A windy week of cricket saw many an item blown over, but not our mighty twos who won a thriller at home...
Results:
Match Reports:
1st XI v Canterbury
The 1st XI embark on another vital fixture in the context of the season vs. Canterbury 1st XI. After a disappointing result the week prior, every fixture is now a “must-win”.
Skipper Wandy won the boss and elected to bowl in blustery conditions at Polo Farm. Nick 'the Duck' Worsley opened the bowling with Dan 'the Donkey' Webster supporting him Canterbury started off with a succession of boundaries at a rapid pace. With some clever field adjustments ODs managed to restrict to 5 an over in the power play. Dan stuck at it and picked up both openers LBW and caught at long on. Following on from Dan and Nick was Wandy 'the Goat' Ainger and Koot 'the Oxen' Pienaar. Both squeezed the Canterbury middle order like udders and deleted 3, 4 and 5 for not many. Now for the real challenge. Canterbury’s middle order who did the work last time around at the crease. Unfortunately for ODs, some tough chances went begging with both 6 and 7 dropped on around 10, both batsmen tonned up. Efforts from Ollie 'the Ostrich' Jasper, Kieran 'the Bull' Hammond and Joe 'the Goose' East, both 6 and 7 tonned up taking Canterbury to a total of 337/7 from their allotted 50. Shout out to Koot 'the Oxen' for his swan dive catch as well.
Out the boys went to bat. Bats waving in the wind, dreams of chasing 340 in mind. Koot and Michael 'the Honey Badger' Parr strode out to face the new ball. Koot started with his usual aggression and swung Duckworth Lewis in our favour for a few overs. Mike was watchful looking to build an innings. Unfortunately, Koot’s was undone by a Yorker from the spinner and Dan quickly fell after him. This brought Daniel 'the workhorse' Murrell to the crease. Daniel was watchful looking to follow the example of Parr, but unfortunately fell looking to push the scoreboard on. OJ came and went. Cameron 'the Llama' Sanders also came and went. Joe put up a good fight getting to 50 with some majestic stroke play, and some precise shnicks through the slips, well played Joe. He was supported for a short while by Kieran until he eventually fell trying to get the total to 200. Eashan 'the Chicken' Patel and Kieran looked to salvage the final batting point but fell short in the end.
The ODs farmyard XI were unfortunately slaughtered by the Polo Farmer this week. However, all hope is not lost. The bottom of the table is tightly packed and the boys will keep fighting every week!!! 🫡 in the words of Aristotle “You will never do anything in this world without courage”.
Match report by Andy Ainger
2nd XI v Blackheath 3s
In what felt like a scene from a final battle in a Thor film, the battlefield at OHHDDEEEEEEs blew gales a plenty. The sightscreens tilted, Frogbox not in action, and cries of the captain for ‘the heavy bails’ would have many Saturday cricketers trembling at the knees. Not the mighty TOOOOS.
OD’s bowling first against Blackheath 3’s looking to strike the first blow in the howling winds. Swing bowlers Alex (8.4-1-30-4) and Pooley (9-0-34-1) took to the stage, hooping the ball around corners. Alex enjoyed being carried by the wind through his bowling action, whilst Pooley’s 5-minute ‘run’ up took close to 7, bowling into the hurricane. Both managed to remove the top few Blackheath batters relatively quickly. Brouse (9-1-33-1) bowled like the OD’s Mark Wood and sent the no 5’s bails flying. Weast (8-0-27-0) had the joy of bowling at the ‘running into a tornado’ end and bowled nicely without the just reward. He did however make up for it with a run out of their in-bat, with a high throw testing the reach of Gaz who managed to dislodge the bails before the bat returned home. Waaaaani (9-3-38-3) took poles again because he is very good at cricket and loves taking wickets, he is also a very nice bloke. Alex came back on to finish the job, OD’s bowling Blackheath out for 167. Special shout out to the drunk sightscreen who fell over halfway through the innings.
Henry (27) and Laurence (31) got the mighty toos to a good start with the bat, like yin and yan, both Baz and Gaz ball in play at the same time. Some starts in the middle order Gary (6), Isaac (19), Aaron (8) and Pete (7) saw a foundation being built for an exciting finish to the game. Blackheath bowlers not making it easy for the home team. Pooley (0) was given licence and a nosebleed batting at 7 lasted two balls and ensured that his licence is suspended by Gaz until next year. With time ticking and runs needed, OD’s needed their heroes. Their Batman and Robin, Shrek and Donkey or even Gavin and Stacey… but we did one better. Weast (30) and Brouse (14*) accelerated the home side’s total in good time, taking the score close. Weast fell near the final hurdle, and OD’s needed the flex to shine. Ash (4) took it close to the final over, but it was Alex (1*) who saw it home with two balls left to spare.
