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Oxfordshire Seniors Cricket - 24th July
24/07/2024Seconds and thirds stay in cup contention with important wins But it’s another rain wrecked second round away fixture for the firsts in Wales Andy Haynes’ Over 60s 2nd XI secured a vital home win this week when they notched up a three wicket victory over arch rivals Warwickshire, at Didcot CC, where the ground staff played a key role in getting the game played after heavy overnight rain put the fixture very much in doubt. The two counties are locked in a close struggle for second place in the Midlands Division of the 2nd XI County Championship. Leaders Worcestershire looked set to qualify for the main cup competition as division winners but Oxon and Warks are still disputing the vital runners up spot, with third place left to contest the Vase competition. Oxon won the toss and opted to field and the left arm opening pair of Jon Wood and Richard Cook delivered skipper Haynes the dream start he hoped for when deciding to bowl when they reduced the visitors to 11 for 3 in the eighth over. Cook struck with consecutive balls when dismissing Richard Jackson for 1 and Chris Layton for 0, and shortly afterwards Wood removed Mike Weir for 6, all three batsmen being trapped lbw. However, Phil Clarke 16 from 52 and David Rogers 11 from 27 dug in and stopped the rot before Cook struck again removing Rogers, backed up skipper Haynes who bowled Clarke. With the score on 41-5 Warks needed an innings from the experienced Russell Longhorne and he delivered when required. After losing Steve Dellow and Russell Lowery cheaply, and with the score on 46 for 7, Longhorne was joined by Kennedy Paver and the two counter attacked effectively. Longhorne completed a vital 51 from 86, before being run out, while Paver made a rapid 30 from 43, before being caught off the bowling of Wood. All of which gave Warks something bowl at with 132 for nine from 45. Unsurprisingly Wood and Cook were the pick of the home bowlers with 2-21 and 3-20 respectively, well supported by Steve Kelly 1-16 from nine and skipper Haynes 2-18 from nine In contrast to the first innings Oxon’s chase got off to a nice steady star. Skipper Haynes and John Morton posted 44 for the first wicket in 11 overs, before Haynes went for 28 and Morton for 24 with the score on 57, both dismissed by John Paton. Ajit Shah soon followed but Mickey Thomas with 31 took the score on to 92-4 leaving just 40 required before he went caught and bowled by Steve Dellow. However, Oxon then rather made a meal of getting over the line losing a further two wickets before Cook and Kelly steered them home in the 43rd over to secure the win. The result moves the 2nds up to second place in the Midlands Division and maintains their push to progress into the knock out phase of the Over 60s 2nd XI County Championship. Next week they travel to Bitteswell CC near Loughbrough with everything still to play their final group game against a Leicestershire side that have found wins hard to come by this season. Meanwhile, the Over 60s 3rd XI also clocked up another win when they beat a much improved Staffordshire side by four wickets via the DLS system when the rain intervened, leaving the hosts victorious on 144 for 6 chasing the Staffs total of 156. And like the 2ndXI’s game, the fixture was only possible thanks to the work of the Banbury CC ground staff at Ermont Road where the game took place, after very heavy overnight rain. The visitors won the toss, but it was a decision they were soon beginning to doubt when Oxon opening bowlers Anwar Pervaiz and Tim House both struck twice in their opening spells removing the top four before the score had reached 30. However, Paul Holdcroft (32), and Kevin Ryan (45) first stopped the rot and then posted a fine 50 partnership before the dangerous looking Hallcroft was well beaten in the flight and bowled by Mike Simpson, who then also removed Ryan when advancing down the pitch, well stumped by Chris Butcher. Simpson finished with his usual miserly figures from his nine over spell – in this case 2-23 – while at the other end Steve Williams wheeled away in similar fashion for 2-34 as the two spinners shut down any ambitions Staffs had to post a significant score, as they finished with 156-9 from their 45 overs. In reply Oxon made a rather stuttering start as Danny Mackintosh gave Staffs every reason to believe they could defend their modest total when he removed Jim Head, lbw for 6 and then had the inform Simon Oldfield caught and bowled for 13. And when Paul Johnson bowled last week’s centurion Simpson for just three, the hosts were looking down the barrel as Chris Butcher and Roger Hutchence looked to repair the early damage. Butcher went for 14 and was replaced by Tim House and the all-rounder – well supported by Hutchence who made 24 – soon began to pull things around with a fine knock of 39 which took Oxon close enough to their target for Chalky White and skipper Ralph Orchard to get them ahead on Duckworth Lewis when the rain intervened, delivering a much needed win by four wickets. The 3rds are now up to third place in the 3rd XI County Championship and look certain to qualify for the knock out phase of the main competition. Next week they entertain Middlesex at East and West Hendred CC when they will be looking to avenge one of their only two defeats to date. The Oxs/Berks Over 70s XI continued their winning ways this week with a