Mid
Week Teams
Looking for someone to report / take the Michael - see Animal.
23/6/99 - Hook Norton (a)
Round the houses we found the ground with most of us having played there once many years ago. Very nice too, manicured outfield it looked like Wimbledon without the totee. Hookies openers started very well with 50 coming up very quickly. John (5-0-27-3) again made the break through getting both openers in two balls. Bodicote then took control for a while with 5 wickets falling for not very much, Balti (5-0-19-3). Guest bowlers Tubby and Pinhead both went for double figures of each of their overs as again Hooky gained the momentum. Woody got the Balti fielding award for neshing a catch and letting it go for 4.
Chasing 137 the opening Hooky bowler managed to get in 4 appeals in the first over. Woody (30) was the only one to get in with just two others into double figures as we slumped to 83 for 8. Quote of the day prize to Pinhead, Swanny departing in walks Keith, Pinhead in all seriousness "Your our last hope, look at a few", yeah you guessed it 2 balls later Pinhead sloggs one to point.
16/6/99 - Marston St. Lawrence (h)
A reasonable performance with the ball kept Marston to a 122. With the wickets being shared around Mike (5-0-25-1), Terry (5-0-22-2), Balti (5-0-33-2) and Hubert (3-0-13-2). The star performance was for the second evening running was Balti. Most observers wondered whether he was in the wrong field as the Moscow state circus was setting up opposite. The video of the match is currently being marketed by Tex Avery.
A real poor performance with the bat with only Woody (25), Mike (14) and wides (10) reaching double figures as we slumped to 80 all out.
9/6/99 - Croperdy (a)
An incredible 45 off 18 balls from Pinhead meant we were 53 after 5 overs. A slow 35 from Woody, 14 from Bob and 12* from Skip was the only other attempts at a score. We ended up with a very disappointing 131. With only 10 men including John with a dodgy hamstring meant the field was spread far and wide. With only one bowler firing the end was soon in coming. But that one bowler overshadowed Pinheads batting performance, with George bowling his full 5 overs for only 17 runs and getting the opening batsman with a stumping. Just as surprising was that Skip was keeping and has asked me to point out he only conceded 1 bye.
2/6/99 - Broughton (h)
Broughton scored 98 from 15 in a reduced matched. John yet again produced the goods (4-0-8-2) with there rest of us going for a bit of tap only Thurby (4-0-25-2) picked up any wickets on a soggy pitch. Tubby (14) and Woody (17) troubled the scorers as we fell for only 73.
1/6/99 - Kings Sutton (Cup Match)
A view from the boundary an occasional attempt to let my victims get their own back. Report by Bucks.
King's Sutton, Tuesday, June 1st. A memorable evening match. Why? Because the sun was out? Possibly. Because PT was playing? Certainly, although apparently he only plays noddy cricket these days: Part Time Miles, or should it be Passed Tit Miles for Saturdays. But, hey, lets be fair, PT scored the bulk of the runs and set up a comfortable victory.
Clearly Bodicote to Kings Sutton is a shorter distance than Penzance to Culworth. I can't remember who scored any other runs: possibly Woody (a second-team groupie who has to put up with the first team), maybe Cracco, but then are any of his runs memorable? I can remember his dismissal, though, because I was umpiring at square leg and he was clearly out LBW. A fine decision from Johnny Bull, despite Cracco insisting on taking the run and then indulging in some passive resistance.
A monster total of 120 plus was posted and defended by some steady opening bowling and some even more steady fielding from Keith Smith. Steady or static, it's hard to tell. Keith, though, had his mind on other matters: most of his time in the field was spent with face deeply buried in Mohammed's nether regions in the desperate hope that all the sucking up will generate some gentle deliveries when Keith goes in to bat the next time Bodicote play Wroxton. I'm not sure why Mohammed was watching. Possibly to poach Buckingham who took a stunning wicket and bowled at his usual electric pace. Talking of bowling, this web-site needs a little cricketing lore. In short, a long-hop is a ball dropped *short*. So the full tosses which got Buckingham's wickets at Evenley and the yorker which took out the Wroxton opener is, pay attention Keith, not a long-hop.
Congratulations, Bodicote, on a consistent winning habit and let's drink some more canal water to its continuation.
26/5/99 - Brackley (a)
Not enough runs (89) due to a good bowling attack means the first loss of the season. Woody (29), Skip (15) and John(16 not out) managed double figures. The rest of us were crap. The usual tight bowling went out of the window as Keith was hit for 25 from 5 and John (3-0-21-1) proved expensive. Phil (5-1-14-0), Skip (2-0-8-1) and George (1.1-0-3-2) were much better, but too soon it was all over.
19/5/99 - Byfield (h)
The highest ever mid week score ensures a win with few games getting finished. 57 (old farts) from both Pinhead and Tubbs at a very good run rate means the game was always ours. 22 from Keith ensured that the run rate kept up right to the end. However, it became a bit of a battle with the approaching thunder storm to get 10 overs in so that we could win on run rate. John again was very tight (5-0-5-3) with Thurby (5-0-21-0) ensuring run rate was kept down. Bob picked up the other wicket which was to fall before the rain came down.
12/5/99 - Helmdon (h)
Bob(18), Phil (14) and another 50 from Woody (58) helped us to 102 in the first innings. Helmdon were never up to the run rate as Keith (5-2-10-2) and John (5-0-16-0) bowled the first 10 for only 27. Sid (3-0-7-2) picked up a couple more and wickets each for Thurby (3-0-14-1), George (2-0-27-1) and Phil (2-0-8-1).
5/5/99 - Banbury Teachers (a)
A comfortable win with Woody(67) and Sid (52) scoring a century opening stand. Teachers were never in it. Sid and skip managed a couple of wickets each with Bob and Terry picking up one each.