VICTORY — AT LAST!

09/06/03: The OLCC celebrated its 400th match with a much-needed victory at home to Jordans Taverners.

On an incident-packed day at Leighton Park, John Acland-Hood battled through four rain interruptions to make 58 and help the OLs post 182-7 declared, which proved 40 runs too many for the visitors despite their gallant run chase.

Jordans Taverners - playing their first fixture at Leighton Park since the merger of former OLCC opponents Jordans and Chalfont Taverners - had won the toss on a humid morning and opted to take first use of a pitch that soon offered some help to the bowlers.

However Andrew Moss and David Bibby made a good solid start to the OLCC innings and put on 35 for the first wicket before Moss (11) departed caught and bowled by Mitchell.

There then followed a fine partnership of 48 between Bibby and John Acland-Hood, in which both players passed their own personal milestones - Bibby getting the single he needed to reach 500 runs for the club and Acland-Hood getting to the 1,000 mark once he reached 16*.

After a delay caused by Bibby hitting the match ball into the ha-ha by Old School, the pair continued to make good progress and were within 20 minutes of lunch when Bibby holed out for 39.

And there was a further blow for the OLs as Nick Wood departed for just two, having snicked a fine Mitchell delivery through to the wicket-keeper.

With the score on 96-3 after 29 overs, the first heavy storm of the day forced a slightly early interval at 1.25pm but the rain abated in time for a restart at 2.10pm.

Only two overs were possible before a further interruption but it was enough for Jordans to make another breakthrough, Jason Thomas the man dismissed by Sonnex for 13 before the covers were brought on again.

Play resumed 20 minutes later but only another four overs were possible before another cloudburst ensured a more lengthy delay and when the players went out again it was 4pm and the addition of quick runs became all-important.

Geoff Samuels (11) and Tom Gillmor (16) both played excellent cameos and Acland-Hood passed 50 for the eighth time in OLCC colours before he finally departed for a patient 58, leaving the OLs 159-7.

A final quickfire unbroken stand of 23 between Dayalan Doraisamy (16*) and Chris Straw (9*) helped the total up to 182, with Doraisamy's towering six over midwicket prompting Richard Newell Price's declaration.

After an excellent tea that featured OLCC President Graham Carter conducting the ceremonial cutting of the 400th game celebration cake, Jordans began their pursuit of the 183 target - only to be immediately rocked by a magnificent caught-and-bowled by skipper Newell Price to remove Yolland for two.

Yet the early wicket was something of a false dawn for the hosts, with Jordans enjoying a second-wicket stand of 61 despite Simon Best spinning his web at the Hall end.

And with the breakthrough proving elusive, the OLs suffered a major blow with opening bowler Samuels being struck on the foot by a fierce Anderson drive that left him unable to continue and forced brother Phil, innocently umpiring at square leg, to don the whites for a stint as a sub fielder.

It turned out to be an amazing substitution, as Samuels senior went on to claim two catches and contribute to two run-outs to help swing the game firmly back in the OLCC's favour.

After Newell Price had ended Anderson's resistance, Doraisamy picked up where he had left off against Moreton and reduced the visitors to 80-3 courtesy of Samuels' first catch of the innings.

With Doraisamy and Straw working in tandem, the wickets started to come although the visitors kept themselves up with the run rate in an exciting finale.

Samuels pulled off a magnificent run out from the deep square leg boundary and took another catch at mid-on for Doraisamy's third after wicket-keeper Wood had held on to a sharp chance for his second.

Straw grabbed two wickets at the other end and achieved another run-out with the help of Thomas, and it was a third run-out that decided the game, Samuels returning the ball to Wood to wrap up proceedings with Jordans totalling 142.

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