Harry Hammers Century in Cup
Week 3 of the 2025 season saw another young batsmen score an impressive century in a Sunday cup game. But before then, once more Ovington notched up 2 wins but fell short of making it a clean sweep.
Saturday 10th May, Pickering 2nd XI vs Ovington 1st XI
Ovington: 197/6 (45); Lamb 46, Whale 35
Pickering: 201/5 (39.1); Hill 86, Smith 80*; Kitching 3/38
Pickering won by five wickets
Scorecard: https://ovington.play-cricket.com/website/results/6777225
An unusually subdued showing by Ovington at the Pickering Recreation Ground saw them slip to a second consecutive defeat of the season, as a subpar score was knocked off in good time by a 176-run third-wicket partnership between Hill and Smith for Pickering.
Having won the toss and elected to bat on what looked a good wicket in beautiful spring sunshine, Ovington would have hoped to post a challenging total against Pickering’s strong batting line-up. However, their faltering innings never really take off due to a number of the top order batsmen making start but none going on to make match-defining contribution. All eight of those who batted reached double figures but a top score of 46 from Ovington’s player of the match, Jacob Lamb (sponsored by Badger Elite Cricket Coaching), was not enough to set up a big 200-plus score which the conditions indicated was necessary.
After Charlie Buckley fell to a good, sprawling catch by D Greenlay at third man, Joe Whale kept the scoreboard moving with some punchy off-side shots before falling to Greenlay’s bowling. Greenlay combined well with T Horsley to squeeze the run rate and tie Ovington down. Greenlay went for just 28 in his 12 overs, whilst Horsley tested the limits of physics for how slow a ball could be bowled, frustrating the Ovington batsmen who struggled to get him away. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as Ovington failed to build a meaningful partnership. No partnership was below 20 but none were higher than the 43 put on by Lamb and Tom Armes (Sponsored by CDA Energy Services).
Despite a bit of late-innings acceleration, with some busy boundary hitting and running from the middle order, the shackles were never truly broken. In the end Pickering held Ovington below 200, the innings closing on 197/6 of the allotted 45 overs. Whilst Ovington defended several lower totals in their Division 2 campaign last season, the conditions at Pickering suggested this would require quite a special effort.
Ovington’s bowling efforts started with good energy, as Olly Garner Steel and Dom Kitching (Sponsored by the Everard Family) found some life with the new ball and challenged the Pickering batsmen. Kitching successfully yorked C Frank, and Garner Steel followed that up, dismissing A Ibbotson cheaply, caught rather painfully by Lamb at mid-on (who gained a seam mark in an unwanted place for his efforts!). This left Pickering 26/2 and at risk of crumbling to an enlivened Ovington bowling attack.
After the 15-over drinks break, however, the wheels came off for Ovington. An uncharacteristically wayward bowling display, coupled with some lacklustre fielding saw Smith and Hill settle in and tick the score along at a healthy rate, contrasting sharply with how Pickering kept scoring tight when bowling. Matthew Wright and Neil Metcalfe both came under fire as the back of the chase was broken.
Whilst Dick Buckley (Sponsored by Josh Fletcher) showed a little more control, the damage was done. Kitching was brought back to try and wrest back some momentum, and did briefly offer a glimmer of hope for Ovington as Hill fell for an excellent 86 from 73 balls having tried once more to go down the ground but mistiming it to give Lamb a more comfortable catch. From 182/2, Pickering subsided to 184/5 giving Ovington some thoughts of snatching at least a couple of points as Buckley picked up an LBW and Kitching and Lamb combined for another catch.
Smith remained solid at the other end and quashed any lingering hopes of a fightback. His well-constructed innings of 80* off 110 balls took Pickering home with no further drama, leaving Ovington to reflect on an inconsistent and sloppy showing.
The team next face Easingwold on The Mire as they hope to get some points to get their season going properly.
Saturday 10th May, Ovington 2nd XI vs Barwick in Elmet 2nd XI
Ovington: 177/5 (19.3); Garner Steel 50, Busby 31; Harrison 3/58
Barwick: 159/10 (38.4); Latham 44; Price 4/45, Rogerson 3/34
Ovington won by 18 runs
Scorecard: https://ovington.play-cricket.com/website/results/6779499
On a day which couldn’t decide whether it was blasting hot summer or wind driven spring, Ovington 2nd XI hosted Barwick in Elmet on The Knavesmire with at least one team bound to lose their 100% win record for the season.
