Saturday

Deddington (H) OCA Div 4

The day started well, with promising sunshine and happy Wantage players, the only sour note being Ian mistakenly giving Tim's brother the finger, believing it was TPL himself. That aside spirits were good as Colin again lost the toss and we were sent out to field first. Mabbs had unfortunately forgotten the correct pair of pants, and was forced to wear some genuine budgie smugglers which by all accounts cut most of the blood supply to his nether regions and made him exceedingly uncomfortable. However no such problems were facing Grant and Duncan…continue reading →

Chesterton (A) OCA Div 4

A return to the scene of our great failure of last season, and we were hoping lightning wouldn't strike twice. Lightning of another sort, however, did seem likely with rain predicted for later in the day, so Colin won the toss and got us bowling first, partly with a view to capturing some early wickets before the rain, and so getting some points, and partly so if we had to play later our bowlers wouldn't have to struggle with the wet ball. As it was we took to the field in swirling winds.…continue reading →

Eynsham (H) – OCA Div 4

Finally the opportunity to play some cricket after some weather that could only be described as atrocious, and Colin lost the toss again. So we were put into bat on a very damp pitch under conditions that, as the scorebooks made clear, were sunny for a change. In the absence of Ben, Colin opened the batting with Nibbler, and this proved to be a masterstroke as the two of them batted and batted and batted for the first 35 overs of the game. They accumulated slowly at first, but that didn't look to…continue reading →

Great Horwood (A) – OCA Div 4

An away trip known to us after last year, but in drastically different conditions, we rolled up in the scorching heat and did some early team-building exercises with a football on Great Horwood's unique ground with its characteristic slope and ridge on one side. Colin lost the toss as has become his standard for this year, so we found ourselves batting first again. For the first time in a long while we were entering a match without our standard opening pair, so Colin and Ryan took the job. Colin played some good shots…continue reading →

Fringford (H) – OCA Div 4

Finally our first league game of the season after the inclement weather, although it was still very grey. Colin lost the toss and we were put in for the second week in a row. Eager to see what new challenges Division 4 bowling could bring, Ben and NiBbler resumed their opening partnership for the first time this year. Nick chased a good ball from Bacon early on and edged behind, so it was to Colin and Ben that the job of seeing off some very tight and accurate bowling fell. This they did…continue reading →

Chipping Norton (H) – Telegraph Cup Preliminary Round

Finally a competitive match, even if it was a cup game against an under-strength Chippy side. Fate had dictated that for the third season in a row we would be participating in the preliminary round, and this time in a new cup with some higher quality teams in. It was therefore an early opportunity to get tested by a division three side. Chippy won the toss and made the only sensible decision in the circumstances – asking us to bat on a very damp pitch which could only get drier throughout the day.…continue reading →

Inaugural Columbus Darts Championship: Team I (Ian, Grant, Colin) vs Team D (Dave, Duncan, Nib)

The air was thick and heavy with tension as these two fine teams stepped up to the plate to contest this most important of championships. Nick had been renamed Derek so as to be associable with Team D, meaning Colin and Grant adopted new nicknames too, of Ignatius and Indiana. Early pressure told as captains Ian and Dave played closest to bull and Team I pulled off an early victory. The match momentum was with Team D, however, as they took what many felt would be an unassailable 5 point lead after the…continue reading →

Swinbrook (A) – OCA League Div 5

The weather was a bit miserable as we met up at the club for the final league game of the season, although spirits were high as usual as we contemplated the remote possibility of snatching the title from under Cairns Fudge’s nose. This would require a 30 points win and for Fudge to underperform to the tune of less than 7 points. This seemed unlikely. However we got in our usual convoy and headed off to Swinbrook in chirpy mood despite the weather. Moods were dampened slightly by the prospect of the pudding…continue reading →

Horley II – Away – OCA League

With promotion secured, we travelled to Horley amid talk of reversed batting and bowling orders. That was, however, unlikely to happen considering Horley were an unknown quantity after the home game fell victim to the weather and recently they had beaten league leaders Cairns Fudge. That we arrived at the ground at all was something of an achievement because the postcode on the OCA website took us to a village a few miles away. It was worth the trip though, with the ground attractively situated and the covers just being removed as we…continue reading →

Chesterton – Home – OCA League

For our last home game of the year, we faced Chesterton, who we had beaten in the cup, but been smashed beyond sight in the league. However, the difference this time was in knowing that a win would put us beyond Chesterton in second place and secure promotion with two games left to play. After last season’s final day heroics that would seem a bit of an anti-climax but nonetheless we were all keen and ready despite the early morning deluge which looked like it might prevent us playing. As it happened we…continue reading →