for the 3s. Tight bowling and fielding kept the pressure on and Mamun put in another great shift, well-supported by Lewis. We made hard work of the chase but Arshad took the positive option towards the end to help get us over the line.”

Finally, the Men’s 4th XI were at Marston Sports Ground, hosting Wolvercote. Captain Richard Pye won the toss and decided to make first use of the prepared strip. Max Baldock and Krishna Katyal fell early to leave the side 10/2, but Max Cooper and wicket-keeper Arthur Stewart rebuilt. The 47-run stand was ended when Stewart was removed for 13, before Cooper fell for a creditable 41. What followed was a collapse from 62/4 to 104 all out, as Jack Beadsworth (10*) and Pye (13) were the only other batters to make it into double-figures.

In reply, Wolvercote cantered home to their target, despite two wickets each for Matty Wyatt (2-11) and Beadsworth (2-33). A half-century from Ben Madden was the standout innings, as Wolvercote reached the target in the thirty-second over to inflict a six-wicket defeat on the side.

Pye has challenged the side to build on the positives so far this season going into the second half of the campaign:

“Great season debut for Max Cooper, opening the batting with a mature 41, an innings demonstrating real composure and some lovely shots. Scoring was tough against a seasoned Wolvercote 3s team. Matty Wyatt and Max provided a stern examination for Wolvercote's top order, supported by Jack Beadsworth - Jack and Matty getting a brace of wickets each before Wolvercote 3s prevailed. Great work behind the stumps from Arthur Stewart (who was bowled by his English teacher, after a good patnership with Max). Well fought 4s, positive in the field - hopefully we can find a few more runs next week!”

Next week, the second half of the season begins. On Tuesday, the Men’s 1st XI continue their Hartwell Cup campaign against Bicester & North Oxford on Tuesday night at Jordan Hill, while on Wednesday night, the Exiles XI take on Abingdon Vale at Marston Sports Ground in a T20 friendly. Onto the weekend, and the Men’s 1st XI travel to Stoke Green, while the Men’s 2nd XI host East Oxford at Jordan Hill. The Men’s 3rd XI are back at Marston Sports Ground, taking on Bledlow Ridge, and the Men’s 4th XI are on the road to Marcham. On Sunday, the Women’s 1st XI return to league action, travelling to Falkland, while the Women’s 2nd XI are hosting Oxenford at Jordan Hill.