Testing Times for Ovo
After a weekend that saw contained every possible outcome other than an onfield win (1 match cancelled and 1 abandoned due to bad weather, 1 cup win due to an opposition concession and the club’s first league and cup defeats of the season) Ovo headed into week 4 with the plan of keeping up the momentum of the first 2 weeks. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be with difficult matches and results throughout.
Saturday 16th May, Hovingham 1st XI vs Ovington 2nd XI
Ovington: 130/10 (36.3): Busby 42; Davies 4/25
Hovingham: 80/10 (29.3): Howell 41*
Hovingham won by seven wickets
Scorecard: https://ovington.play-cricket.com/website/results/7351554
First the positives. Everyone found the ground easily enough, although KJ did have to take a 4 mile detour before he got there, Hovingham Hall provides a very picturesque backdrop to play against and nobody ended up in hospital. Other than that, it was all downsides for Ovo 2nds on a very challenging afternoon. Put into bat on a slightly damp wicket, the last thing Ovo needed was to lose quick wickets. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. Sharoon Shazhad, promoted to opening the batting, hit the first ball of the 2nd over for 4 back the bowlers head before slicing the next ball towards the slips. A sharp, one handed catch meant that his long requested chance at the top of the order ended there. At the other end, Kareem Baqai got a good ball to fall LBW without scoring and soon afterwards Jon Bell (making his senior debut for the club) edged behind for 5. Ollie Craven then tested whether the earlier slip catch had been a fluke and found otherwise before Tom Wright, also on league debut and playing gingerly through injury, was also caught in the cordon. Ollie Thrift managed to play watchfully for all of 13 balls before being bowled going for a bug shot and before they knew it, Ovo found themselves 34/6 and staring down an embarrassing total. The one person who was showing resistance was captain Benji Busby (sponsored by the Busby Family) who ensured that at the very least his team would see the opposition change bowlers. He was supported for a while by James “Bahnhof Billy” Wilkinson who played in his unorthodox style on his way to 15 runs before being bowled. Khurram Jillani, having eventually arrived at the ground, was adjudged LBW for 9 and Ovo were 8 down and still nearly 30 runs away from triple figures. There then followed the most substantial partnership of the innings; a watchful, careful and relatively giant 51 runs shared between Busby and Simon Rogerson. Busby was bowled for 42 runs and shortly afterwards Rogerson played around a ball that was very slow but crucially very straight, was hit on the shin and was almost walking off long before the umpire’s finger was raised. The innings closed at 130 in the 37th over, a long way short of the desired total but something at least to bowl at.
When the second innings began, it was Busby and Rogerson who found themselves in the unusual positions of taking the new ball. It intially seemed to be a bad choice when Rogerson dropped the first ball of the 2nd over too short and was deposited over square leg for 6. There then followed an intriguing battle as Rogerson bowled the majority of his 10 over spell to the Hovingham opening bat was trying to take him on and bat aggressively. Two more big sixes over the leg side and 4 additional boundaries would suggest that the batsmen won the battle but only 40 scored off the ten overs in total suggested that it was closer to honours even. Rogerson even eventually took the batsman’s wicket, off his penultimate ball, caught at mid off by Ollie Thrift. However by this time, he had been dropped 3 times off Rogerson’s bowling which may have proven crucial to the outcome of the match. Cliches exist for a reason and having seen the Hovingham team take all their chances, Ovington were reminded that catches can win matches. At the other end, Busby had bowled a tight and economical spell going for just 12 runs off his 7 overs but had only taken 1 wicket (caught by Jon Bell at gully) and so Hovingham still had 8 wickets in hand to chase the 60 runs required to win the game in the 2nd half of their innings. First blood after the drinks break then went to Ovington as Bell picked up his first wicket for the club via an edge caught behind by Craven (Sponsored by S Knowles Motorcycles). Any thoughts that this might lead to an unraveling of the Hovingham chase were quickly dissolved as the ball suddenly started disappearing to all corners of the field and the home team accelerated to victory with 7 wickets and more than 10 overs to spare. Dick Buckley (Sponsored by Kate Buckley – Artist) and Jillani being the bowlers who suffered most as Hovingham scored increasingly freely towards the end of their chase.
A double header over the bank holiday weekend on week 5 allows some opportunity for the 2nd team to get back to winning ways but in this match they finished a distant 2nd.
Saturday 16th May, Ovington 3rd XI vs Saxton 2nd XI
Saxton: 180/7 (40): Veerepalli 61*, Bailey 40; Warner 3/41
Ovington: 134/7 (40): Warner 34, Moorhouse 33; Veerepalli 2/13
Saxton won by 56 wickets
Scorecard: https://ovington.play-cricket.com/website/results/7351688
Another Saturday and another home game for the 3rds at the MCG.
Winning the toss and choosing to bowl Ovington went about their work with a degree of professionalism. Ranjan Bhattacharyya and Gaurav Chandra got us off to a tight start, both Saxton opening batters played shots and every Ovington player fielded brilliantly. This carried on and on, Spencer Fern (sponsored by York Plant Man) and Will Muskett both coming on to bowl and carrying on the in the same vein.
Having reached 75/0 at drinks, Saxton’s two young openers were given a rollicking by the captain Buck, that’s spelt B, U, C & K. Buck then started stalking his batters from the boundary and urging them to hurry up.
It was Fern who took advantage of the change in emphasis with a cahght and bowled to get his team’s first breakthrough. 86/1 soon became 110/7; Fern bowling a batter our, Captain Dave Warner (sponsored by Dunnington Landscapes) bowling 2 more and picking up a third wicket plumb lbw, Ethan Currie nalso took one wicket with a smart delivery and a good catch by Aaron Moorehouse and Ranjan with a quick throw to Warner who threw back and took off the bails for a run out.
Ovington felt on top but only to find themselves on the end of a Saxton come back. Their number 3 hit big and their ex-Middlesex lady’s player ran well. Luke Smith (sponsored by Deniz Kebab) came on to bowl the last 3 overs and created numerous chances but unfortunately Ovington couldn’t keep hold of any of them, none were easy catches but Smith’s figures did zero justice for what he produced. Saxton finished on 180 but Ovington will look back and say they could easily have been chasing 145-155.
Ovington went out to bat and struggled early. Graham Walton got a quick one that nipped off the surface. Smith dropped anchor and led his team up to 10 overs but fell when trying to speed it the run rate.
Moorehouse (sponsored by nutripact) again showed brilliant character to hit any bad balls he recieved for runs and Fern flashed hard. From there wickets fell around every 5 overs and although runs were coming, no one could hardly say they were coming in droves. When Will Stockton fell Ovington were 78/6 and obviously falling short in their chase.
Andrew Tomlinson joined Warner who managed to take advantage whenever the bowlers missed their marks and both ran well in the attempt for Ovington to get themselves very close to bonus points but they fell just short.
It was a good day for Ovington to learn and spend time in the field, which will surely pay dividends as the season progresses.
Man of the match goes to Moorehouse, he batted brilliantly and fielded solidly. Also a special mention for bis actions during the drinks break during his innings, he had little interest in liquid, instead he had a solid vape and strode back out. A man’s man.
Smith’s figures for the day do little to describe how much he did for the team. It was easy for the captain to bowl early and bat at 7 but was reliant on people like Smith did put in the hard yards.
Well done all and we go again next week.
Match reports by Simon Rogerson and Dave Warner. Photo by Ollie Thrift.