Report from the Bob Lethaby’s Head
The second string entertained Crown Taverners on Saturday, looking to build on last week’s encouraging bowling performance at Stratton Park.
Sadly, your correspondent was not actually present for this fixture. As is customary after a defeat, enthusiasm for writing the report mysteriously disappeared, so what follows has been painstakingly reconstructed through the mind’s eye, Play Cricket scorecards, and the sort of selective memory usually reserved for golf handicaps.
Oaks Bowl First
The Oaks bowled first and new boy Ben Weller-Evans made the early breakthrough, removing Rees for a scratchy 2. From the reconstructed footage in my imagination, it was the kind of innings where every run felt like a personal insult to the fielding side. Thacker, however, was digging in and some wayward bowling kept the scoreboard moving until Mike Bryant cleaned up Scott for just six.
At 59-3, after Thacker was caught in the deep by Rogan off Bryant, the game was very much alive. The mind’s eye tells me Rogan took the catch with ease. Then after a rebuild from Tavs came a proper bit of cricket at 113-3. Everard edged Bryant and Will Rabley took a sensational catch at slip. Thick edge, sharp chance, flying grab. According to those who were there, it was outstanding. It looked it on the video.
At that stage, the key question was whether Oakley could rattle Crown Taverners out for under 175.
Reader, they could not.
Calvert and Edwards took control with a 96-run partnership, Edwards crashing 10 fours in a breezy 57 before eventually falling to Rogan, who by this stage was apparently operating with the precision of a shopping trolley missing a wheel. Frustratingly for Oakley, Calvert and Dee then added another useful stand and Crown Taverners eventually reached a healthy 245.
Gettable? Probably not. But cricket has a unique ability to convince you that everything is fine right up until it very much isn’t.
The Chase That Wasn’t Quite
To chase down 245, openers George Lethaby and Nigel Bishop needed to build a platform. Instead, by all available evidence, they built a ship without a floor. George departed for 2, swishing his bat in frustration as he went, while Nigel was cleaned up for 4 in an innings suggesting a man currently trying to rediscover batting form via trial and error.
At 65-2, thanks to Mike Tiley and Joby, the game was at least vaguely functional. Through the cinematic replay running in the author’s imagination, there was even a brief moment where spectators may have wondered whether Oakley could make a game of it.
That feeling passed quickly.
Joby, Jack and Noah all settleD briefly before disappearing back to the pavilion with the air of men suddenly remembering they’d left the bath taps on. Only Will Rabley really took the fight to Tavs with an aggressive an entertaining 35. Will remains the sort of player who can drag a side back into a game entirely through force of personality and agricultural strokeplay, although generally for no longer than about half an hour.Will needs a guiding partner. He didn’t have one.
Mike and Goughy attempted to keep the operation afloat, both edging into double figures but aside from Tiley and Will this was not a batting card destined for a place in the Louvre. With such a long batting line-up, 146 represented a disappointing return and, judging by the complete absence of volunteers for report-writing duties, the dressing room knew it too.
The general consensus, pieced together from scorebooks, WhatsApps and the imagination of a reporter who was not there, was that Crown Taverners were not dramatically better than Oakley, merely more organised and more competent. Which, unfortunately for The Oaks, are two fairly useful qualities in cricket.
Still, on we travel, with lessons possibly learnt.
