Relegation Clash in the Heat
On a blisteringly hot Saturday afternoon, the second team made the journey to Hollybourne for a relegation 48-pointer—or whatever the phrase is when the two bottom sides in the league play each other. The 2s were buoyed by the return of some familiar faces, making nine changes to the side that had lost to Hurstbourne Priors the previous week.
Making first use of the facilities, and with a dry, fast outfield, the Oaks looked to set a big total. At least, that was the plan. The reality was somewhat different, as they soon found themselves 19-2, with Kris and Jack departing to the excellent swing bowling of Patel.
The Skipper Leads the Fightback
Time for a rebuild. Returning skipper Ian joined Mozza at the crease, looking to get the innings moving. Mixing leg-side sweeps and off-side punches with solid defence, Ian was quickly into his stride and the scoreboard began to accelerate. At the other end, Mozza was starting to look more comfortable—although he had to contend with the minor distraction of a hamstring tear.
Mozza’s natural game involves plenty of quick singles, and despite having only one good leg, he continued with his favoured approach. This often involved tapping the ball into the covers, shouting “Wait!” while he worked out which fielder was going for the ball, and then shouting “Yes!” before jogging through for a comfortable single.
Boundaries and Big Hits
The introduction of the Hollybourne spin bowler, Spencer, in the 14th over saw Ian’s first six of the match. By the end of the same over, Ian had struck his second six. And it was big—so big that, before the ball had landed in the adjacent property, the fielding side were already calling for a replacement. Ian was now in full swing.
Just after Ian reached 50, Mozza was caught for a well-crafted, better-than-a-run-a-ball 48. A partnership of 107 had come at exactly the right time.
Ian was joined by Kunal, a new addition to the Oakley ranks. Kunal took a few balls to settle but was soon up and running with a flurry of fours. In total, he struck eight boundaries in his innings of 35, putting on another fifty partnership. This brought Nick Green to the crease for the final ten overs.
A Captain’s Knock for the Ages
It was during this partnership that Ian brought up a wonderful century. It was by no means a chanceless innings, but if you time the ball well and hit with power, you put pressure on the fielding side—and Ian fully capitalised on their mistakes.
Nick soon went, as did Dave Parry, which brought young Joby to the crease. Sensing an opportunity to crowd and intimidate a young-looking batter, the Hollybourne fielders closed in. Joby promptly dispatched the first delivery back over the bowler’s head for four. The field then spread out a little.
When Ian was finally out, he had scored 120 from 105 deliveries, with twelve fours and six sixes. A proper captain’s knock, delivered when his team needed it most. The Oaks’ innings ended on 261-7 from their 40 overs.
At 25-0 after five overs, the Hollybourne openers made a solid, if not electric, start. 25-0 soon became 25-2, with Joby and another 2s debutant, Toney, taking a wicket apiece.
Momentum Slips Away
It was then the turn of the Hollybourne third-wicket partnership to stage a recovery of their own, putting on close to 90 runs in quick time. It was Jack who broke the partnership, assisted by a smart catch from Mozza.
With the heat continuing to rise, and sensing that he was short of a bowler, Ian made the call to take the wicketkeeping pads off to provide another bowling option. However, it wasn’t until the 28th over that the next wicket was taken—Jack picking up another, this time with Greeno taking the catch. Two overs later, Jack struck again thanks to a stumping.
Too Many Loose Deliveries
Nine overs to go, and with equal run rates, the match was in the balance. Unfortunately for the Oaks, it was the opposition’s number 5 bat who took control. Picking up on anything too short or too full (and by that I mean full tosses, of which there were a few too many), he started to score quickly, finding regular boundaries.
Despite a second wicket for Toney and a smart run-out by Kunal, the Oaks struggled to control the run rate. Sixteen were required from the final over, but with the short boundary on the batter’s favoured leg side, it felt like it was the hosts’ match to lose. And three blows later, so it proved, with Hollybourne winning by three wickets.
A Tough Loss, But Positives Remain
Fair play to Hollybourne—chasing down a score of 260 was an exceptional effort, with the match played in good spirits throughout.
For the Oaks, it was a great fight with the bat to recover from a shaky start, a league century for the skipper, but too much ill-discipline with the ball and some poor boundary fielding ultimately proved the difference. A tough one to take.