Friday 21st July 2023 marked the highly anticipated match day between Oxford Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club - an inaugural format which saw both the OCC Women’s and Men’s teams taking on MCC. As the curtain fell on the day’s play at Jordan Hill, MCC basked in
their victories, despite valiant efforts from the hosts in some thrilling run chases. Overall, the day proved to be a huge success, and it was brilliant to see both teams supporting each other and enjoying a fantastic day of cricket.

The day began with the MCC Men’s side batting first and some early wickets from Brendon Smith and Adam Hamid saw the visitors 39-3 at the end of the fourth over. Another wicket for Hamid to dismiss opener Tong-Jones for 46, and a sharp stumping by keeper Tom Norton off
captain George Tait’s bowling looked to put the hosts in a strong position as they approached the second half of the innings. Some great fielding was on display, with Manan Parmar taking three catches, and economical bowling from Tait tied the visitors down. However, with a
partnership forming between MCC batters Hobbs and Ellis, MCC pressed on, scoring boundaries and rotating the strike well. Dylan Swanepoel picked up the wicket of Ellis in the final over to dismiss him for a well made 68 off 45 deliveries, and MCC finished their twenty overs with a score of 188-6.

The OCC Women’s team took the field next; a good start was made by opening bowlers Ellie Simpson and Felicity Rae-Welsh but they were unlucky not to pick up any wickets. Excellent spells from Emilia Bartram and Isobel Kirby slowed the visitors’ run rate down, and Martha
Iles-Pounds also bowled well. Some powerful hitting from the MCC opener Routledge, however, proved difficult to contain, and she deservedly brought up her fifty in the fourteenth over. Kirsty Gregor then took the breakthrough wicket for OCC with Eloise Porter taking a superb diving catch. This spurred OCC on, and Genny Porter claimed a wicket in the next over. A catch behind the stumps for keeper Numa Shah off Bartram’s bowling helped the hosts to apply more pressure in the field, but a last minute flurry of boundaries for MCC saw them finishing their innings with a score of 159-3, Routledge ending on an excellent 85 not out. OCC should be commended on their efforts in the field, including exceptional and agile saves on the boundary, and fantastic direct hits from Kirby and Rae-Welsh.

Following a delightful lunch break, the chase commenced for the OCC men. Despite an early wicket, Chandru Lakshminarayanan and Shiraz Hussain formed a strong partnership, with Lakshminarayanan hitting four consecutive fours and Hussain also striking the ball well. With
every crunching cover drive to the boundary and every quick single (and two and even three!) ran, the pair put 75 on the board before losing a wicket. Hussain departed to Arthur Muir in the tenth over, which saw Norton and Lakshminarayanan put on a great stand of 52, in which
Lakshminarayanan brought up his fifty in just 39 deliveries. Muir then picked up the wicket of Lakshminarayanan, but skipper Tait hit the ground running with boundaries left, right and centre, including three sixes in a row! An outstanding knock of 45 from only 15 deliveries from Tait added to the drama of the chase, with OCC clawing closer and closer to the visitors’ score. A no ball and free hit to finish the match provided further entertainment, but even with Kasim Nawaz’s best efforts to see the hosts home, OCC finished on 178-4, falling just short of MCC’s 188, and Norton finishing on a well made 29. Additional highlights of the innings include the game of bowls being played around the boundary, (which MCC fielders also enjoyed!), the DJing attempts and the popularity of the OCC bucket hat, which several legends of the club could be seen sporting.

Opening the batting for the OCC Women’s side were the Porter sisters, who got the innings underway with a flying start. A blistering boundary down the ground for Eloise in the first over set the tone for the OCC innings, and further boundaries and lightning-quick running between the wickets allowed the pair to put a fast thirty on the scoreboard. With Eloise departing for a rapid 22, Genny then seized the helm, hitting huge sixes and dispatching anything that came her way to the boundary. A couple of wickets saw Isobel Kirby forming a powerful partnership with Genny, and with their batting prowess on full display, the chase was on. There were fine shots from both batters, and the new DJ got the crowd going; the atmosphere was electric. Bringing up her fifty with a six, Genny’s knock of 56 which included scoops and ramps was remarkable. OCC then lost a couple of wickets in quick succession, but quick scoring and a couple of boundaries for Numa Shah provided the hosts with some hope. Another couple of wickets kept the MCC side in the game and OCC finished their innings on 138. Congratulations
must go to MCC bowlers Routledge (3 wickets) and Potgieter, with a brace. Thus concluded a truly phenomenal display of cricket, camaraderie and genuine sportsmanship.

Thank you to our sponsors RioMed, MCC, the catering team, umpires, scorers, the players, and everyone who came to watch or were involved in the running of the events. It was yet another enjoyable day of cricket, and everything ran so smoothly; this could not have been possible
without the support of the club. Huge thanks must also go to Rosalyn Porter, whose efforts in the organisation of the day were central to the day’s resounding success.