very comfortable nine wicket win over the combined Staffs/Derbys Over 70s at Rolleston CC near Burton on Trent. Staffs/Derbys won the toss and elected to bat and made a good steady start against the naggingly accurate Oxs/Berks opening attack of Ian Harvey and Trevor Spindler, putting on 40 before Robert Dumelow was trapped lbw by first change Ken Fuller for a well made 30 from 68 balls. But the hoped for acceleration from the middle order never came and while Peter Parnaby (13), Keith Culverwell (22) and Ian White (23) plugged away and added useful runs they also used up a lot of strike doing so as the visitors bowling made them work hard for every single, as they eventually compiled a modest 118 all out from their 45 overs. Skipper Adrian Manger with 3-13 from seven and Chad Cudjoe with 2-11 from five delivered the best returns for Oxs/Berks, but with nearly all the attack returning economy rates of less than three runs per over, the stats for once told a clear story of a tight all round bowling performance backed up by good fielding. In pursuit of the hosts target Oxs/Berks openers Adrian Beecroft and Derek Watts made pretty light work of the chase. The two posted 110 for the first wicket, only eight short of the target in just over 23 overs. Beecroft was bowled by Phillip Maddock just three runs short of a well deserved 50, while Watts made no mistake and remained 51 not out when the winning runs were struck. Next week the Oxs/Berks Over 70s are looking to continue their current winning streak when they host to Somerset at Bradfield CC near Theale, Berkshire. Away from Over 60s and 70s County Championship matches two other Oxfordshire seniors sides were also in action this week. A mixed 60s and 70s side took on the Fossils XI – a friendly cricket team largely drawn from players from the 60s and 70s squads of Worcestershire. The game took place at Minster Lovell CC, where Tim Gush from the host club and captain for the day, won the toss and decided to bat. The Cropredy pair of Adrian Beecroft and Ralph Orchard opened the batting and looked in no real trouble in taking the score to 24 in the 10th over. However, when Beecroft departed for 11, things started to go badly wrong. First Orchard retired hurt when looking well set on 15 with the score on 28-1. Three wickets then fell for the addition of just four runs, as Jim Head, Howard Voisey and Tim Yeates all went with the score on 32. Effectively five wickets down, the rapid tumble of wickets brought together the inform Roger Hutchence and Peter Howe, who proceeded to not just arrest the slide, but launch the counter attack. Hutchence made a patient 41 with just three fours before he became the second run out of the innings, while Howe made a fine 51before retiring not out, ensuring respectability for their side with a total of 144 from their 40 overs. In reply the Fossils always looked well in control of the chase which was no surprise as last minute drop outs had shorn the hosts’ attack of almost all of their regular bowlers. Hobbs and Price added 29 for the first wicket in eight overs, when Hobbs (20) fell lbw to Norfolk (on loan from the Fossils!), who also then accounted for Price by the same manner for 16, with the score on 56 in the 17th over. However, Fossils number three Sample settled in and was soon striking the ball fluently to all parts of the ground, well supported by Morrisey who made 32 as the pair then proceeded to add 78 before Sample retired not out on 52 with the game all but won, as the Fossils cruised to victory by eight wickets. Of the Oxon bowlers Suresh Patel returned the very respectable figures of 0-22 from eight overs, well supported by Tim Gush with 0-29 from eight and Adrian Beecroft with 0-19 from five. The UK is hosting the Over 70s World Cup this summer and naturally the Aussies are ‘in town’ and keen to get some meaningful warm up games before the serious business starts on July 28th. Needless to say the Oxfordshire Seniors Group was more than happy to host them at Challow and Childrey CC with strict instructions not to play them into any kind of form! The Oxfordshire Seniors side skippered by Adrian Manger won the toss and elected to field and got off to a dream start when Charlie Anderson ran out Simon Lyon in the third over with just 14 on the board. However, Asoke Wijeratne and Phil Dresher soon repaired the damage as they posted 62 for the second wicket before Dresher was caught by Adrian Manger off the bowling of Colin Houseman. Wijeratne and skipper Kevin Lanigan then took the score past 100 in the 15th over when Witjeratne retired with 40 from 48 balls. Lanigan was then joined by keeper Murray Harrison and the two began to up the scoring rate, with Lanigan retiring on 42 from 49 balls and Harrison 40 from 53, adding 64 in the process. Graeme Wilson (22) and Vince Bulger (27) both made useful runs in the latter stages, while Ian Davis’ strokemaking also caught the eye as he made 43 from 28 before he too retired not out, to leave Oxfordshire with a mountain to climb facing a formidable chase of 275 in 45 overs, at more than six runs an over. And the reply didn’t get off to the best of starts when Derek Watts was run out by Kevin Lanigan in the fourth over with the score on 11 and only seven runs later fellow opener Adrian Beecroft was caught by Ian Davis off the bowling of Ian Southall for 3 in the tenth over with the run rate already heading in the wrong direction. New batsmen Charlie