OCCC 311 for 9 (Crump 54) beat Haileybury Hermits 76 (Thorpe 5-10) by 235 runs
We got our Cricketer Cup 2018 campaign off to a flying start with an emphatic 235-run win over the Haileybury Hermits.
With the team looking pretty strong and a bowling line up full of spinners, captain for the first time in this competition, Seren Waters, won the toss and with no hesitation on what looked like a good wicket that was likely to take some spin later in the day.
Waters and Jack Scriven got us off to a flyer with some assistance from some wayward open bowling and we reached 77 for 0 off the first 10 overs. With things going well, we then had a minor stumble, where a flurry of wickets; first Seren (33) bowled playing for some turn when the opposition changed tactics for some spin, then Jack Scriven (36) was stumped brilliantly down the leg side. Angus Dahl(38) and Alan Cope (37) steadied the ship before the former knicked off, then his new partner Bruno Broughton edged the first ball that spun for 15 and Cope then miss-timed a pull shot.
This brought ex-skipper Matt Crump and Lewis Bedford to the crease. Both took their time and batted patiently re-building from what had been a brilliant start to a floundering middle… Crump eventually holed out for 55 and Bedford went for 48, a brilliant sixth-wicket stand of 113 and really putting us in firm control of the game. The remaining batters chipped in nicely and we ended up 311- for 9.
We opened up with a familiar but not typical option – Jack Scriven and his misley off spin with Sam Dickson at the other end keeping it nice and tight. Scriv picked up three early wickets which rather stalled the opposition’s reply before it got going and they never recovered; Toms hit some big sixes but it was really a flash in the pan. Hailebury bowled out for 76. Nathan Thorpe, one of four Cricketer Cup debutants, took 5 for 10, showing impressive control and plenty of drift and spin.
Our next assignment is Sherbourne away who will no doubt provide a much tougher test.