Match Report
Neither the OLCC nor opponents Jordans Taverners did quite enough to
claim a victory in an exciting finish to a stormy day at LP. After a
rain-interrupted OLCC innings, the visitors were set 215 to win. They
recovered well from the loss of two early wickets but ultimately failed
to keep up with the increasing run rate and almost allowed the OLs to
sneak in for a dramatic victory.
Getting under way shortly before noon, John Acland-Hood and Richard NP
got the OLs off to a good, solid start in the face of some tricky
bowling. The latter was run out for 25, which looked the only likely
way the partnership would be broken, but Ackers went on to make his 50
shortly before lunch. He obviously tucked in rather too eagerly at the
prandial interval as he made only a brief appearance on the resumption
before departing for 54. It was only a few more minutes before the
remaining players followed him back to the pavilion courtesy of a
prolonged thunderstorm which held up play for well over an hour.
With that time lost, haste was the watchword when the action finally
resumed: Tom Gillmor clubbed a rapid 30 that included seven fours, of
which three came off successive balls, then skipper Jason Thomas added
10 before being bowled. All this while, Tom Carter was accumulating
nicely at the other end and reached his 50 in the company of his
brother Ted. When Tom fell to the first ball of what would be the last
over before the declaration – caught on the square leg boundary for 54
– Ted took 12 runs off the remaining five and ensured that Phil Samuels
didn’t get to face a ball.
The OLCC score of 214 for five meant Jordans had a serious chase on
their hands after the tea interval, with 70 minutes plus a minimum 20
overs available to them. Fluffy ensured they got off to a bad start,
having Morton caught behind to the third ball of the innings and later
rapping Raj on the pads, leaving Umpire Trigger Houghton to do the
rest. Fluffy and Tedley then gave way to the more tempting attack of
Paul Chalmers and John Crosfield, but the former was rewarded for some
ever-improving bowling when Parsons hit one straight to Tomley at extra
cover. Sonnex and Finch then took Jordans to 138 for three, and with a
required run rate of around 6.5 things looked hopeful for the visitors.
But a double change did the trick: Pricey bowled Sonnex for 68, then
Finch for 33, before Dayalan Doraisamy removed Yolland (thanks to a
juggling catch by Tomster), Murphy and Payne (both bowled) as the
visitors struggled to keep up with the rate. Two more wickets were
needed from the final 11 balls but it was not to be and the match was
drawn with Jordans finishing on 192 for eight. CCS
