Page 45 - OO_2019

CRICKET
THE CRICKETER CUP
By Tim Elliott (St A 77)
Oundle Rovers 157-9 Old Cheltonians 123
Oundle Rovers defeated Old Cheltonians by 35 runs in a low-scoring, rain-affected first-round match at Cheltenham on 16th June.
Put in to bat, the Rovers started well, with Simon Fernandes (Ldr 18) (31) and Greg Smith (St A 07) (60 not out) appearing to set the foundations for a sizeable score.
George Johansen (F 11) also started well, but some poor mid-innings batting saw the Rovers collapse from 92-2 to 99-5.
However, Smith stood firm and was ably supported by Charlie Fernandes (Ldr 17), whose 20 on his Cricketer Cup debut included some excellent improvisation and the Rovers' only six of the innings. Smith marshalled the tail and in the end the Rovers closed on 157-9.
Happily, the Rovers had saved their best cricket for the second part of the game when Cheltenham's innings was reduced, by further rain, to 35 overs, starting at 5.45pm.
From the start, the Rovers bowling was miserly and the fielding outstanding to pile the pressure on the home side.
Patch Foster (St A 05) (2-27) and the veteran Jules McAlpine (Lx 88) (2-17) set the standard, and regular wickets saw the Duckworth Lewis score rising rapidly.
Oundle's three spinners – Harry Ramsden (F 11) (2- 33), Will Street (Sc 10) (1-33) and the exceptional Ben Graves (F 15) (3-11) – capitalised on the seamers’ fine work and although George Sandbach (52) gave Old Cheltonians a glimmer of hope, the home side were all out for 123 at about 7.55pm.
The journeys home to London, Colchester, Tunbridge Wells, Yorkshire and Durham were late and long, but also very satisfying.
Oundle Rovers: Smith (captain), Ramsden, S Fernandes, Johansen, Graves, Foster, C Fernandes, Stephen Lowe (G 99) (wkt), Simon Hicks (F 07), Street, McAlpine.
Oundle Rovers 225-6 Radley Rangers 110
Oundle Rovers progressed to the third round with a commanding 115-run victory over Radley Rangers at Oundle on 30th June.
Greg Smith (St A 07) won the toss and without hesitation elected to bat on what was expected to be a slowish wicket.
Although Oundle lost Ben Graves (F 15) (11) and Simon Fernandes (Ldr 18) (7) cheaply, a 146-run partnership between George Johansen (F 11) (87) and Smith (51) put Oundle in control.
Johansen batted impeccably for his highest Cricketer Cup score and was only dismissed as he tried to accelerate late in the innings.
After the long partnership spectators were treated to a stunning nine-ball cameo from Charlie Fernandes (Ldr 17) (30 not out). He savaged Radley's ex-England ODI off-spinner, Jamie Dalrymple, for 22 off the 49th over.
With Patch Foster (St A 05) (13 not out) adding two sixes in the last over, Oundle closed on 225-6.
Radley started positively, but the introduction of Graves (3-22) swung matters Oundle’s way as he completed a fine return catch in his first over.
Foster (1-18) bowled a mean spell, while Simon Hicks (F 07) (1-16) and Will Street (Sc 10) (1-21) helped push Radley behind the rate.
Graves and Street grabbed the key top-order wickets, before Mikey Outar (L 06) produced the remarkable figures of four wickets for eight runs in five overs to hurry Radley out for 110 in the 34th over.
Oundle Rovers: Smith (captain), Street, Graves, S Fernandes, Johansen, Tom Bishop (F 10), C Fernandes, Foster, Stephen Lowe (G 99) (wkt), Hicks, Outar.
Old Brightonians 166 Oundle Rovers 169-5
Oundle Rovers clinched their first Cricketer Cup semi- final slot since 2010 with a hard-fought, five-wicket victory over Old Brightonians at Oundle on 14th July.
The visitors, having won the toss and elected to bat, made a strong start, scoring at four an over for the first 10-15 overs.
Simon Hicks (F 07) (0-28) produced a fine spell in place of Patch Foster (St A 05), who was away on wedding duties, and once Oundle's spin quartet were introduced, Old Brightonians found the going harder and they subsided from 79-1 to 124-8.
Ben Graves (F 15) (3-23), Harry Ramsden (F 11) (4- 32) and Will Street (Sc 10) (2-21) were the pick of the attack, with Stephen Lowe's (G 99) tidy glove work producing two neat stumpings.
Old Brightonians' stubborn ninth-wicket stand took them to 166 all out.
On a slow wicket, scoring was never easy and an accurate opening attack from the visitors made life hard for the Oundle top order.
Graves (52) completed a fine all-round performance with his first meaningful Cricketer Cup score of the season, but there was still work to do when he departed at 71-3 in the 25th over.
Greg Smith (St A 07) (33) and Martyn Dobson (Sc 00) (10) produced an important partnership of 48, and although both fell with 40 required, a determined 13 not out from Ramsden and Charlie Fernandes’ (Ldr 17) unbeaten 33 off 17 balls saw the Rovers home with five overs to spare.
Oundle Rovers: Smith (captain), Graves, Simon Fernandes (Ldr 18), George Johansen (F 11), Dobson, Ramsden, C Fernandes, Lowe (wkt), Tom Bishop (F 10), Hicks, Street.
Oundle Rovers 249-7 Old Malvernians 169
Oundle Rovers travelled to Malvern for the fifth consecutive year on 28th July for The Cricketer Cup semi-final, but this time came away with a resounding 80-run victory to exact some revenge for defeats in the last four years at the ground.
Having won the toss, Oundle were given a flying start
by the excellent Ben Graves (F 15) (36 from 34 balls), www
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