Anderson and Ajit Shah repaired the damage somewhat as they then added 70 for the third wicket with Anderson reaching his 40 and retiring in 26th over, but with the required run rate now all but 10 an over the incoming batsmen were facing a tall order. Shah battled on before he went for 29, bowled by Graeme Wilson, and Jerry Senior made just three as the pressure to score quickly began to take its toll, with the score now 98-4, as skipper Adrian Manger joined Andy Haynes at the wicket in the 30th over. Haynes was striking the ball well and the pair added 26 before Manger perished to lbw to Vince Bulger for 11. With a long way still to go the incoming batsman were having to throw the bat at everything from ball one and unsurprisingly wickets fell at regular intervals, as Peter Howe, Haynes (38) and Alan Weaver all perished in the final overs, leaving Oxon 70 runs short of the target and the Aussies comfortable winners. Aussie skipper Lanigan used no fewer than eight bowlers and ensured all got useful spells with Ian Davis the pick of them with 2-13 from five overs.
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Vacancy: County Safeguarding Manager
22/07/2024Oxfordshire Cricket are delighted to invite candidates to apply for the role of a County Safeguarding Manager.We are looking to recruit a flexible, dynamic individual who is committed to promoting safeguarding across Oxfordshire. This is an excellent opportunity to help drive, lead and shape a forward-looking safeguarding function. This role will influence and lead safeguarding operations within the county. This role will lead the development of safeguarding policies and procedures across all programmes. The post holder will lead on management of incidents reported, the investigation of these incidents, and ensuring that any learnings are actioned. This role will also lead on the development of a proactive approach to safeguarding across the county, identifying trends and patterns of incidents reported, identifying training requirements, and designing and delivering training as well as learning from best practices in other sports. This is an exciting opportunity to drive and shape a dynamic safeguarding function across the whole of Oxfordshire. The roles and responsibilities of the position can be found in the document below. How to ApplyOxfordshire Cricket are committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and all positions are subject to a safer recruitment process. Individuals must have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom and only shortlisted candidates will be notified and invited to interview. To apply for the role of County Safeguarding Manager then we would be grateful to receive completed Safer Recruitment Application Forms to Operations Director, Nick Pinhol at [email protected] by 5pm on 6th August 2024 Stage 1 Interviews are currently planned to take place on 27th of August 2024Find out moreOxfordshire-Cricket-Safer-Recruitment-Application-Form County Safeguarding Manager - Oxfordshire Cricket Role Pack
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County Men Team News V Middlesex
19/07/2024Oxfordshire Cricket are pleased to announce the twelve man squad to take on Middlesex County Cricket Club this coming Sunday 21st July 2024 in the annual National Counties Cricket Association (NCCA) showcase match at Thame Town Cricket Club. The return of the fifty over format brings changes to the Oxfordshire squad who defeated Cheshire by an innings victory in the Durant Cricket NCCA Championship earlier this week. Joe Gordon and Seb Stuart-Reckling return to the squad, as does seventeen year old pathway product and Sussex academy player, Julian Laird who has recovered fully from a finger injury. Freddie Smith will make his first white ball appearance of the season for the county in place of Jonny Cater who is unavailable for selection. Luke Hayes is also included in the white ball squad for the first time since the opening preseason fixture, having missed both the Twenty20 and 50 over campaign through injury. Notable absentees for the Oxfordshire white ball squad include Sussex CCC and Oxfordshire pathway products, Harrison Ward who has been picked up as a replacement player for the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred and Zach Lion-Cachet, who is required by his professional County for their own showcase match. Wrist Spin All-rounder Tom Hinley is also unavailable for selection as he is included in the Worcestershire CCC squad for their showcase match and Metro Bank Competition. Oxfordshire will hope that their young and highly talented squad with an average age of just over twenty will thrive in the contest against their professional counterparts in the once a year annual showcase match. Play will commence at 11:00am and members, supporters and spectators who plan to attend are politely asked to take note of the information on our website regarding admission, parking, catering and seating. Forename Surname/Initial Qualification for Oxfordshire 1 Pravdeep CHAHAL PS Age Group 2 Thomas DAVIS TE Non-qualifying 3 Dylan DRISCOLL DA Age Group 4 Joe GORDON JA School 5 Jamie HARRISON JP School 6 Luke HAYES LB Age Group 7 Julian LAIRD JJF Age Group 8 Hayden ROSSOUW HK Club 9 Freddie SMITH FEH Age Group 10 Sebastian STUART-RECKLING SH School 11 George TAIT GG Age Group 12 Henry WELCH HR Age Group The selected team listed is subject to any changes before now and Sunday morning.
