After securing our first win of the season in dramatic style last week, Oakley 1s hosted Odiham 2s this Saturday, looking to make it two on the bounce. DJ won the toss and chose to bowl first on a pitch that was a curious mix of dark green, light green, and—you guessed it—green.
Early Wickets and a Confident Start
Oakley started with typically tight bowling from Smiley Stef and the ever-reliable (read: dull) Boring Bowers. Stef soon removed one of the openers thanks to a cleverly juggled catch from Tiley at first slip.
Harry then replaced Stef, and in his second over, struck twice in two balls—both taken behind the stumps, one by Paddy and another by Tiley, who was quietly assembling quite the personal highlight reel. Whoever this imposter is who’s been pretending to be Harry the past few weeks, we were glad to have the real one back.
Odiham Steady the Ship… Briefly
Odiham’s skipper and their number five put together a handy partnership, with the latter reaching 50 as they edged their way towards three figures. That stand was broken when DJ took a sharp catch at cover. So far, catching had been top drawer for Oakley. Could it last?
Woody’s Moment (in Case You Missed It)
If you’ve ever met Michael Wood—even briefly—chances are he’s already sent you a video of the next wicket. DJ floated one up, it caught the edge of the left-hander’s bat, and Woody took a very tidy low catch at slip. You can apparently find replays on Play-Cricket, YouTube, or just go round Woody’s house for the director’s cut.
Brundle Shocks the Nation
Woody taking catches is almost a given these days, but when Brundle held onto a caught-and-bowled a few overs later, everyone was a bit stunned the ball didn’t bounce off his tiny hands and roll away harmlessly. At 106/6, things were looking good.
But Odiham’s lower order dug in, punishing the occasional loose ball—of which Brundle bowled a fair few. Stef came back to remove the half-centurion, and DJ and Will Cheyney chipped in with a couple of late wickets. Still, Odiham had crept up to a competitive 170 all out on a low, green pitch.
As we walked off, we thought the chat would be about chasing 171. But no, Woody wanted to know if we’d all seen his catch.
Sandwiches, Texts and a Slow Start
During tea, everyone tucked into sweaty sandwiches while Woody texted Laura about his heroics. Then out strode Paddy and Brundle, tasked with knocking off the target using their famously “aggressive” styles. They wish.
The first 20 overs were an exercise in patience. Apart from a couple of lovely guided boundaries from Millwall fan Paddy, it was fairly forgettable stuff. We were crawling along at about 60 when Paddy was eventually trapped LBW for a well-made 29. Brundle scratched around for a few more before following soon after.
Enter Will Cheyney
With Oakley needing a spark, Will Cheyney joined Woody in the middle. The pair nudged it around sensibly at first, but with the rate creeping above a run a ball and 8 wickets still in hand, Will sensed it was time to go. A flurry of boundaries, including a mighty six, put Oakley in control. He eventually fell for a rapid 40 off 24 in what was arguably his most important knock in an Oakley shirt. Well batted, farmer.
With five an over now needed, Tiley and Woody kept things ticking along. But disaster struck when they pushed for a second and Woody was run out. Rumour has it, during the second run, he was on the phone to his mum telling her about his catch.
It must be said though—Woody’s 30 was a crucial contribution, and it was good to have him back from holiday.
Tense Finish… Again
Sensing another dramatic finish, DJ, Tiley and George all obligingly got out in quick succession, leaving us 7 down needing 8 runs from 9 balls.
Will Rabley arrived and promptly hit his first ball for 4. Just as we thought the drama was over, he was bowled by a full toss. Thankfully, the ball had completed a full orbit of the moon before clipping the bails, and after a brief discussion, the umpires correctly called it a no ball.
With 3 needed to win, Will calmly saw out the rest of the over.
Harry Seals It in Style
Any hopes of a nail-biting final ball finish were ruined (mercifully) when Harry smashed the first ball of the final over to the boundary to win it in style.
A Step in the Right Direction
So, back-to-back wins for Oakley 1s. We may still be bottom of the table, but the gap has closed considerably. There’s plenty of work left to do, but the spirit in recent weeks has been excellent—and if we keep this up, there’s every chance more wins will follow.
Just don’t ask Woody about that catch again. Or do—but clear your diary first.