Sun Sets on Winning Season at Ovington
Autumn has fallen over the Vale of York but Ovington Cricket Club’s senior teams can all head into the dark months of the year on a high after a commendable and successful 2024 season.
The 1st Team in particular can bask in their own glory as champions of the Yorkshire Premier League North Division 2 Galtres. Heading into September as league leaders they secured the trophy with two days of contrasting weather and contrasting cricket. Initially, they were forced to sit and watch the rain fall whilst enjoying the excellent facilities available when playing away at Ripon on Saturday 7th September. The skies eventually cleared up enough for play to begin but only after the match had been reduced to 20 overs per side. At the end of the first innings, Ovington may have felt that they had not made the most of their opportunity by only scoring 90/9. Jacob Lamb top scored with 20 and there were some useful contributions from the lower order but the team would have wanted a more comfortable total to defend. Not for the first time it was the bowlers who came to the rescue but not before a couple of scares on the way. Ripon were going well before their opener was run out by Montgomery Grenyer but even then the home team went on the reach 76-7 and were eyeing up victory. Eventually, Ovington came out victorious after Dom Kitching came back on to take the last two wickets in two balls to bowl Ripon out for 86 and see his side home for a nerve shredding 4 run victory.
The following week was all together a more comfortable day as the first team beat Rufforth in the sunshine at home on 14th September. Batting first again, Ovo turned around at tea much happier than the previous week having been bowled out in the final over for 228 runs. Thomas “MVP” Cookson scored a dominant 86 at the top of the order and it took an excellent catch on the boundary to stop him signing off for the season with a century. Captain Thomas Armes also played a very Armsian innings with a quick-fire 34 off 21 at number 7. Rufforth never looked like chasing that total down but in the end their innings fell away very sharply as fast bowler Matthew “Wright here, Wright now” finished with extraordinary figures of 7/7 off 6.4 overs. And with Ovington were free to enjoy a few drinks and the cooking of Chef Warner safe in the knowledge that they were division champions.
The 2nd team had stated that their season aim was to win the final ever York Vale Cricket League but in the end finished a commendable 2nd. A young Ovo team started September in the wet at South Cave on 7th September before coming through to claim an impressive win. Batting first, Ovo reached 145/6 off their rain reduced allocation of 25 overs. Opener Noah Morgan topped scored with 65 ably assisted by 39 from Oliver Dodson. Ovo stuck to their task well in reply as South Cave came dangerously close to chasing down their score but some excellent death bowling from Owen “Every man has is” Price (6 overs 3 for 20) saw Ovo home as South Cave finished on 139/7.
This proved to be the 2nd team’s only result of the month as their match the following week at home to Ben Johnson as called off after the away team conceded. Although Ovo used their free day efficiently to have a inter club 20-20 which saw Harry’s Hamsters comprehensively defeat Jack’s Jellyfish. The 2nd team also had two attempts to play the final ever HPH Cup Final vs Heworth. Both attempts fell victim to the autumnal rain although not before Jacob Lamb impressed with an excellent 80 in the first attempt. The final will be attempted again next year by which point the 2nd team will be plying their trade in the Yorkshire Premier League North.
The 3rd team will also be playing in the YPLN next season and also finished their season in a very healthy second place in their table. The 3rds started the month with a comprehensive dismantling of Bolton Percy played away on Sunday 1st September. Oliver Dodson topped scored with 92 but his century push ended when he was rather bizarrely caught by his own captain Dave Warner who was guest fielding for the home team. Warner (who, whilst fielding earlier had also run out Tom James) and Harry Eckersley-Wilson (36 n.o) then hit some quick late order runs to push Ovington’s total up to 237/8. The Ovo bowlers acquitted themselves equally well to bowl out Bolton Percy for 87. Warner continued his redemption tour to finish with figures of 3/15.
A see saw game the following week ended in defeat for the 3rds at home vs Pocklington on 7th September. Guest captain and part time dog breeder Luke Smith must have felt he had the opposition in a good position as his side batted first and scored 161 all out (Khurram Jillani top scoring with 38) before reducing Pocklington to 47-5 in reply with 2 wickets each for Andy Baldwin and Ollie Thrift. However, his side were unable to take any more wickets as a 100+ partnership from Pocklington saw them claim the day. The 3rd team’s season ended in the same way as the entire season had started with a scheduled game vs Stamford Bridge washed out without a ball being bowled.
Although that concludes the cricket for 2024, there are more things to look forward to including an end of season curry night currently scheduled for Saturday October 12th (all welcome) and of course the presentation evening and AGM to come in December.