Oxfordshire secured a comfortable victory against Devon by 8 wickets. Devon won the toss and elected to bat on a sunny day at E + W Hendred where the ground looked immaculate (thanks Ivan). After losing an early wicket, Devon added 50 for the 2 nd wicket in what was to be their only notable stand of the innings. Accurate bowling from all Oxfordshire’s bowlers restricted them to 141 all out (they only had 10 players as one player’s car broke down on the motorway) and the wickets were shared around. Making a welcome first appearance of the season was Steve Roberts who had the best figures of 8.5-4-16-2.

Oxfordshire’s intent with the bat was demonstrated by Darryl Woods who struck a straight 6
off the 4 th ball of the innings. He followed this with 7 fours as he made 37 off just 34 balls.
His opening partner, Andy Haynes also scored freely in compiling a score of 40. It was then
left to Mike Howat (31*) and Charlie Anderson (22*), running well between the wickets, to
see the side to victory after only 22 overs.

Oxon 50+ 2^nd XI began the 2023 season  on 3^rd May with a 3 wicket win against Notts at Radcliffe on Trent CC.

Oxon dismissed Notts for 139 in 44.0 overs, with Carl Needham taking 3 – 32.

Oxon reached the target making 140 – 7 with 4 overs to spare., Andy Thomas top scoring with 36 runs.

Oxon 50+ 2^nd XI then travelled to Cropston CC on 17^th May to play Leics who batted first and set an imposing target in scoring 274 – 3 in their 45 overs.

Oxon made a spirited reply, but ended up just short on 262 – 6 losing by 12 runs, led by Ross Buchanan (65 not out in 46 balls), Jonny Atkins (79) and Andy Cross(50 in 47 balls).

A remarkable co-incidence in the Oxon 50+ 2^nd XI next match v Herts at Aston Rowant CC on 25^th May saw both teams total runs differ by just one run from the previous match v Leics, resulting in the same result  — a 12 run defeat which ended a run of 8 consecutive wins against Herts in past seasons.

Oxon were without 4 regular bowlers as Herts ran up 275 – 5 off their 45 overs with Matt Todd taking 3 – 35.

Oxon nearly reached the target, ending with 263 all out, the 10^th wicket falling off the last ball of the innings.

Andy Cross (86 runs) and Mark Sheehan (70 runs) top scored for Oxon.

Report by Neil Harris (Scorer for Oxon 50+ 2^nd XI}

Tuesday 30 May at Great Alne CC 

Having been inserted, the hosts got off to a good start against some accurate bowling by Oxon’s openers Nigel Walker and Graham Nelson, reaching 42-1 from the first ten overs.  Accurate spells from Ran De Silva and Nick Warry pegged Warks back before two quick wickets from Hugo Ritson-Thomas left them on 99-5.  Some lusty leg-side blows in a 50 run partnership put the home side back on course and they closed on 180-7 from their 45 overs with Nelson taking 3-37 and Ritson-Thomas 3-51. 

Warwickshire’s tall opening bowler Paton found some steep bounce and his three early wickets left Oxon reeling at 9-3.  Derek Watts and Chris Butcher shared a stand of 59 before both were out in consecutive overs leaving the visitors 68-5 at the halfway point.  Graham Nelson shared two 40 run partnerships with Hugo Ritson-Thomas and Ran De Silva before a run-out left Oxon needing 17 to win from the last four overs with the last pair at the wicket.  The 42nd over was a maiden, adding to the tension, and the final over started with four needed and last man Nigel Walker facing.  He lofted the first ball into the leg-side and his watching teammates assumed he would take a single and leave Graham Nelson on strike.  But no!  Nigel scampered a second run and took the responsibility of hitting the winning runs which he did off the third ball to leave Oxfordshire victors by 1 wicket with half an over to spare.   

An excellent team effort ensured a nail-biting finish and keep Oxon in second place in the table; they host leaders Wales at East & West Hendred CC next Tuesday. 

Two days at Lord’s in the same week in one year was an experience not to be forgotten in 2022, with last year’s U13 and U15 teams finishing 2nd and 4th. This year’s teams progressed through both county and regional rounds undefeated, so once again we were at Lord’s for back to back days at the ECB Indoor Cricket National Finals. 

Day 1 Tuesday 23 May U13 Finals

Our U13 team was joined by Ashford, Sedbergh, Ipswich and The Island Free schools, who had made it through from an original field of around 900 entries. It was a day full of high standard cricket, massive ups and downs, tense moments, but smiles, enjoyment and a true feeling of team spirit and togetherness. 

