Challow 2s (H) Cherwell League Div 5C WLD

30/7/22

Overcast,  humid conditions met the teams as high flying local rivals Challow & Childrey 2s arrived for the penultimate win-lose-draw format fixture of the season.  With reduced bowling options but a surprisingly green surface , there was much discussion on what to do at the toss – it may be not of have been a bad one to lose. Skip won it and put Challow in.  

A new opening bowling partnership of Will H and Chief offered the Challow openers very little in the early overs , and when some width was finally offered Wycherley slapped straight to Spenny at point for Chiefs first wicket. An identical dismissal soon followed , this time off Wills bowling before he also trapped Challow skipper Pill LBW for a five ball duck to leave the visitors in trouble at 27-3. Chief continued his consistent long spell to get the next two , thanks to a good running catch from Skip and a perfect bail trimmer to bowl Rooke for 17.  

After 22 overs from the opening two , Scott was introduced and opener Mooreman looked to push his slow run rate up with this change of bowling. It would prove to be his downfall , smashing a drive straight to Bhu at mid-on to finally depart for a well-played , watchful 38 from 84 balls. Scott had two more shortly after, removing Kent (caught Skip) and Payne , giving a third catch of the day at point for Spenny.  The score was now 119-8 but the Challow tail wagged with an important 35 run 9th wicket partnership between Bint and Delamore before Tweeks finally stopped the party removing Bint and number 11 Farmer in consecutive balls leaving Challow all out for 154 from 45.3 overs.   

  • Harvey 12-3-41-2 
  • Haine – 15-1-41-3  
  • Saunders – 11-1- 52-3  
  • Weekes- 7.3-2-18-2 

A shade under 46 overs bowled and only 4 bowlers used , some weary legs left the field in optimistic mood , with a seemingly chaseable 155 the target,  at quarter to 4 with the chase to begin on the hour.  

By 5 past the hour we were two down, Col pinned in front 1st ball of the innings and TPL departing bowled through the gate 3 balls later from the bowling of Payne.  A wide got us on the board , but things went from bad to worse, Spenny next to go also LBW for a duck to Payne,  to the delight of the raucous Challow fielders. 1-3 became 7-4 soon after Jonny was bowled by Bint and by the time Binners was through a shot early to give Pill a dolly at short mid-wicket,  hopes of achieving the chase seemed distant. Bint was now full of confidence and his 2 wickets became 4 , removing Bhu and Skip in short order and the archives were being dug out for lowest Wantage total scores at 26-7.  Scotty was in at 8 and at least provided something for the hutch to cheer , hitting Payne for a straight six and hitting Bint for an even bigger one onto the practice nets.  After Will nicked to slip to give Bint his fifer , Chief made his way to the middle , with his proud record of not being dismissed this season and his reputation as an all-rounder to enhance. After guiding one through slip for four , he feathered a good ball from Payne to the impressive Wycherley behind the stumps to dejectedly depart for 5.  A questionable stumping saw Scott last man out and Wantage were dismissed for a disappointing 59 to lose the game by 95 runs. The batting wasn’t good enough after a good effort in the field , but take nothing away from the two Challow bowlers used ,  Payne 4-32 and Bint 6-19 were excellent on the day.   

Wantage will look to make amends in their next game , another tough assignment with an away trip to league leaders East Oxford 2s , looking to repeat a excellent win over the same opponents in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. 

Scott