OCCC 114 for 2 (18.3 overs: Ealham 55*, Cope 42) beat Marlborough Blues 113 (36.2 overs: Dahl 4-13, Thorpe 2-20) by eight wickets
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The OCCC eased into the third round of the Cricketer Cup with an eight-wicket defeat of Marlborough Blues in a match which barely went beyond the halfway point.
Although the weather on the morning was fine and sunny heavy overnight rain had left the pitch moist and the outfield slow, making it a good toss for us to win.
Marlborough had posted a daunting 421 for 7 in the previous round – the fourth highest Cricketer Cup score ever – but in conditions which favoured the bowlers they struggled. Sam Dickson and Gabe Hammond struck in their second overs, although Elijah Samuel and Max Dunne steadied the ship to take the Blues to 46 for 2.
As is so often the case, the introduction of spin changed the game, Nathan Thorpe dismissed Dunne with his fourth ball, well caught under the oak by George Ealham, and in the next over Ealham had Samuel caught behind.
Again a small but dogged partnership seemed set to frustrate when Tom Wheeler took a stunning one-handed catch at mid-off off a rasping drive from Will Hammersley, exposing a long tail.
Angus Dahl, like Dickson had playing league cricket this year and so keen an available for us, then came on for his first bowl since September. He immediately found his line, albeit with a couple of rusty full tosses which he got away with, and had little trouble in polishing off the tail aided by Wheeler at the other end. A total of 113 was never likely to threaten on a track losing its threat and an outfield getting quicker by the over.
Alex Bovill opened with the veteran captain Alan Cope and the latter showed his intentions with a towering straight six off a free hit in the second over. The departure of Bovill in the fourth over brought in Ealham who, after a circumspect start, cut loose with Cope looking increasingly in touch at the other end.
By the time Cope was bowled by the one ball of the day which shot along the ground we were 75 for 2 and easing home. Ealham and Michael Burgess then took on the bowling, Ealham smashing 24 off six balls including three sixes at the death as we ambled home with over 30 overs to spare.