Ovington were put in to bat having lost the toss but soon started putting runs on the board. Openers Kareem Baqai and Will Hampel rode their luck slightly with edges flying to third man but also pulled out a number of quality strokes to get their team off to a good start. Baqai fell for a run a ball score of 30 and Hampel was dismissed in the next over to be replaced at the crease by juniors Oliver Craven and Ashley Garner Steel, batting hero in the previous week’s 3rd XI game. The combination of young batsmen, accurate bowling and a docile wicket all conspired to bring in a period of slow scoring with Ovington reaching 54/2 at the halfway point of their innings. A huge credit is due to the two batters for not giving in to frustration and impatience but instead fighting through the challenge without giving their wickets away. When Craven (sponsored by CDA Energy) eventually fell for 17, captain Benji Busby (sponsored by Valentino’s York) came to the crease to try and hurry the scoring along. Soon afterwards, once AGS had slowly made his way up to 20, he suddenly flipped a switch and began playing a series of aggressive shots. By now being watched on by a plethora of past and present club legends, Ovington’s latest batting sensation swept and drove hard as he managed to hit 8 boundaries and a 6 on his way to his second successive 50 for the club. Well played young man. Unfortunately, Ashley fell almost immediately afterwards and soon Busby was caught having skied a catch after harrying his way to 31 runs. Wanting quick runs and big hitting, Ovington sent out the classic combination of a nurse and a chorister. Sharoon Shahzad and Freddie Foster (for it was they) subsequently helped Ovington plunder more than 40 runs off the final 4 overs of the innings to push their team’s final total to 177/5 off their 40 overs. A handy total on a pitch that was showing plenty of uneven bounce and one that proved that hard work and sensible heads will be rewarded if they stick to their tasks.
As has become tradition this season, Owen Price took the first wicket of the reply with a low catch taken by Foster at midwicket. Price, who had been backed up well by a tight opening spell by Spencer Fern (sponsored by DWUFB), followed this breakthrough by bowling the other Barwick opening bat. The Barwick innings then somewhat followed the same pattern as the 1st innings as they appeared to be creeping up to a similar half way score as Ovington had earlier managed. That was before Busby managed to trap one of the Barwick batters LBW in the final over before drinks to leave the score at 60/3.
Benji Busby (left) opts for height with his shots while Freddie Foster (centre) cuts to point and Sharoon Shahzad (right) drives for runs. Photos by Liam Herringshaw
At this point, a number of the younger Ovington players began to feel the effects of recent illnesses with the Ovington outfield showing more pallid features and drooping shoulders than a typical Victorian orphanage. Although it should be be said that all the young lads fought through their illnesses admirably. Meanwhile, veteran bowler Simon Rogerson stuck to his Sisyphean task of getting through the middle overs and pushing back the boulder of the Barwick attempts to raise their run rate and chase down Ovington’s total. Once again, perseverance was justly rewarded with Rogerson bowling both of the set batsmen to give his team a welcome boost. Soon after a return shot was hit back over Rogerson’s head; stretching up to his full height, reaching up as far as his arms could stretch and jumping as athletically as his legs could manage, Rogerson was said to reach a grand total of almost 5 foot 6 inches high and was as surprised as anybody to realise that the ball had lodged firmly in his palm. He was even later accused of doing an double windmill celebration due to the shock. Dom Everard, now bowling well at the other end, trapped another batsman LBW to leave Barwick 118-7 but any hope Ovington may have had of wrapping up the innings quickly were soon dashed. Price returned to take one of the remaining wickets, caught by Hampel at point, but with the away team pushing 150 runs, it required a competent piece of fielding by Everard and Price to affect a run-out for the 9th wicket. Price then bowled the Barwick number 11 to complete the victory with 18 runs still required.
Owen Price (left) and Spencer Fern (centre) opened the bowling in the win for Ovington 2nd XI with Simon Rogerson (right) coming on for the middle overs. Photos by Liam Herringshaw
An away trip to Scholes with a potentially reduced team awaits Ovington 2nd XI but whatever happens, it has been a good and enjoyable start to the season for the team.
Saturday 10th May, Ovington 3rd XI v Stockton & Hopgrove 2nd XI
Stockton: 34/10 (17.2); Warner 5/16, Jillani 5/18
Ovington: 37/2 (4.4); Walton 19* ; Herath 2/4
Ovington won by eight wickets
Scorecard: https://ovington.play-cricket.com/website/results/6780093
Ovington 3rd team hosted Stockton & Hopgrove on Saturday 10th May. After losing the toss and been asked to bowl, Captain Dave Warner gave a rousing team talk telling everyone it was going to be a stinker for 3 hours and try not to melt. The opposite was actually true.
Brandon Bishop just missed the start due to work meaning Warner (sponsored by Dunnington Landscapes) took the ball just to see an over or so off. He subsequently took the wicket in the first over of ex-Ovington player Ben Morrison, which gave his team some early energy and the boys rolled on from there.
