Oxford Emeriti 244-7d
WCC 153-9
Match drawn
The Weekenders took the early honours on the Balliol College ground as the slip cordon shattered last season’s age record in champagne style. Smee, Swift, Freeman, J. Harvey and Douglas notched up a magnificent 296 years between them. But the vintage champagne turned to lukewarm Horlicks when the umpire called ‘play’.
A superb 126-run partnership between Adam Swift and Ed Keene completely shredded our bowling and fielding, and it took a brilliant pick-up and throw from Mike Harvey (his second of the season) to end the carnage.
But Emeriti kept the momentum going and it fell to President Clive Swift to stop the rot with a wily three-over spell that produced two late wickets (which could well have been four). With the scoreboard reading 244-7 after 38 overs the Emeriti scuttled for the safety of the pavilion very much as Southgate First XI did at the start of the season.
Lyons and Mike Harvey got the Weekenders’ reply off to a brisk start but wickets fell to some testing Emeriti bowling and the visitors were soon behind the clock. John ‘Snakehips’ Harvey whipped 32 off his legs and an earthy stand of 52 between Smee and Douglas reduced the target to 100 off the last five overs. Smee and Simmonds departed in quick succession and Weekenders were suddenly 8 wickets down.
Douglas was struck on the pad by a Wilson inswinger. ‘Yes’ said Umpire Swift gloomily and, but for some helpful advice from the non-striker, might well have raised the finger instead of suddenly pressing it thoughtfully to his lips and saying ‘No, sorry, can’t give that’. Experience had surely had the last word.
Except that Douglas then had a mighty heave at the next ball and was bowled. Having scrambled to within a sniff of calmer waters the Weekenders were now drinking behind the eight ball in the Last Chance sports bar.
It was left to d’Inverno and Freeman to bat out the last few balls and secure yet another richly undeserved draw for the Weekenders.
STATS:
Oxford Emeriti 244 – 7 declared off 38 overs
(Adam Swift 65, Keene 69)
Douglas 8-1-22-1, d’Inverno 7-0-50-0, Freeman 9-0-53-0, Simmonds 9-0-72-3,
C. Swift 3-0-30-2, Lyons 2-1-11-0
Catches: Johnstone, Pytches, Douglas, 1 each
Stumping: Smee 1
Run out: M. Harvey 1
WCC 153-9 off 38 overs
M. Harvey 18, Lyons 18, Pytches 6, Johnstone 1, J. Harvey 32, C. Swift 3, Smee 32, Douglas 29, Simmonds 0, Freeman 4*, d’Inverno 0*
Brain Teaser.
Adam Swift’s innings ended as follows: Adam advanced down the track to a Simmonds guile-bomb, nicked it along the ground to the ‘keeper, took another step forward then tried to regain his ground, by which time Smee had the bails off. Bowler and keeper are claiming a stumping, others say it was a run-out. What do you think?