Report by Colts correspondent Steve Poulter
Colts cricket was back with a bang for the U13s on Tuesday evening down at the Theatre of Scenes. Despite the weather deciding it wanted to pretend it was February, the game turned into a high-scoring, rip-roaring, adrenaline-soaring, proverbial-warring cup classic against Overton.
Cobwebs Galore
The teams entered the frozen tundra with Overton batting first. It quickly looked like this was the first game of the season for the Oaks, and the rust was going to take some time to brush off. Good balls were mixed in with wides, while misfields and over-eagerness crept in alongside Overton’s scoring.
Overton were ruthless in their running, plundering runs at every opportunity, and batters came and retired with healthy scores. The chill wind was doing little to blow the winter cobwebs away.
HOUSE!
Cricket calamity bingo had been in full flow, with no wickets, dropped catches off no-balls, overthrows and some dodgy boundary-stopping footwork. Oakley had almost fully marked their card and given Coach Rutt a nice long list to work on ahead of the next training session. Still, they could also count themselves unlucky that some decent bowling spells hadn’t been rewarded with a wicket.
Dan “Express” Saines rectified this with the very last ball: LBW, which probably stood as much for Loud Bellowing Wails from the collective desperate desire for a wicket as it did in the traditional sense. Still, a wicket at last. Skipper Will Rutt was the pick of the bowlers, but Overton had pocketed a healthy 157 in 20 overs, with Oakley gifting them 60 extras. Chasing 158 was going to be a tough task.
Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Oaks
So, a huge total to chase, but were these fine young men daunted? Nay! Like slumbering giants of yesteryear, they arose from their fielding sleepiness, wiped the dust of disappointment from their eyes, and began about eating the elephant one ball at a time.
Dan and Will tore into the Overton bowling, hammering away at anything loose, running diligently and piling on pressure. Three fours each, and a mammoth six from Will, saw Oakley reach a healthy 63 from seven overs when Dan (21) was caught and bowled. Alex Pardoe came in next and, as Will retired, carried on the heavy attack alongside some excellent running from Remi Suntah.
Cometh the Oaks, Cometh the Wobble
Carrying on the long-standing wobble tradition, Oakley, having gained the upper hand, proceeded to do their best to give it back to Overton. Remi (3) was an unlucky LBW, while Jack and Jacob were both gone without scoring, leaving the Oaks 103-4 with nine overs remaining. Wobble: checked off.
Alex, though, had other ideas and kept the scoreboard ticking over. He crashed a magnificent 33 from 25 balls before retiring, leaving Oakley needing 37 from 5.5 overs.
It’s a Knockout!
Finley Poulter and Ben Saines were now at the crease as the match entered squeaky-bum time. Some smart running edged the boys closer, leaving 30 from five required. But full credit to Overton. Sensing the game slipping away, they roared back to life like an ancient laptop firing up Windows 95.
Bowling well, the singles became scarce and Oakley’s running more cavalier. At one point, Finley, having pushed a ball down leg, turned to find Ben standing virtually alongside him, such was the desperate need for runs. With two overs to go, 19 were needed and victory looked to be leaving the station headed for Heartbreak City.
But like two prime-time boxing heavyweights, neither team was willing to go down, and they continued to throw haymakers at each other’s bloodied faces.
19th Over. Ding Ding.
Oakley: Uppercut. Finley crashes the first ball for four.
Oakley/Overton: Jab, jab, jab. Oaks pick up three more runs from the next three balls.
Overton: Hook. Finley (15) run out.
Oakley: Jab. Ben nicks a single.
Into the final over. Ten needed for the win.
Ding Ding.
Overton: Hook. Daniel Carroll (0) run out.
Oakley/Overton: Jab, jab, jab. Ben and returning skipper Will pick up three from two balls, but it’s advantage Overton.
Two balls left. Five needed to win.
Time slows down. Heart rates hit maximum.
Ben “Tyson” Saines is on strike. It’s a tad wider than the bowler would like, exposing his chin, and Ben uppercuts the ball away down the field for a glorious four.
Overton stagger. Oakley have tied the game.
The last ball comes in, flies past Ben, rocks the Overton wicketkeeper back onto his invisible stool in the imaginary corner of the illusionary ring, while Will and Ben romp home for the winning run as players flood onto the field in celebration.
Well done, boys. A great chase and a great win.
Cricket, bloody hell, as someone more famous than me once never said.