WAGS v Oxenford 3rd August 2024 – Match report

With the skipper away in deepest Wales with no phone signal for the week preceding the match, VC Willbury stepped up to the plate and ended up with far more admin than necessary – team selection, changes of venue, parking restrictions and organising lift shares! For the man who is always late (even to his home Oxford matches) this was a tall ask, however all 11 arrived (some on time, some late, and much to everyone’s disbelief, Wilbury was 30 minutes early – and didn’t invite any of the team to his ‘team’ breakfast out!)

Worcester College was the setting, and a beautiful location at that. A few scuffles in the car park with the wedding party and the reserved parking put aside, the batters in the team managed to persuade skip to bat first should he win the toss…talk of a road and plenty of runs was what was sold to him… So toss won and batting first was the decision.

Said runs did not materialise and a pitch with no demons in it managed to produce demons. Mercer and Burdett started watchfully with eyes on setting a solid base, before Mercer pulled out his favourite shot and guided one to midwicket. TPL in at 3, with the skippers prematch team talk still ringing in his ears, gambled with the run out odds of 1 in 10…and managed to pick the 1 – don’t take him to play the tables with you! Spencer came in and picked up where he left off last week with some glorious shots – quickly moving the score along to 42 before Burdett knocked one behind. 42-3 was not the start WAGS had planned. So, fresh from a 5 hour drive home, skipper joined the birthday boy in the middle. When these two get going, they get going…but it requires them to hit the ball and for some unknown reason, Spenny decided to leave a straight one and watched his off stump get clattered into. 47-4. Welcome to the crease on debut for Tom R – not the position he expected to be in when he joined up with the team. Tom stuck around as per orders for a while but fell LBW for 4. IC the next man in – and also the next man out. Willbury joined his skipper, who was enjoying the spin spin combination Oxenford were bowling and starting to put his shots together – the sweep became a particular favourite with the absence of fielders behind square on the leg side. Willbury fell and the score was 104-7. Mabbs strode out to the crease and played a very sensible and measured innings, supporting his skipper who brought up his half century. With few overs left JC played one too many shots and picked out deep midwicket to fall for 58. JJ in at 10 – see out the overs was the message – 2 balls later he was striding back to the pavilion as the proud new owner of the duck shorts. Bhavik in at 11 and with Mabbs falling a few balls later, WAGS were all out for 133.

A tall ask to win from here but WAGS, as always, entered the field with optimism. Bhavik and Mabbs opened the bowling and kept the runs down, however Oxenford had a game plan and were happy to sit tight. IC thrown the ball to temp them in to playing shots picked up a wicket first over with their opener playing a similar shot to Mercer and picking out Tom at midwicket – 1st catch for the 1s and a jug earned. Willbury toiled for no reward, JC had a go but no luck. JJ then bowled a lovely spell of 9 overs for 26 runs, picking up the 2nd wicket where the shot ball plan worked and the lefty picked out Tom at deep backward square leg…always satisfying when a plan works. Oxenford then shut up shop for a number of overs, requiring 4 to win, as their skipper was on 49 and had fallen a few times already on this magic number this season. Friendly chat from WAGS ensued before he finally managed to knock the winning run and get his 50. 

Credit to Oxenford for a well played match and a deserved win – far outplayed us today. 

So, onto the fun stuff.

Awards.

Pigs – in fairness this was a shoe in from the moment he left the straight one – Spenny accepted the award gracefully.

Vibes – went to skip for his switch hit for 4.

MOM – also went to skip for his 58.

Roll on Garsington next week – another tough fixture but one we will aim to improve for.