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Result - Worcester College

Sat Jun 1st Grannies lose by 6 wickets

Match report

Grannies 183 for 6 off 30 overs
Worcester College 185 for 4 off 27.4 overs

The omens were too good to last. Back at Worcester College after a long period, the Grannies even turned up roughly on time, all twelve of them (sorry, James Philpott). Not even the ghastly prospect of using public transport had put off Mr Siebert: even better, with a mix of exams / 8’s week / Champions Cup final /chasing skirt and/or trousers high on the students’ agenda, they were desperate to bowl first, so the Grannies escaped fielding in the scorching Oxfordshire sun.

The smugness evaporated tout suite. Steaming in off impossibly long run ups, the Worcester opening bowlers were a tad sharper than was comfortable. With both Big Jim and Paul Alexander back in the shaded pavilion after 4 overs the ground looked slightly less inviting. Happily, the Worcester captain was a sporting gent and once Ed Gross and James Richards had seen off the shine he put the openers out to pasture, which enabled a re-building from 17 for 2 to 70, before James was bowled. Ed had got his eye in however, and accelerated smoothly through the gears without any real worries. He was not out for a very good looking 118, ably supported by the middle and lower order. The captain was a bit cross that Gordon Lee decided, in a show of nonchalance, to shoulder arms to the last (very straight) ball of the innings but in his defence he was simply ensuring that Ed carried his bat. The Grannies happily took 183 for 6 after 30 overs given the start.

A perfunctory tea break (no Highclere this) and out went the Grannies again. The pitch had flattened out a little in the baking afternoon sun, but Kapil Gupta and Gordon did enough to induce some jitters from the opening batsmen. Kapil got one to get big on one opener, to have him glove it through to James and Ed got the Worcester captain to hit early straight at Graham. However, the other Worcester opener expertly steered the ball around the field and always looked in control. Although the other end leaked a couple of wickets as batsmen tried to hit out with thoughts of pressing social engagements or the Champions League Final, Worcester got to the total with two overs to spare.

On reflection the bowling figures (apart from the captain’s) weren’t too bad – Gupta (6 overs, 1 for 22), Gross (6 overs, 1 for 21) and Stone (6 overs, 2 for 32), but we just didn’t have enough to quite contain the couple of gun cricketers Worcester had in their ranks (the opener who went on to carry his bat for 83, has just signed up with Hampshire). As ever in a Grannies game, a couple of very difficult chances went against us (if Graham had taken his second, it would have made the Stokes one look pedestrian), and if we had snuck out a couple of the early batsmen, Worcester would probably have been scrabbling around the bar / library / river to get their players back.

Thank you to all who played (especially Chris Barras who did a lot of running around for a ‘keeper). Fingers crossed we have done enough to be invited back next year and their opener is off on his county career by then.

Match info

Lovely ground hidden within the boundaries of Worcester College, Oxford...legend has it the Provost will bestow a crate of champagne on you if you can hit into the lake...and the buttery bar is within staggering distance. Why haven't you all signed up yet?!

Location
Worcester College Ground ,
Walton St,
Oxford,
OX1 2HB

How to get there
Second star on the left after the park and ride