A Saturday Hat Trick at Last!
Three games. Three wins. Job’s a good ’un.
After what has occasionally felt like a season spent trying to nail jelly to a wall, Oakley finally landed the elusive Saturday hat trick.
The Ones produced something bordering on a demolition job against St Mary Bourne, piling up a formidable total before defending it with ridiculous ease.
Neil Robinson led the charge with a swashbuckling 81, Ian Bennett chipped in with a classy half-century, and then Stef Kaltner tore through the Bourne line-up with 6 wickets. Ben Weller-Evans grabbed a couple too.
The St Mary Bourne scorecard deserves framing. Somehow it featured eight ducks, an unbeaten 89 from a stranded, and presumably increasingly bewildered, Alfie Smith, who must have wondered whether he’d accidentally turned up for a different match.
The Twos were equally impressive, although they preferred to do things the dramatic way. Chasing 286 at Crown Taverners, it briefly looked as though they’d need a calculator, a miracle Duckworth-Lewis despite there being no chance of rain.
At 64 for 4, enter Will Rabley.
What followed was one of those innings that has teammates rubbing their eyes and opponents checking whether the bat had springs in it. An unbeaten 107 saw Oakley romp home with room to spare.
A special mention too for young Will McCarthy, who finally delivered on a promise he’s been making for years by absolutely walloping it everywhere for a vital unbeaten 27. Better still, he achieved every village cricketer’s lifelong ambition by caving in a nearby car windscreen. Dreams really do come true.
The Threes completed the clean sweep with a superb all-round performance at Hook. In sweltering conditions they restricted the hosts to 182 thanks to fine spells from skipper Jack Cousens, Dan Beckell and the club’s answer to Shane Warne if Shane Warne bowled at about three-quarters pace with his eyes shut, Bob Lethaby.
Dan clearly hadn’t finished for the day either, backing up his bowling with a superb 72 as the chase was completed with the minimum of fuss.
Later that evening, when England fell behind against Norway, Harry Kane could allegedly be heard shouting:
“Lads… Oakley have just pulled off a Saturday hat trick. If they can do it, so can we!”
Whether that actually happened remains unconfirmed. It probably didn’t. But after three wins from three, we’re prepared to believe almost anything.
A brilliant day for Oakley Cricket Club, plenty of happy faces, and another memorable chapter at the Theatre of Scenes.
Onwards…