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Tue 13th Jun 2017 vs. Wolvercote (A) @ Cutteslowe Park

Match report

A 20/20 game that provided as much drama as the frantic search for players beforehand. Once the team was finally completed with Luke ‘Sheephead' Newton and Tim ‘not Gareth' Ellis making last minute cameo appearances to cover those who dropped out.

Having elected to bat first, the IVCC openers went out full of confidence looking forward to put on a performance in the bright but cool Cutteslowe evening. Olly Ross, opening for the first time this year, took until the 3rd over to start letting loose on the Wolvercote bowlers, unfortunately he chose the wrong ball to first have a go at, chopping onto his stumps and being back at the boundary for 1. Fergus Cable-Alexander played with the confidence of a seasoned opener hitting an easy boundary early on but having less luck getting the ball through the fielders with his other shots, finally being bowled off his pads in the 6th over for 9.

The outfield was particularly slow on this June evening, with not many shots making it all the way to the rope line, Atillo ‘good luck spelling this, scorer' Lecisotti played with a cool composure in only his second IVCC match striking the ball well but missing out on the maximums, but notched up a quick 12 through excellently taken singles and 2s. It was not to be his day, however, as he aimed a drive between the two off side fields which looked to be soaring through the air on its way to his first boundary of the match before being plucked from the air by the salomon-esque mid-wicket fielder who looked as stunned as everyone else that it had stuck.

Atilio had been previously joined by Rob ‘Bobby boundaries' Berry in the middle. Berry was having fun practicing his golf swing when he missed a straight one that took out his stumps leaving him with just 4 runs.

Gareth ‘the original' Ellis entered the fray next and proceeded to watch as the rest of his team slowly collapsed around him. Sheephead went for the hit it and expect the best approach and got 2 good drives in before being caught at mid-on for 4. Gareth was then joined by Skipper Bill at the crease who scored only the match's second boundary and another quick single before looking at Umpire FCA in the wrong way prompting Fergus' finger to shoot out of his pocket at the slightest suggestion of an appeal. Alex Troth went out, and then was back again – bowled first ball by the on form Shelley, who was now on a hattrick and facing Dickie ‘1 run this entire season' Tyler who, shaking at the knees, managed to perform his first successful defensive shot of the season (maybe his career?) to deny Shelley his Hat trick.

Ellis and Tyler managed to get into a nice routine for the next two overs, playing very tactically to keep Ellis on strike as much as possible, unfortunately the pressure got too much for Gareth who got cocky and tried to swipe at one that swung in onto his middle stump, leaving his brother Tim to Join Dickie in the middle with 7 balls remaining of the innings. Luckily, the pair managed to see out the innings, Tim adding 2 to the overall score and Tyler doubling his runs for the season by scoring another 1.

The villagers took to the field for Wolvercote's innings with a highly defendable total of 79 and the opening bowlers of Ross and Troth set about frustrating the Wolvercote openers with some fine bowling, Alex was keen to make up for his golden duck and produced an excellent maiden over in his first while Olly produced another 2 maidens despite his insistence to bowl in sunglasses. It was Troth who got the first breakthrough, however, fooling the batsmen with a slower delivery who smacked it with all his might straight at Fergus, who got his hands up just in time to manage to trap the ball before it hit him square in the nose and managed to hold onto it as it nearly knocked him off his feet. The openers saw out the first 7 overs with impressive figures – Ross 0-8 off 4 and Troth 1-17 off 3.

Gareth entered the attack with the home side floundering on 22 for 1 from the disabled car park end and continued the strong bowling attack with Daylight coming in from the Kidlington end, keen to take advantage of his first match for IVCC of the season not behind the stumps and produced a maiden in his first over. But it was IVCC's increasing impressive fielding that claimed the next wicket, FCA involved again throwing in from mid-wicket to skipper Bill who had taken up temporary residency with the gloves. Despite the throw being slightly off target, with some nimble footwork, Bill managed to gather the ball at the popping crease and remove the bails. Garr soon claimed the vital 3rd wicket with a fast one taking out the off stump before Daylight produced one of the overs of the season dismissing 2 Wolvercote batsmen, each for 0 for a 2 wicket maiden.

The 79 total now seeming far more of a stretch for the home side they started to panic, when Bill missed a knick from new bowler Tyler the batsmen confidently called for a second run before Gareth ‘mind game' Ellis threw them off with the shout of ‘Really? Not with Daylight's arm!' This had the desired effect as the batsmen turned in a panic and fell, when sure enough ‘Dead-eye' Daylight's through from fine leg destroyed the middle stump with little assistance from the keeper. Luke ‘Sheephead' Newton soon got in on the wicket taking action with his nonchalant run up fooling the batsman, Lohan, and he missed the straight ball that bowled him clean. With the score now pushing 50 N Khan then started to look dangerous before yet more impressive fielding from FCA got Iffley's 3rd run out of the Innings. Trying to pick up a quick single, Khan nudged and ran but the quick witted Fergus fired it in to Tyler at the bowler's end who just had time to take it and remove the bails.

With 4 overs to go and 20 runs to get Wolvercote started to rally with some clever running notching up the score with some quick singles until the last over when Iffley's overseas player Lecisotti eventually made a breakthrough, a slower ball catching Shawon's pad. With 6 runs to get off 4 balls sphincters started to tighten before with the penultimate ball of the match a fine ball from Lecisotti beat Glenny's swinging bat and clipped his off stump, winning the match for the villagers by 5 runs.