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Oxfordshire to take on Middlesex in Showcase Game
16/07/2024This coming Sunday, 21th July 2024, Oxfordshire Cricket will host Middlesex County Cricket Club at Thame Town Cricket Club for the annual National Counties Cricket Association (NCCA) showcase match. The annual NCCA showcase match affords National County players the opportunity to compete against their professional counterparts in a once a year contest. Members, supporters and spectators who plan to attend are politely asked to take note of the following information ahead of time. Play will commence at 11am. Locating Thame Town Cricket Club The club address is; Thame Town Cricket Club, Church Meadow, Church Road, Thame, OX9 3AJ and the What3Words location is price.manifests.elder. Admission Entrance to the showcase fixture is free of charge. Parking at Thame Town Cricket Club Parking at the Ground will be for players, officials, staff and blue badge holders only. Accessible Parking for Visitors Members, supporters and spectators will be able access free parking at the following nearby locations; ULS Technology (United Legal Services also known as Smoove) - Situated next to Thame Town Cricket Club on Church Road will be suitable for early arrivals only. Travelodge (Sleepy Hollow) - Located on the Aylesbury Road next to CPM. A security guard will be onsite. Visitors will need to say that they are cricket spectators. The Travelodge is situated about 1/4 mile from the ground. Lord Williams Upper School front car park - Located on the Oxford Road, the ground is a 1/2 a mile walk to the ground. Travelling by Rail The nearest train station to Thame Town Cricket Club is Thame & Haddenham Parkway with buses or taxis to Thame available from there. Spectator catering Go Greek will be providing hot food all day. The Meadows bar will be open for soft drinks, alcohol, crisps, cake, coffee, tea. accepting card payments only. Seating Very limited seating is available at the ground, so members, supporters and spectators are asked to come prepared with their own chairs and seating. Live Streaming Oxfordshire Cricket will be live streaming the match for those who aren't able to attend in person. We look forward to welcoming members, supporters and spectators to Thame Town Cricket Club and express our sincere thanks to all at the hosting for staging the annual showcase match this coming weekend.