Game 1 saw us playing Ashford, in a game which turned out to be between the top two teams: SHSK setting 94 to win and Ashford falling just two short in a nervous finish. Game 2 was a more comfortable victory with a ruthless bowling performance, bowling Sedbergh out for 23 and comfortably surpassing their score, finishing on 107-6. Game 3 was then between the two unbeaten teams of the day, Ipswich and SHSK. Another toss lost and we set 92 to win, only for a last ball thriller… needing 4 to win Ipswich scored 3 to result in a tie, leading to flurries of panic and tallying up runs scored on the day to work out the repercussions of this result. The final round of fixtures saw Ashford play Ipswich and SHSK play the Island Free School, with all results still possible for three of the four sides. Ashford set Ipswich 135 to win (the highest total of the day), leaving SHSK in a position where it looked like victory in our game would be enough to secure the title. With a nervy bowling performance we were set 92 to win and an even nervier start to our batting performance saw two of our top three batters dismissed. The depth and determination in the squad shone through with the middle order taking us over the line with five balls remaining. An Ipswich loss to Ashford meant SHSK were the only unbeaten side on the day and outright winners, unlike last year’s countback on runs scored! 

Whilst there were many highlight performances on the pitch, Mary, Emily and Niamh all retiring in three games and standout bowling performances from Emma and Marney throughout the day, every single member of the squad contributed in every game, whether it be with fast scoring cameos from Ellie and Scarlett, or nerve-settling batting from Olivia and Eleanor, every member of the squad should feel truly proud of their contributions. However, the remarkable qualities of this squad are the fun, togetherness and supportive environment they create for each other, which is then backed up by truly outstanding performance. 

Day 2 Wednesday 24 May U15 Finals

With day 1 and the U13 competition behind us (and an emotionally exhausted coach!), day 2 was suddenly upon us and the turn of the U15 team. Five of the team had been part of last year’s team at the same event, so had experienced it all before, but this didn’t settle any nerves – if anything, it built more expectation. In hindsight, the symmetry between day 1 and day 2 were alarming. First match was against Repton, eventual runners-up, who we knew to be a very strong side, with their former county teammate captaining the side. SHSK were put into bat first and did so in a self-assured confident manner, setting 96 against a strong Repton bowling side who gave only 5 extras in their 8 overs. But as ever with this squad, they can always rely on their bowling, which was tight, consistent, and threatening; Repton fell 7 runs short with all five bowlers for SHSK taking wickets. Similarly to day 1, our second game against Stamford was a more one sided affair, SHSK limiting them to 66 and whilst trying to make hard work of a straightforward chase, got through comfortably in the end to go onto their tour of Lord’s with two wins under their belt. Game 3 after lunch we played Cardiff Cathedral School, who had come through a very tough regional round and were a relative unknown having only played and won one game in the morning. Another toss won and another manageable total to chase, 74 this time round, and we got off to a flyer with our top three all retiring. Unfortunately we then suffered a middle order collapse ensuring there was no relaxation allowed, but again a reflection of depth within the squad saw us over the line. The final game and unlike the previous day the situation was simple: win to win. Playing a familiar opposition in St Swithun’s, who we had played outdoors in the National Cup and in a weekend block fixture, St Swithun’s put on their best batting display of the day. Combined with some nervous bowling, we were set 96 to win, a chaseable but challenging total. Once again, similarly to the day before, we showed early nerves losing a couple of quick wickets, but Sophia H and Georgia P both retired, allowing the lower order to progress the scoring rate. Tension on the sidelines from Head of Cricket, Director of Sport and Headmistress were evident, but they were acting cool, as were the players. Georgia and Sophia returned after strong contributions from the lower order and saw it through with five balls left. There were premature celebrations from the sidelines, as we had to bat out the rest of the innings for competition purposes, as Georgia played a reverse sweep and a scoop overflowing with confidence. A truly special way to end their indoor cricket campaign and with no competition for the U18s the last time all but one would play in the competition. 

There are many similarities between the two squads, in their performances, team spirit and togetherness, but as individuals they are two hugely different squads, both brilliant in their own right. Once again every member of the squad contributed hugely, Flick R-W with bat (retiring in three games) and gloves, Rosie H retiring twice and being a calming influence all day for the team, Nicole H, the only Year 9 in the squad retiring twice, the middle/ lower batting order all-rounders Evelyn H, Emilia H, Ceci B and Amelia R who in every game offered both disciplines and succeeding in one, the other or both every game, and the aforementioned Georgia P (Captain) and Sophia H (Vice Captain), this squad have worked so hard all year, attended training religiously and do everything with a smile on their face, and they do it together!

The two days will stand long in the memories of the coaches, teachers, parents and players who attended and what a fantastic opportunity for those involved. “Double ECB National Indoor Cricket Champions” has a great ring to it, and we look forward to trying to defend both titles next year, with some familiar faces, but some new ones too!

Match report – Oxfordshire 50+ XI vs. Staffordshire 50+ XI

Oxfordshire won the toss and elected to bat. Some early tight bowling from the visitors restricted the run scoring during the first half of the innings where scoring generally throughout the innings was difficult on a wicket where the ball was not coming on. A respectable total of 165-7 was posted off the 45 overs with captain Mark Robey top scoring with 42 n/o and Pablo Mukerjee next best with 34.
Staffordshire were aggressive at the start of their reply racking up 63 for no wicket after 12 overs but then debutant Simon Smith took 2 wickets in 2 balls. A further 2 more wickets and some tight bowling restricted the visitors to 85/4 at half way drinks. Staffordshire then staged a recovery adding 60 runs for the 5th wicket and with the score at 144/4 after 34 overs it looked a foregone conclusion for a Staffordshire win. Oxfordshire’s heads never dropped and some excellent bowling saw the visitors then lose 5 wickets for just 15 runs but with 7 balls to spare the hosts pierced the in field with a boundary to seal the win. Notable bowling efforts for Oxfordshire were Mark Robey with 3 for 22 off 8 overs and 2 wickets each for Simon Smith, Sean Miller and Colin Allen.

