A Glorious Afternoon at the Theatre of Scenes
It was a sun-kissed, beautiful afternoon at the Theatre of Scenes, the perfect setting for a match that had everything, nail-biting tension, moments of magic, and a vital win for The Oaks.
Bowling Brilliance and a Hat-Trick to Remember
The bowling unit set the tone beautifully. Zak Newton struck early to get us going, but Andover’s opener, Summers, looked in imperious form and seemed destined for a century. Enter young gun Joby Beatty, who cleaned him up for 59 and sparked a dramatic collapse. Alex Gough and Ollie Rabley then chipped in with key wickets, but the undisputed headline act belonged to Sharan Hugar. In front of an appreciative home crowd, he produced a sensational hat-trick that lit up the Theatre of Scenes. He’s probably still grinning now and, quite frankly, who could blame him?
Nerve-Shredding Chase, Cool Finish
The run chase kept the drama going. Early wickets had us wobbling at 18-2, but George Lethaby and Nick Green steadied the ship. George’s composed knock of 39 laid the platform, and when he eventually departed (a little frustrated he didn’t kick on) Ian Bennett (40) and Jack Brundle (32 no) built a partnership full of grit and quality. Even when Ian fell and nerves began to jangle again, Alex Gough (11*), with the coolness of a polar bear eating ice cream in a snowstorm, saw us home in style along with an unbeaten Jack.
A Vital Step Towards Safety
A vital win that keeps the 2s in control of their destiny. One more victory, and The Oaks can look forward to another season in County 5, when our youngsters will be that bit bigger, stronger, and ready to launch a big 2026 campaign.
Credit to Andover too, they were very sporting guests who joined us afterwards for a beer and a vital bit of cricket gossip that we all love. They are good bunch. Attention then turned a buffering video stream of First XI skip, Dan Jones, guiding us to a nerve jangling victory at Overton.
What a day at the theatre. On we travel.