Thrilling game and played in great spirit and even better to end the day with another win.
Match report by Liam Pooley
3rd XI v Bromley Common
A clash against the team directly above the 3s in the table. A closer than ‘home’ fixture at Bromley Common. A match tea, yes, an actual match tea on a Saturday.
Carlsberg don’t do Saturday cricket, but if they did, they’d probably need to serve better beer. I digress.
The only real threat to the day was from the weather with intermittent rain all morning and strong winds blowing changeable weather through.
With the sun at last breaking through Captain Westmacott reverted to tradition with win-toss-bat.
Bromley Common opened with an excellent 3s bowler who challenged the edge with good pace and line on a pitch that popped the ball up sharply off a length. It was a real test of technique for Rohan Bridges (7) who managed to see him off until an unfortunate top edge from the dobber at the other end stopped him when he was looking to press on.
Using all his experience Sherry decided to stay at the other end and dispatched the dobber with real style in his fluent 42. Unfortunately he fell to their opener’s last over with a fast in-cutter crashing onto his off stump.
In came the Langley Boys, with Olly Colby playing a beautiful controlled knock of 40 to anchor the innings, but sadly with Laycock unable to build on last week’s heroics pushing one back to the bowler for 5.
The lesser-spotted Louis Boyden was a welcome addition to the middle order with a valuable 30 at a run a ball as ODs pushed on.
He was joined by Bilal (22) who did what Bilal does and sent two flying into the trees at cow corner, both balls miraculously found by the fielders who must have to pick them out every week from the small boundary on that side.
Dan Brown (32) then showed his versatility with some clever running to nurdle the ball around and then some uncharacteristic big heaves towards the boundary in the final overs with help from Westmacott coming in for the last couple of overs to set a decent total of 203.
Having lost to Bromley Common in the reverse fixture, there was hope that the score would be enough, but no overconfidence. ODs knew they would have to bowl well.
In powered Billy Ansar (9-1-24-4) who struck with the first ball of the innings with a sharp in-seamer. He then had a second as the poor other opening bat got a skidder onto his pads when it had been shooting up on a length all day.
Bromley Common then pushed on thanks to a quality innings from their number 3 who looked to make ODs pay after a difficult early dropped chance. With the pitch continuing to show uneven bounce it was a big moment when Dan Brown’s safe hands pouched a top edge for 45.
Then came an incredible passage of play.
Simon Henley (8-1-33-3) got two wickets in two balls at the end of his over to leave him on a hat-trick. Not wanting to be outdone, Billy Ansar then bagged two in two balls to leave two bowlers on a hat-trick at the same time, something this correspondent has never seen.
The field came in for Ansar. Left alone. The field came in for Henley who went for the wicket ball of a full toss and then out it went to fetch the ball from the boundary. But 4 wickets for 0 had destroyed the Bromley Common middle order when they were more or less on the run rate.
Keen not to miss out, Howard Thomas (8.5-1-44-3) changed ends after not enjoying things coming down the hill at the start and worked his way through the tail.
We were even treated to an over of 'Shane' Laycock's spin with a sore back denying the team his usual overs.
With Bromley Common on the ropes, the only real question was whether the weather would intervene and snatch away ODs victory.
So, it was something of a relief when the number 11 edged to Bilal at slip who decided to try to catch with his hands rather than his feet this week and juggled and then caught it to end Bromley Common’s innings for 114 in a convincing win.
A final mention should go to Bromley Common. Not only was their match tea a real treat, but they played the game in the right way, competitive, yes, but friendly and sporting at all times making it a lovely day out with honours even for the two teams for the season. They even provided a nice pint afterwards, which thankfully wasn't Carlsberg.
Match report by Chris Colby
4th XI v Stonehouse
Match report by Noah Body
Sunday Development XI v Burgess Park
No report, but Ollie Jasper bowler straight, and Louis hit boundaries to get to his first ever 100!
Match report by Noah Body
U15 v Bromley Common
Fantasy Cricket Standings
The top 10 is very close! See the full breakdown of teams and player performance here:
Training times
The following times are designated for club training sessions. Nets will be available to use for club members outside of these times, and if there is no game on the main square.
Group | Day | Time |
Senior Nets | Wednesday | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
Additional 1st XI squad nets | Tuesday | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
U15-U17 | Tuesday | 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm |
Under 11 and below | Sunday | 10:00 am - 11:15 am |
Under U11s to Under 13s | Sunday | 11:15 am - 12:30 pm |
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