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Magdalen College School, Oxford 70 all out (20 overs) Elliot T 3/3        S.Anselm’s 70-5 (24 overs) Ollie R 37

S.Anselm’s narrowly failed to beat arguably the strongest side we’ve faced this term as, needing two runs to win from the final ball of the match, Oliver R was run out attempting the second run as the wicket-keeper just about managed to have the ball in his gloves before he dislodged the bails ... yes, timed matches have ‘limited overs style’ finishes as well! It was the first time in my 203 matches taking the team that both sides had finished with the same score with the team batting second having wickets in hand. We had a tie in 2007: Hill House were all out for 66, Charlie Tear and Oliver Nolan came together for us at 57-9 and our final wicket fell on 66, but today’s match is a draw not a tie!

Bowling a talented team out for just 70 runs was a result of accurate bowling, especially from Elliot T, some very good catches – none were in the ‘outstanding’ category, perhaps, but any one of them might have been dropped and to have taken all six that came our way was most impressive – plus, our speciality, two direct hits to effect run outs as Magdalen paid the penalty for some over optimistic running between the wickets. Well done Andrew C and Jonah G! Well done too, our lucky 50p piece ... I mentioned it earlier in the season, it has a 70% success rate with tosses since first used in 1999. This year we’ve won six tosses out of seven with it and an important one it was today. Isaac S couldn’t find a consistent line and length and Magdalen started confidently and it was a surprise when Alex W took the wicket of their most able batsman. Magdalen gave two who hadn’t had much of a bat on tour a chance at 3 and 4 and, perhaps, the maidens bowled at Ayub gave S.Anselm’s some control and confidence. He was unluckily caught down the legside but Parry struck his first ball from Elliot T straight to cover and when Lewis H took a good catch to dismiss Mase, S.Anselm’s were really on top. Rechter was a good batsmen too, however, but Elliot T, aka Wasim Akram perhaps(?!), continued to deceive the opposition batsmen with his swing from left arm around the wicket. A mistake on my part – you should have opened the bowling. I’m not saying you’d have got Parry and Anderton out for fewer runs than they scored, but it would have allowed you to have had a second spell. Instead 4-2-3-3 was wonderful, but you had to come off! Jonah G had a second batsman ‘strangled’ down the legside and an earlier wicket as Edward S took his first catch in U11 cricket matches but Bell was also allowed to hit three fours, 50-8 became 70 all out ...

If, perhaps, Magdalen weren’t quite the equal of Foremarke as batsmen, they were certainly so as bowlers. Three effective quick bowlers and two talented spinners who, in dropping short a few times, were hit for boundaries by Oliver R and S.Anselm’s were in with a chance of victory. Alex W was dismissed second ball, a strange shot with an angled bat ... play with the full face of the bat to the ball! Elliot T lasted three overs and did well against the opening two bowlers at the peak of their powers for a short time. Magdalen were very supportive of each other in the field and whilst they went a little too far in criticizing some of the shots being played, we could learn a lot from the extra ‘pressure’ their ‘noise’ put on our batsmen. At 8-2 after 4 overs, I thought we’d either lose or, perhaps, end on something like 41-8. I ought to have had more confidence! Oliver R joined Theodore H in another impressive partnership between the two of them! Suddenly Theodore H wasn’t just performing like a talented opening batsman, he actually looked like one too! You do make batting look simple at times ... you either come right forward, or play back, usually in defence, unless the ball is wayward. Full marks today. When the spinners pitched short, 21-2 (12 overs) became 53-2 (16 overs). Oliver R taking full advantage. We needed 18 runs to win in 8 overs. Surely not a problem? I don’t like to panic batsmen into playing silly shots, but suddenly with the returning bowlers the runs dried up, Theodore H was bowled, Edward S was well caught in the covers and Oliver R was scoreless. Frustrating, yes, but overall well done against such a good team!

JMHF