Oxfordshire Cricket is delighted to announce the promotion of Sam Arthurs to the newly formed position of Pathway Manager. Sam will lead the day-to-day management of our pathway programme for girls and boys between the ages of 8 and 18 and transition into his new role as Pathway Manager from 1st June 2023 following 19 months in the position of Foundation Pathway Manager.  

Alongside his role developing a constant stream of local, representative and professional players through the Pathway, Sam will remain as the lead of our Bulls and Falcons programmes that help bridge the opportunity gap between independent and state sectors and of the player development workshops that provide accessible coaching opportunities to a range of players within Oxfordshire. 

Performance Director, Matthew Barnes said: 

“In his new role Sam will take on the additional responsibilities resulting from the merging of the Foundation and Talent Pathway Manager positions and we intend to recruit on a casual or part-time basis to cover the strength and conditioning shortfall created by Marcus Campopiano’s departure. The restructure of the pathway manager position affords us the space to reflect upon our current pathway methodology and the time to better understand the landscape ahead as we await the findings of the ICEC report, coupled with the challenges of rising costs and the pressures to make pathway participation more affordable.

We are very pleased to be able to provide Sam with the progressive career development opportunity into the position of pathway manager. He now has the chance to have an even greater impact leading our pathway programme and on behalf of everyone at Oxfordshire Cricket, I take the opportunity to wish him the very best of luck with the next step in his career with us.”

Sam Arthurs said: 

“I’m thankful to Oxfordshire Cricket for their continued support, and thoroughly looking forward to the additional responsibilities that the ‘Pathway Manager’ role provides. 

I’m excited to continue working closely with our Pathway Coaches, Parents/Guardians and Players to create environments which not only maximise potential and performance over time, but also foster a lifelong enjoyment and connection to cricket within Oxfordshire.”

Oxfordshire Cricket Discipline Investigation

An independent Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) Investigator appointed by the ECB and NCCA and working alongside Oxfordshire Cricket Board has begun an investigation into a charge in relation to a racist word written by an Oxfordshire player during the Men’s 1st XI match between Berkshire County Cricket Club and Oxfordshire on 1 May 2023.

The charge is with regard to breaching the following provisions of the ECB General Conduct Regulations:

• Acting in a manner that is contrary to the ECB’s Anti-Discriminatory Code.

The investigation is now in progress and the Oxfordshire Cricket Board will issue a further statement when the hearing is concluded and any sanctions are issued.

END.

Note to editors:

All press enquiries should be directed to Nick Pinhol at [email protected]

The setting for Oxfordshire Seniors over 60s 2nd X1 fixture v Somerset was at the picturesque ground of Kilmington and Stourton CC. Oxfordshire won the toss and elected to field first and managed to restrict the hosts to 209-5 with Alistair Barr making 54, wickets were spread between Cook and Wilson with 2 a piece and Skipper Haynes with 1. In reply, Openers Woods and Haynes took the score quickly to 93 before Haynes was caught behind for a bright 32. Wickets then fell regularly but Woods held the innings together with 109 * from 111 balls .including 12 fours & 1 six and Oxfordshire won with 9 balls to spare as Wilson hit the winning boundary. 212-7

Worcestershire 50’s vs. Oxfordshire 50’s at Kidderminster CC

Oxfordshires first seniors game in the national ECB county tournament began at Kidderminster CC against Worcestershire. 

Oxfordshire won the toss and elected to bowl, on what looked like a helpful but good deck. 

The Worcestershire openers were in extremely good form and despite some good bowling from the Oxfordshire openers and first change bowlers they batted extremely well and didn’t give any chances. At 177/1 after 30 overs it was looking an ominous total being set, but we managed to restrict the last 15 overs to just over a hundred and a total of 285 seemed well within our reach on what was a good batting wicket. 

Just like the opening batsman however, Worcestershire’s opening bowlers were equally as good and kept things very tight for 15 overs or so and chasing a big score we were always playing catch up from then on in. 

A battling display from a few of the Oxfordshire batsman including 64 from Steve Hurt and 52 N/O from Richard Tilley saw the chase to a respectable 237 after our 45 overs. 

Oxfordshire Cricket is pleased to announce the women’s squad selected to play against Middlesex on Sunday 14th of May in a T20 match at Mill Hill School in London, with the match starting at 10.30 am:

Ellie BATH

Georgia HAWORTH

Ellie INGRAM (c)

Laura JACOB

Izzy KIRBY

Abi NORGROVE

Genny PORTER

Katie WAUGH

Chloe WESTBURY

Carla WOOD

Becca WOODNORTH (w/k)