Report from Ollie Rabley
The 2s headed to Berrydown for their latest instalment of the B3400 derby with realistic hopes that the doom-mongers who had been poring over weather apps since Wednesday would be proven wrong. That turned out to be the case, as cloudy skies did not release any of the wet stuff on a blustery afternoon.
Toss Lost, Bowling First
Captain Ian was relieved of having to make a decision by an unsuccessful call at the toss. Oaks were given the first opportunity to demonstrate their bowling and fielding prowess. Zak and Will McCarthy opened up, hoping to follow up on their miserly wicket-taking exploits from the previous week. Overton’s openers were in no mood to let this young pair settle, going after anything loose. A few aerial shots raised hopes of a wicket, but to be fair, no chances were actually offered. The 50 came up inside 8 overs, but Will immediately took the first wicket with the last ball of his opening spell.
The Squeeze: Bowers and Sapumanage
When scoring rates need to be strangled, there are few better options available than Boring Dave Bowers and Entertaining Kalum Sapumanage. They put the brakes on the Overton innings, with Dave picking up one wicket and Kalum two. Highlights of this spell of the match were Ian’s unsuccessful housery looking for a run-out after a Dave dropped catch, Kalum’s unsuccessful LBW appeal after the ball had struck Ian’s (i.e. the wicketkeeper’s) pad, and Will Rabley missing a catch after calling decisively for it — when he was possibly the furthest away of a number of fielders who could have taken it (and downwind, to make it more challenging).
But with five wickets down at drinks, Oaks felt they were in the driving seat.
Late Resistance and a Bouncy Ending
The back end of the innings saw a lovely spell of pace and bounce from Joby. He found plenty of lift, not all down to the tennis-ball nature of the bounce that the wicket had by now earned a reputation for. Overton’s wily old campaigners Andy Gould and Andy (Les) Regan launched a fightback. Some clean hitting and aggressive running got them up to 183 — 20 or 30 runs more than Oaks would have hoped, but 15 or 20 runs less than a total that would have been truly daunting.
A Measured Start to the Chase
The run chase was led off by Kris and George “Rutty” Ruttman Rutt. Things went along serenely for a few overs until Kris suffered from the disadvantage that comes with being 6-foot-lots and got done by one that stayed low. Joby came in and approached his batting with the same confidence he’d shown in his bowling spell. The duel between Joby and Overton’s young opening bowler bodes well for the future of both clubs.
Ian Steadies the Ship
When Joby got bowled by a good one, Ian came out with the intention of digging in and building an innings, recognising the occasional demons in the pitch. A gradual increase in the scoring rate followed until Rutty tried one too many aggressive strokes and holed out. That brought Dave Parry to the crease, and the energy continued with Ian looking to rotate the strike.
Rabley Rises, Then Falls with Honour
When Dave got himself bowled, Will Rabley strode out looking to get out of the run of disappointing scores and bad luck that have been the hallmarks of his season to date. A couple of confident strikes early on meant he could then do what he does… scoring quickly and running aggressively. A 60-run partnership put Oaks firmly in control, putting them within touching distance of the win. Will fell on his sword looking for another quick run, to make sure that Ian — as the set batter — would be around to steer his team home.
The Final Blows (or Not Quite)
Kalum took Ian’s advice about avoiding any more risky singles to mean that he should look to finish the game with a single lusty blow. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful and also got himself bowled. That meant Will McCarthy could stroll out confidently, with the look of someone who wanted to finish the game quickly so he could get home to hear how his younger brother had got on in the 3s game.
Job Done, Spirits High
So, job done with four wickets and a couple of overs to spare. As is usual in matches against our near neighbours, the game was played in good spirit with plenty of friendly chat between the teams. Two wins in a row give a good platform to continue the journey onwards and upwards.