Khurram Jillani bowled beautifully from the ‘please don’t put the windows through’ end whilst Warner bowled very slowly from the ‘please don’t put it in the football pitches’ end. In tandem they tore through Stockton at regular intervals, backed up by some quick fielding from Ranjan Bhattacharrya, Joe Naish and Jacob Mellows meaning that the scoreboard certainly wasn’t ticking over. Will Muskett, playing his first game of the year was covering the boundaries and doing it well. Andrew Tomlinson behind the stumps was as solid as ever and in the end the innings fell apart, Stockton were 35 all out and it was 5 wickets a piece for KJ and Warner. Amazingly, 9 of the Stockton batters were out bowled with only one LBW for Warner spoiling the perfect score book.
A special mention goes to Bishop who displayed one of the worst drops ever seen at Millthorpe off Warner’s bowling yet at the other end managed to perform an Olympic winning floor routine to stop a single for KJ, very impressive indeed.
Five wicket heroes Khurram Jillani (left) and Dave Warner (right). Photo by Luke Smith.
A quick turnaround followed and although Stockton took a couple of wickets, from what looked to be a high quality spinner, it all proved in vain. Graham Walton swivelled for four lovely pull shots and Sam Walsh on debut for the club hit the ball to all parts in an entertaining cameo. Ovington knocked it off in 4.4 overs and the captain thought he might still be in bed dreaming.
Another good day by all. Smith this week came with a bag of apple slices, the team were unsure whether they were for himself or a horse that lives on his route home but he’s a hell of a vice captain regardless.
Player of the match goes to Khurram Jillani, 5 wickets and some of the deliveries were quite literally unplayable.
Sunday 11th May, Ovington 3rd XI vs Heslington 3rd XI
Ovington: 221/5 (20); Eckersley-Wilson 109, Stockton 64*; Fairclough 3/42
Heslington: 115/3 (20); Thakur 31; Bhattacharyya 1/13
Ovington won by 106 runs
Scorecard: https://ovington.play-cricket.com/website/results/6881826
Sunday saw the 3rds play Heslington in the T20 Deals Daddy Trophy. There was the welcome return of some loveable faces and having chosen the cup name of the Ovington Otters, the team were keen to get their teeth into the game.
With Heslington winning the toss but electing to bowl, Captain Warner (sponsored by Dunnington Landscapes) sent the young guns out. Jacob Mellows must be wondering when old men will stop pulling off diving catches as he fell early on. After that it was basically the Harry Eckersley-Wilson show. Ollie Thrift, Dave Warner and Charlie Dodds played around the wunderkind as Ovo went from 5/1 to 104/4 before any of the spectators even had the chance to blink. Most of the game involved watching EW smash the ball to all parts, even landing one on the Millthorpe 4G on his way to striking 14 fours and 6 sixes. When he was joined by Will Stockton most of those present probably felt like it would all calm down before a final late push, but how wrong they were. Stockton played beautifully for his 64* with a strike rate of 221, which on another day would have been been the stand out performance of the match. As they say if it isn’t broke don’t fix it, so Stockton continually scored runs down to a vacant lot on the 45 degree leg side boundary. Young Mr EW didn’t let up and the baying crowd were soon on their feet to rapturously applaud his first ton in senior cricket, eventually reaching a score 109 off only 52 balls. He did fall late in the innings but junior player Ed Bolt joined the crease and kept the fun going. The Otters finished their 20 over allocation at 221/5, with more than 200 of those runs coming off the bat.
A quick swap over and Ranjan Bhattacharyya struck early with Stockton following up his batting by taking a smart catch in the field. Brandon Bishop was consistent as ever and got a deserved wicket for his efforts, he should have had another but Warner was half asleep and could only parry his attempt at the catch. Harry EW bowled very well on return, picking up a very deserved wicket. Euan Trower, hair flowing in the wind, returned after a long hiatus from the game and tied Heslington down with his bowling. By then the game was out of reach for the away side even as they were playing some aggressive shots of their own. Dodds and Bolt took the thankless task of bowling 2 very good death overs a piece, both unlucky not to take wickets after a couple of balls went high into the air. Mellows and Bolt each made valiant efforts to get under huge bombs on the boundary and although neither were able to take the catch, each attempt was exemplary and set the standard for team of putting bodies on the line.
Thanks are due to Olly Craven for scoring and Spencer Fern for umpiring although Warner could have been removed from the game for holding the umpires arms and not allowing him to signal a wide. However, figures are figures and poor old Spencer is on dog food for the foreseeable. A last mention goes to Graham Walton and Thrift, giant keeping and fielding performances from the pair setting a high standard the rest followed.
After long deliberation and healthy discussions, Player of the Match was eventually awarded to Harry EW and the Otters go again in round 2. There is a chance that they may meet the 2nd team in a later round of the cup and, on the evidence of this display, would fancy their chances of passing that test as well.
Match reports by Matthew Wright, Simon Rogerson and Dave Warner. Photos by Liam Herringshaw and Luke Smith.