As the clouds drew in this week off the back of the scorching temperatures of recent weeks, there was much less cricket at Oxford Cricket Club this weekend, with one win, one defeat, and four abandonments across the six senior sides.

Starting on Saturday, with heavy rain overnight, the Men’s 4th XI local derby against Abingdon Vale was called off before 11am and abandoned without a ball bowled. Similarly, the Men’s 3rd XI outing to Little Gaddesden was also called off early, saving a long road trip for the team. At Jordan Hill, the Men’s 1st XI were due to host Gerrards Cross. Both teams arrived at the ground, but persistent rain meant play never got started and the teams split the points.

That just left the Men’s 2nd XI, who were on the road to Shipton-Under-Wychwood in their Division 2A clash in the Cherwell Cricket League. With rain on the radar, both captains were keen for a bowl, as captain Richard Musk called incorrectly, meaning openers Arthur Muir and Lee Marland were given the unenviable task of strapping on the pads.

Both batted watchfully, against tight bowling from the hosts’ Darren Gorden, whose ten overs only cost 34 runs. Muir looked in good touch, playing a classical left-handers innings, hitting several boundaries through the leg side. Marland, after being given an early life by second slip, started to get to grips with the surface, striking well through the covers in a flurry of boundaries of his own. The 82-run partnership was finally broken as Muir was well caught behind by wicket-keeper Jamie Nelson off the bowling of Gorden for a gritty 28 off 60 balls. Mahammad Sayyed joined Marland in the middle as the rain showers became more intense, forcing the players off the field, with the score at 102/1 from 22.2 overs. Play did not resume for nearly three hours, with the contest then reduced to twenty-five overs per-side, meaning Oxford only had sixteen balls left to bat. Marland and Sayyed played responsibly, knowing that their wickets were more valuable than quick runs when calculating the DLS-adjusted target for the hosts. Oxford finished on 113/1 from their 25 overs, with Marland unbeaten on 48, and Sayyed on 9.

The hosts were set a DLS-adjusted 175 to win from their 25 overs, and got off to a rapid start thanks to openers Joe Barrett and Dee Jarvis, reaching 25/0 inside the first three overs, before Barrett spooned a catch to Muir at backward point off the bowling of Rohan Hariharan to depart for 23. Musk then backed this up in the following over, removing Jarvis in the same manner, before having Arun White dismissed courtesy of a juggling catch by Marland at slip the next ball. Shipton were up against it from this point, but keeping in touch with the DLS par score. In an effort to up the ante, Nelson (13) hauled left-armer Mukul Mahesh out to cow corner, where Raj Kiran Chowdaboyina made no mistake. Mahesh then picked up another as Freddie Norridge picked out Dara Bannerman at short fine leg for an enterprising 15 from 13 balls. Calum Taylor (16) then picked out Musk at long on to leave them 79/6, as Oxford brought on the spin duo of Chowdaboyina and Muir to speed through some overs and guarantee a result, with more rain threatening. Muir picked up a caught-and-bowled, and claimed his fourth catch of the day off Chowdaboyina to bring victory closer, before Muir picked up the final two wickets, with Marland and Sayyed ensuring that all ten wickets in the innings fell to catches. Muir finished with 3/14 as Oxford ran out winners by 63 runs.

After the game, Musk praised the attitude of the team for battling through on a tough day for cricket:

“A fantastic result and team performance. After being asked to bat our openers played really well and sensibly given we knew rain would affect the game and overs available. Arthur Muir very cleverly leaving at least 10+ leg side wides rather than dispatch them to the legside bounday where they had no fielders. Having done a great job of playing tactically it gave us an excellent DLS target to defend. After a strong first two overs for Shipton in the chase, we remained calm and quickly took over control of the required run rate. Our exemplary catching meant we came home with a comprehensive win.”

Onto Sunday, and with more rain overnight, the re-arranged Women’s 2nd XI fixture against Deddington became the fourth victim of the weather for the weekend, abandoned without a ball bowled.

Back at Jordan Hill, the Women’s 1st XI were hosting Stony Stratford. Captain Genny Porter won the toss and inserted the visitors. New ball pair Imi Watts and Isla Cutler kept things remarkably tight in the Powerplay, only conceding eighteen runs from the first eight overs. Porter picked up the first wicket of the day, with Maisie Wright showing quick hands behind the sticks to compete the stumping. The spin of Emilia Bartram picked up Oxford’s second, with Wright in the game again, to reduce the visitors to 50/2. However, Eve Woolland (74) and captain Beth Talbot combined for a 111-run partnership, before the former was removed by Rosie Tubb. Stony Stratford batted on and finished their forty overs with a score of 210/3, with Talbot making an unbeaten half-century. Oxford also had to contend with a finger injury to Porter, sustained late in the innings, forcing her from the field and the remainder of the game.

In response, only Ridhi Kashyap (10) made double-figures, as the team were bundled out for 68, a loss by 142 runs.

Next week, there is a bumper schedule for the Club. The Hartwell Cup returns, as the Men’s 1st XI host Oxenford at Jordan Hill on Tuesday night. The Oxfordshire Cricket Board Women’s Hundred Competition also continues in midweek, with the Women’s 1st XI hosting Morton Mavericks at Marston Sports Ground. On Saturday, the Men’s 1st XI welcome Horspath to Jordan Hill in a local derby, while the Men’s 2nd XI travel to Witney Swifts. The Men’s 3rd XI are back at Marston Sports Ground, as Long Marston travel from Hertfordshire. The Men’s 4th XI are on the road to Faringdon & District to wrap up the Saturday action. On Sunday, the Women’s 1st XI host Morton Mavericks for the second time in seventy-two hours, welcoming them to Jordan Hill for their forty-over clash, while the Women’s 2nd XI travel to Oxford Downs as their long-format season continues.

Image courtesy of Luke Stafford.