Olney Town Cricket Club Olney Town CC 1st XI v Soulbury CC on Sat 28 Apr 2007 at
Olney Town Cricket Club Won by 83 runs
Match Report – 28/04/2007
Olney Town 1st XI Vs Soulbury
Olney went into the first game of the season with great optimism, a new captain, new signings and promotion from the seconds for spin prospect “birds nest”. Following a successful winter net program and an encouraging first couple of outdoor nets Captain Keeping and his Vice captains “Chapster” & “Best Mate” were confident of a full 30 points.
Things didn’t start as planned with the toss being lost only for the Soulbury skipper to ask Olney to bat, this was a result as that’s what we wanted to do!
After a cautious couple of overs the VC pairing went to work on the Soulbury openers, Chapster carving a boundary over the top of point! This was were the fun ended for him as he played on to ball that kept a little low! Enter newly promoted No 3 Groundsman Griffin! He looked in immaculate touch, almost as immaculate as his boots, and although the new Gunn & Moore stayed in the bag (not sure if this was out of shame as he has many a time asked why people use them) he played with great authority. “Best Mate” fell next managing to pick out the oldest player on the field who did his own circus act catching the ball at the 53rd attempt! Warren Pattison returning from a season out through injury came in at 4. He and Griffin put together a great stand and were looking comfortable to take Olney to a high score when Griff middled one onto the top of his leg, a speculative appeal later and he was sent cursing from the square for a well played 33. Keeping was next in and together with Pattison set about the Soubury attack, both mixing occasional aggression with contemporary stokeplay, Wozza bought up his 50 and promptly lamped one down to Deep Long on who held onto a good catch. Keeping reached his 50 soon after which included for all you statto’s out there an all run 5! Work it out if you can, answers on a postcard! Gibson came and went, unlucky to get a ripper from Soulbury main man Sear. Gutsy also arrived and went with some usual big hitting to move the score along. Charlie Brown perhaps a little disappointed to be batting at 8 came in and using the world’s oldest bat made a useful 22 of a lot fewer balls. Combined with a healthy 41 extras, Town had set Soulbury 228 to win, and at tea this was definitely a total that we would have taken before the game.
Tea
Town’s new new ball pairing of new University recruit Richard James and skipper Keeping started well, James moving the ball away from the two left handed openers whilst Keeping stuck with his trusted inswingers! Keeping as predicted had the first rant when he was carved away through the vacant 4th slip area for 4, politely asking the opposing captain if he knew how to bat! James continued to impress at the other end constantly beating the outside edge to ooos and ahhs from his parents on the balcony! Keeping though struck first with the now aptly named “crump” delivery, quick inswinging and out! Middle stump rocked back. Soulbury then introduced Sear at 3 and Olney were well aware that half an hour of big hitting from him can completely change a game, James tied him up brilliantly and he was not able to get going at all, Keeping dismissed the other opener with a similar delivery to the first wicket and this bought the number 4 to the crease, now not generally a team to criticise an opposition, the No 4 had not had the best start to the game, he was late, misfielded at every opportunity then took guard and promptly had his off stump rocked back, he wasn’t impressed and went home!!! Although he left his bat in the middle of the outfield. Gutsy proceeded to enquire where he would like it!! James finished his 10 overs and can be proud of his debut, accurate, quick and very unlucky not to have had a wicket, Keeping came off as he’s getting old and cannot bowl 10 off the reel anymore and introduced Charlie Brown and Birds Nest, Both bowled well, Brown finding a route through the defence of one of the Soulbury batsmen with what Piffle described as a Zinga Bing, (he has been banned from ever speaking again!) Gibson continued to wheel away without luck, constantly beating the outside edge! Brown was replaced by the Zinging Piffle much to the delight of the OPFC (Official Piffle Fan Club) and he also claimed a wicket, which should have been two, New signing Souster darting out of his hutch for what seemed the most obvious of Bat pad chances, The same umpire having missed Griffs inside edge, missed this one aswell. This prompted Captain Keeping to reintroduce himself at the unfamiliar Pavillion End, and with 3 overs of his allotted 10 remaining cleaned up the Soulbury tail, including Sear in his victims to claim outstanding figures of 8 – 22 on his first outing of the season. This was an excellent start to the season for Town, special mention to Paul Souster who kept immaculately on Debut, also Richard James again bowling fluently and showing why he has been promoted fast track through the teams. The returning Pattison batted well and Gibbo bowled like he has shown the potential all these years.
A great all round team performance which has taken Olney to joint top of the league level with Tring Park on 30 points. With the prospect of the first competitive local derby with Turvey at the weekend to savour it’s hoped that they can keep up this fantastic start.
Olney Town Cricket Club Olney Town CC 1st XI Batting
227 for 7
Soulbury CC Bowling
Soulbury CC Batting
144 for 10
Olney Town Cricket Club Olney Town CC 1st XI Bowling