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Oxfordshire Seniors Cricket - 17th July
15/07/2024Will it ever stop raining? Four games lost to the weather but an Over 70s win stops a clean sweep by the elements! The joint Oxs/Berks Over 70s 1st XI enjoyed a much deserved win this week as the remainder of the Oxfordshire Seniors group teams enjoyed an enforced rest thanks to the weather, as this wettest of summers went from bad to worse with four out of the five scheduled games called off. Adrian Manger’s side hasn’t enjoyed the best of fortune this season running into players from the England squad in outstanding form with the bat on several occasions. However, this week at least the weather was kind to them for once, and they were always in control of their home game against Warwickshire at University College, Oxford, which they won comfortably by 55 runs. The hosts won the toss and chose to bat and Adrian Manger and Derek Watts got off to a good start and were only two runs short of a fifty run partnership in the 12th over when Watts went for 15. Manger and Ian Harvey looked in no trouble in adding a further 20 before both went in quick succession with the score on 68. However, the new pairing of Jerry Senior (46) and Colin Ainger (33) steadied the ship and then pressed on to add a decisive 78 for the fourth wicket, before Senior advanced once too often and was stumped by David Edge off the bowling of Harold Turner. Bill Munday (28) and Chad Cudjoe (18) then continued the good work and aided by a very generous 22 wides delivered by the Warks bowlers, ensured that Oxon closed on 202 for 6. For the visitors Robert Ball was the pick of the bowlers with 3-36 from his nine overs. As ever Warks - in reply - were faced with the problem of risk-free run scoring off the bowling of Oxon’s England seamer Trevor Spindler - and decided instead just to see him off and try and pick up the run rate later. Hence Spindler’s usual miserly spell of 0-19 from nine overs. Warks openers Richard Harper and David Swinburn dropped anchor somewhat and while they put together a useful opening stand of 63 it took them the best part of 21 overs. Swinburn went for 33 from 59 balls, and was soon followed by Mike Brooks for 0, as the hosts tightened the screws. Harper ground relentlessly on and eventually went for 41 off 111 balls by which time the score had only advanced to 117 for 4 in the 36th over, leaving the remaining batsman nine overs to score the 86 runs needed, which eventually proved far too much when the innings closed on 147-6 from the allotted 45 overs. For Oxon all the bowlers performed creditably with Alan Weaver the best of them with 2-24 from nine, well supported by Chad Cudjoe with 2-32 from nine and skipper Manger 1-20 from five. Next week the Oxs/Berks Over 70s go to Rolleston CC in Staffordshire, where they take on the joint Staffs/Derby Over 70s XI. Meanwhile – weather permitting - the Over 60s 1st XI make the very long journey down to Ynystawe CC near Swansea where they take on a customarily strong Wales team in the second of their eight second round matches to decide the County Championship semi-finalists. The first - another tough away fixture to their 2023 Vase Final opponents Sussex - having fallen victim to the weather last week. The 2nd XI currently sitting in third place in the Midlands qualifying group also have a big game when they take on second placed rivals Warwickshire at Didcot CC. One of either team will qualify for the main Cup competition in second place, while third place will compete in the Vase. The 3rd XI meanwhile take on a struggling Staffordshire side at Banbury XX CC, in a game they should win and from which they need to garner maximum points if they are to profit from sides above them slipping up and allowing them to further secure their position in the main Cup competition. The Oxon Over 70s 1st XI are hopefully eventually in action again next week when they take on the Fossils XI at Minster Lovell CC. Please note this game is being played on Wednesday July 17th, not on the side’s customary Monday match day of the 15th. And finally….. An Oxfordshire Seniors Group side, captained by Adrian Manger, will be playing the Australia Over 70s team at Challow and Childrey CC on Friday the 19th of July, starting at midday. The Australian team are be playing in the 2024 Over 70s World Cup which starts on Sunday the 28th July and runs through to the final on Sunday the 11th August, which will be played at the stunningly beautiful ground at Wormsley in Buckinghamshire. “The match at Challow is the Aussies first warm up match,” explained Adrian, “and we are hoping as many people as possible associated with Oxfordshire cricket will come along, enjoy a beer or two and make this a really social event. We’ve also been asked not to play them into any kind of form so it should be a good competitive game,” he added with a smile.
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Coaching and First Aid Courses Update 2024
12/07/2024Oxfordshire Cricket are delighted to announce a variety of Coaching and First Aid courses . See below for more details on course dates and links to book: Foundation Coaching Course (Level 1) - Sunday 17th and 24th November 2024 at Moulsford School - Book HERE Core Coach (Level 2) - Sundays 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th October at Dewey Sports Centre (Bloxham School) - Book HERE First Aid course - Thursday 8th August at Oxford Cricket Club, Jordan Hill at 6pm - Book HERE Which course is right for you? Foundation Courses are designed to coach softball cricket and pitched at a beginner level. You can read more about the Foundation Course HERE Core Coach courses are designed to coach hardball cricket and are suitable for players at beginner and intermediate stages of cricket. You can read more about the Core Coach course HERE Click HERE for more information on choosing the right course for you. Prerequisites for each course: 18 years of age Valid safeguarding training e.g. Safeguarding Young Cricketers Valid ECB Disclosure and Barring Service check. Bursaries available: We have a number of bursaries available (for courses booked before 31st January 2025). The bursaries are available as follows: 100% - for those in financial hardship 50% - for those coaches that are female, from ethnically diverse communities or those with a disability. You can find out more about our bursaries, and apply HERE If you would like more details about any of our upcoming coaching or First Aid courses, do not hesitate to contact Ed Wilson on [email protected].