Ovington fight for silverware on multiple fronts
Each of Ovington’s three senior teams enter the final straight of the 2024 season with all to play for and the prospect of winning some silverware. On the way there have been some great results, some days to forget and some outstanding performances including 2 maiden centuries.
The 1st team started August with what eventually became a comfortable victory at home vs Osbaldwick on 3rd August. However this did not come without an almighty scare as Ovo batted first and found themselves slumping to 48/7. It was brothers Alex and Oliver Garner-Steel who rescued the day with Alex continuing his good season to top score with 44. Older brother Ollie is primarily in the team as a bowler but Ovo were very grateful for his score of 42 to help the team reach a competitive score of 143 all out. In the end this proved too much as they bowled their visitors out for just 77 with 5 wickets for spinner Thomas Cookson and other wickets shared out amongst the other bowlers.
The following week saw the team in a thriller away at Duncombe Park on 10th August. Batting first and with no batsman reaching 20, a below par score of 116 all out left Ovington in a precarious situation but their nerves would have then been settled after taking the first 5 Duncombe Park wickets for just 30 runs. However, the home team showed determination and dug in with a 57 run 6th wicket partnership that was finally ended by Cookson. Dom Kitchen came back into the attack after taking 2 early wickets to take another 2 of the remaining wickets but it was not until Duncombe had got within 2 runs of the Ovington team that Kitch took his 5th and Ovington’s final wicket to snatch the tightest of wins.
The 1sts were in another exciting game away at Pannal on 24th August but once again came out on top. Bowling first on a notoriously batsman friendly ground, Ovington initially felt they had contained the home team successfully only for opposition opener Rob Ellis to accelerate towards a fine century and help Pannal to a total of 212/4 in their 45 overs. Ovington captain Tom Armes, in the unusual spot of opening the batting, played the anchor role and with support from Jacob Lamb brought his team up towards their target. However once Armes fell for 75 and Lamb for 39 with plenty of runs still required there was a genuine risk the game could go either way. It needed a burst of runs from Tim Burgess (26 not out) and Matthew Wright (22 not out) for Ovington to win with 4 wickets to spare.
Unfortunately, in between these two tight wins the 1st team suffered a frustrating defeat at home against their nearest league rivals New Earswick on 17th August. Batting first, Ovington scored a more than respectable 205/4 with the highlight being a maiden 1st team 50 for Montgomery Grenyer who top scored with 52. Alex Garner Steel and Captain Armes also scored 40s with Armes’ 43 coming off only 23 balls in a late blast. However, with both of New Earswick star batsmen coming to the party and performing well and despite 4 wickets for Dom Kitchen, the away side reached their total with plenty of overs and wickets to spare.
Even with this set back, Ovington remain top of their division with 3 matches still to play and their fate firmly in their own hands.
The 2nd team started the month with a comfortable victory at home against Heworth on 3rd August. Lucas “Can we have some” Moore continued his fine recent form with 56 at the top of the Ovington order and David Heaton top scored with an aggressive 79. More runs from James Wilkinson and Sharoon Shahzad pushed Ovington up to an above par score of 250. This became an even harder task for Heworth after brothers Jack and Harry Eckersley-Wilson took 3 wickets each at the top of the order. Heworth’s middle order then put up some resistance before Owen Price came on to take 4 wickets and bowl the away team out for 134.
The following week saw the 2nd team avenge a defeat earlier in the season to beat Thorpe Willoughby away on 10th August. The undoubted star of the day was Jacob Lamb who scored a classy and decisive maiden hundred to finish with 105 off 100 balls. As a result of Lamb’s efforts, Ovington reached a total of 212 all out which once again proved too much for their opposition. Dominic Everard took two wickets in the second over of the innings, Simon Rogerson took 4 wickets and captain Benji Busby took 3 wickets for 1 run off 4 overs to bowl out their opposition for 126 runs.
Hot on the heals of 1 maiden hundred, the following week saw a second in two weeks as Ovington 2nd team won comprehensively at home vs Clifton Alliance on 17th August. This time it was Lucas Moore who capped off an excellent run to score his first century for the club. Despite a relatively slow start, he soon got into the swing of things playing his usual array of pulls and drives to reach a final total 101 off 97 balls. Other batsmen chipping in saw Ovington reach a total of 260/9. Once again this proved too much for the opposition who reached a total of 90 all out. Harry Eckersley Wilson took 4 wickets with his brother Jack, Simon Rogerson and Owen Price taking 2 wickets a piece.
Unfortunately, it appears as if the 2nd team’s title hunt will fall short as they endured a day to forget away at league leaders Selby on 24th August. Batting first, Ovington only scraped a measly 64 all out and even though they took 4 wickets in reply they never looked like winning the day. Although not entirely out of the reckoning, they now require other results to go their way for them to have any chance of taking the title. It was a different story away against the same opposition in a cup semi final on 15th August. Batting first in a 16 over game Ovington initially bided their time before eventually playing a very well judged innings of 129/2. Heaton top scored with 50 with Kareem Baqui and Jacob Lamb backing him up with 40 and 20 respectively. Breadstick Everard set the tone in reply with some excellent bowling that was backed up by Jack Eckersley Wilson, Captain Busby and Owen Price to limit Selby to 77/8. With the final against (and at) Heworth on 8th September, the 2nds are still hoping to add to the trophy cabinet this season.
The 3rd team also have an outside shot at topping their division but also require other results to go their way. The team is flying high at the moment, unbeaten in August and will hope they have enough momentum to sneak it come the day of reckoning. They started the month with a win away at Selby on 3rd August. Simon Fricke the Quick showed his skills extend beyond being a top notch secretary to open the bowling and take 5 wickets and under 15s Noah Gofforth and Spencer Fern took 3 and 2 wickets respectively to bowl their hosts out for 122. Fellow junior Will Hampel then impressed with the bat to top score with an excellent 40 as Ovington knocked off their total with 4 wickets to spare.
The following day the 3rd team gave their title hopes a major boost with a win away against lead leaders Wheldrake on 4th August. Lucas Moore’s good form (see above) included an excellent 87 runs here and Will Hampel scored his maiden senior half century with an eye catching 58. Ovington’s total of 176/6 off their 40 overs was something approaching par and required some good bowling to back it up and so they were grateful to openers Harry Eckersley Wilson and Spencer Fern each taking wickets in their first over. Captain Dave Warner then smelt some cheap wickets and brought himself on to take a 5 fer to help bowl Wheldrake out for 97.
The 3rd team’s excellent form continued the following week as they beat Dunnington at home on 10th August. The star of the show was Noah Morgan who top scored with 63 runs, ably supported by junior Oliver Craven who scored 37. Some late hitting from James Gofforth pushed Ovington up to a round total of 200/8 off their allotted overs. Simon Fricke and mystery spinner Luke Smith got through plenty of overs in reply and took a couple of wickets each to limit Dunnington to 158/6 off their own allotment of overs to ensure another Ovington victory.
After having been granted full points when Acomb conceded their fixture due on 18th August, the 3rd team finished the month with a victory at home against Heworth on the 24th of the month. Facing a potential shortage of hands, Captain Warner sent out an SOS call to occasional players which was answered in style by Uwin Waidyaratne who top scored with 46. Other players chipped in to push Ovington’s total up to 166/9. Khurram Jillani had also answered the SOS and subsequently took 4 wickets and along with 2 wickets each for Warner and Liam Herringshaw, kept the visitors down to 135/9.
Although we are hoping to get our hands on some or all of these trophies, whatever happens in the rest of the season, all teams have acquitted themselves well and should be proud of their efforts this season.