The Sunday XI avoided a humiliating weekend whitewash for the Oaks with a deserved but well-fought victory against local rivals, Dummer, at a hot and sunny Oakley Park yesterday.
Batting first, Brad Compton-Bearne made up for a disappointing Saturday with an entertaining 95 where he was dropped a number of times in between peppering the farmers field with a total of 8 sixes.
Aiding this match defining partnership was Matt Vickers, who emulated Brad with three huge sixes of his own in great knock of 44, before he was caught off the bowling of Steve Heath.
A flurry of middle order wickets gave Dummer hope of curtailing the scoring but a quite wonderful 50 partnership between Bob Lethaby and Jack Brundle saw the Oaks past the 200 hundred mark.
To see Bob in this form is quite mesmeric and with an eclectic array of dabs, hoiks and air-shots, he broke Dummer hearts as they wilted in the face of audacious stroke-making and early June heat. Bob was finally ran-out for 21 of the most dashing runs this grand old ground has witnessed, giving proof that form is temporary but class is permanent.
Jack finished unbeaten on 30 in a total of 217.
Oakley Park was looking resplendent in the early summer sunshine
George Lethaby and Perry King removed the Dummer openers in the first two overs and it seemed like an early finish might be on the cards. However, the middle-order re-built with Raj and Aaron Brown putting on a 50 partnership before both being dismissed in quick succession by Alex Brundle.
This allowed Brad to mix up his bowling and offer an opportunity to some novices, with Ian Bennett joining the party, picking up two wickets, the second of which he celebrated as if though he was impersonating Alan Partridge, shouting AHA! as the bail was knocked from the off-stump.
Ben Allum also bowled and was unlucky to miss out on the Oakley ‘Most balls in an Over’ record that James Wiltshire scooped in such fine style back in the summer of 2015.
Ian Bennett celebrates taking the wicket of Peter Ballard
After brief cameos by Mark Barden (11) and Simon Pennington (9) another 50 run partnership by the excellent James Dodd and a belligerent Graham Brown, halted the Oakley victory charge but at least it added to the ongoing saga of Jack Brundle and his lack of an Oakley wicket.
With his head pointing in the opposite direction to the stumps, it is a miracle that Jack manages to get one straight, but one day soon, one of his deliveries will result in the wicket that he feels he deserves.
Until that day, the rest of the Sunday team will enjoy Jack’s desperation with increasing elation and a Matt Vickers dropped catch off Jack’s bowling, was worth the £10 match fee on its own.
As usual, Dummer were great guests, using the bar and enjoying a game of village cricket played in the best of spirits.
Up the Oaks!