<< back to match list

Sun 19th Jul 2015 vs. Wolvercote (A) @ Cutteslowe Park

Match report

The eagerly awaited Oxford derby against Wolvercote CC got off to a chaotic start at Cuttleslowe Park where the prompt 2pm start meant the Village had to go into bat with only 6 men present and only half of them regular Iffley players, the rest having been drafted in from various clubs to replace those who had decided a day at Lord’s would provide a better cricketing spectacle.

As Skipper Bill walked over from the car park and glanced at the openers, D.J Watkins and Gareth Ellis, he must have thought they may have had a point with Ellis top edging his first ball high in the air for an easy catch for the keeper. The skip was barely into his whites before Watkins was also dispatched by a deceivingly fast ball that took out his stumps for 1. Ollie Evans joined Arthur Beard out there and was keen to make his Iffley debut a good one, quickly getting his eye in. Unfortunately Ollie had an LBW appeal with Michael ‘trigger finger’ Cavanagh presiding and so he was promptly back in for 6.

All seemed bleak on the boundary with the scoreboard reading 13-3 as ‘Daylight’ Rob Berry strolled out to meet Young Arthur in the middle; but the 2 Abingdon boys soon got into a rhythm, swatting the red ball all over the ground like an irritating wasp and the Iffley contingent (now almost complete) breathed a relaxing breath as the pair soon notched up a 50 partnership. Berry was let off by mid-on feeling far too confident under the high ball, not having to move for it but couldn’t quite make it stick – however the reprieve was short lived as he was caught behind just a few balls later, leaving with a well worked 25.

In walked the captain, and with the 17 year-old Arthur looking comfortable and well on his way to a debut 50, Bill started to do everything he could to play a supporting role – just a quick single here and there to give Arthur the strike wherever possible. No one is really sure what happened next. Bill, whose calm, confident calls are often a reassurance to his batting partner, gave the ball the slightest touch, as if he was brushing a fly out of a lady’s hair, and the ball trickled gently to square leg’s feet. Bill screamed a whole hearted, ‘Yes, Come on!’ Whether young Arthur – who was on 47 by this time – had glory in mind, wanting to get the half century before the over was done or perhaps the youngster did not want to disobey his captain in his first match and trusted that it was Smith’s experience that made him call so authoritatively, we will never know. All we know is that his athletic leap through the air from about half way out resulted in just a bloodied elbow as the bails were off before he hit the ground and Beard was soon thundering his way back to the boundary using words that only appear in films he is not yet old enough to watch.

At the drinks break, the new man in, Adam Winter, gave Bill a stern and calming talk about playing smart but then in the next over gave square leg a perfect catching practice lob which was gathered effortlessly and he was gone for 4. Nathan Curtis joined Bill in the middle and despite taking 2 hard balls in the torso stayed out supporting before the captain got beaten by a misleading straight ball for 24.

The rest of the wickets toppled in quick succession, Cavanagh was run out for 5 in a far easier umpiring decision than his earlier; Curtis was eventually stumped after losing his balance at the crease for 6. Dickie Tyler came out and played a sweeping shot down to fine leg but was so pleased with himself for getting off the mark for the first time in Iffley colours that he didn’t bother with a second run. The last man in, Minesh Kotek (Iffley’s last minute replacement for the MIA Dan Bibb), fell for 0 with the Villagers on 123.

The second half got off to a promising start with Ollie Evans bowling an encouraging maiden. Gareth Ellis took over from the car park end, no doubt eager to make up for his golden duck, and started strong but the Wolvercote man soon got his eye in and the Villagers could only watch as ball after ball was cover driven over the boundary. After 2 overs for 30 Gareth decided that the cricketing gods were not on his side that day and Bill, counting the cost of 3 brand new balls that had already been lost into Summertown suburbia, politely agreed and took over at the car park end.

Ollie Evans soon picked up Iffley’s spirits taken 3 wickets in as many overs: one excellent catch by Dan Watkins at Mid-on, a diving Cavanagh taking a caught behind and a rocket taking out middle stump. After that unfortunately the visitors could not get a break through – Smith, Berry and Kotek all bowled sublimely and each deserved wickets but none came and the scoreboard kept ticking over, despite some hard work in the field from the likes of Nathan Curtis and Young Arthur. It took just one ball of the 21st over for Wolvercote to seal the victory, Kotek lobbed over the close-in fielders, after some ill-advised sledging, for 4.

Despite the loss everyone agreed that a good day had been had by all and it was definitely far more entertaining that watching England being bowled out for 103.

Dickie Tyler