Match report

IVCC Trump Bodleian

With skipper Smith on a first date with 2018 leading wicket taker Timbo Ellis (dinner and a show, then who knows..?), Chairman Meier took up the captaincy and called upon the other Ellis to carry on where his younger brother left off. With the Council failing, once again, to provide a pavilion that was paid for, both teams dropped their keks out in the open, much to the horror of the mothers in the nearby playground.

With the new skipper winning the toss and choosing to bowl in the late afternoon sun, waif-like opening bowlers Garr and Daylight were reassuringly stingy, restricting the opposition to nibbling at a few scraps in the first few overs, before Berry struck first, having their opener caught by the dependable Ross at backward point. With the fear that an IVCC strikeforce at full power could potentially steam roller our friends from the “second largest, but most interesting Library in Britain”(1), both Garr and Daylight were swiftly removed from the attack in a potentially risky move by the stand-in skipper. Like Southgate, Meier wasn’t afraid to make the big calls when required. He also looks dapper in a waistcoat. Just saying.

But there was little for the Man of Chairs to worry about as newcomer Leslie, in only his second appearance for the Village, and veteran Troth continued the good work of their predecessors. Leslie, in particular, found success with deliciously tempting flight that often bamboozled our intellectually-blessed opponents. Troth generously kept the Bodleian scoreboard ticking over with a buffet of leg side full tosses that kept Mike and Garr busy in the car park. With the towering #3 retiring on 30, the “best cricket team in the country – if not the world – from a Legal Deposit Library” (2) began to crumble. Fires of resistance were lit throughout their innings, but these were snuffed out quickly before anything could take hold, mostly by the effervescent Leslie who returned majestic figures of 20–4 from his allotted overs, including 3 bowled and 1 stunning catch taken by the diving Timmy Morton at square leg in what was, surely, a shoe-in for Catch of the Season.

Mike Hawthorne, a last-minute ringer for the Wookie, bowled a very polished spell, hitting the mark with unerring accuracy time and time again, gently choking the life out of the opposition’s innings like Darth Vader and an insubordinate Admiral Motti. With just 6 runs coming from his 3 overs, a red inker at the end of our own innings, and some admirable keen-ness in the field, it was an impressive debut from the AVCC man and we hope this isn’t the last we see of him.

Our man from the Cotswolds-via-Hackney, Adam Winter, in one of his few appearances for the Village this season, was called upon for a rare spell of ice-cool bowling (3) from the car park end and recorded his first wicket for the club with a lovely clean bowled of their #7 batsman. Even a fly-past from President Trump on his way to Blenheim Palace for dinner with the PM couldn’t distract the unflappable youngster (4). It’s always a pleasure to have this absolute banker pull on the hallowed Village jersey as he brings a real team spirit and vigour to a performance and we appreciate the effort he makes to get across the counties for these mid-week T20s.

In the midst of a solid fielding performance from the Villagers, there was still time for Daylight to drop one sitter and one harder chance, and for Davis to drop one off Winter behind the stumps. As the innings drew to a close, Ross delivered a couple overs of par-for-the-course tight bowling, and two run outs for both Ross and Berry, including one of the Bodley returning #3 (who finished with a laudable 39) on final ball, saw the Bodleians finished on a respectable 125 all out from their 20 overs.

With FCA otherwise engaged in a dry bath, Meier opened with Mr Taylor, a man who has been batting with a new-found confidence this season. Solid in defence, and with a wonderful on-drive under his belt, it was a surprise to see his stumps uprooted after just a couple of overs. There are more runs for this man this season though and, like the Terminator, and haemorrhoids, he will be back.

Meier up the other end managed a few boundaries before he was joined by Fidel Morton and the two pushed the quick singles and two hard-run 3s in a row, which was a bit excessive to be honest. Let’s have no more of that nonsense please. As always, Morton batted in his usual unhurried and languorous style but, after a brief period of attrition with the Bodley bowling unit, was out caught at mid-on as he tried to accelerate the score.

Next man in, Davis, defended his first ball solidly and then looked to tee off from the next. Usually such a clean-hitter of the ball, he was perhaps bamboozled by the lack of pace and was rapped on the pad clean in front. All Bodley eyes turned imploringly to the umpire, our very own Cockney ragamuffin Winter, for a decision. Never one to shirk his duty, Adam gently fingered Ben and the muscle Mary had an uncomfortable walk back to the boundary. And boy, was he not happy with that decision. A disappointing day for the ‘Womb from Combe’ (as he’s never, ever been called), but we have faith he will bounce back stronger in the next game. Ellis came to the middle, shaking his rump in that inimitable style of his, with the promise of “no quick singles”. But promises are made to be broken, and his first runs duly came from a sharply-scampered single. Go figure. Shortly thereafter, Meier had to retire on a well-controlled and trouble-free 34, bringing “hero” (his own words) Ross out at the scene where he destroyed Wolvercote last month. With just 3 appearances apiece for these boys this season, and given the way they batted together, it’s a shame we don’t get the pleasure of their company more often. Toiled away they did, increase the scoreline they did, and decrease the required run rate they did. Ellis, industrious as ever, hit one colossal Ross-esque 6 into the car park that drew coos of delight from the crowd of one man and his dog. Ross hasn’t been out yet this season, and he continued that fine run of form here, retiring on 35 after hitting his own car park-bound maximum when informed he was on 29 and to “go big”.

Troth entered the fray, with the memory of his golden duck from the Tour still quackingly fresh in his mind. But without a stinking hangover, You Can’t Handle the Troth is a far more composed batsman and he was stroking the ball around with ease before he was clean bowled by Dave Shorten trying to heave one over cow corner. Ellis, meanwhile was run out following a dubious umpiring decision from Ben Davis – perhaps still smarting from his own dismissal earlier in the innings and desperate to lend his wrath at the first opportunity. It was a surprise to all when he earlier declined to enact revenge on Winter on another close run-out call. A quickfire 9 from Winter (Is Coming) and a single from Hawthorne saw the Village cruise to victory with an over to spare. A great game against a lovely team, we look forward to a repeat fixture against these fine gentlemen next year.

(1) https://bodleiancc.weebly.com/about.html (2) https://bodleiancc.weebly.com/about.html (3) His second ball, which bounced 14 times before it reached the batsman, not withstanding. (4) “Youngster” is generous. Very generous.

Ali Meier IVCC Chairman 13 July 2018