Nomads lose by 3 wickets  
A Beautiful warm sunny day

Oxford Downs Sunday May 4th

Match 3 Nomads v Oxford Downs Sunday May 4th 2003 at Standlake Oxon

Result:Oxford Downs won by 3 wickets
Toss:Oxford Downs
Umpire(s):

NOMADS Innings
+D O’Sullivan c & b       Dow      24
R Woolhouse   bowled      Akers     9
J Ireland     c Jones   b Dow      11
W Barret      c Rae     b Hebbert  45
R Mann        c & b       Berryman 20
C Lamb        not out              21
N Jones       c Hebbert b Rae       0
J Rezko       c & b       Rae       6
*M Blumberg   bowled      Rae       0
G Joseph      absent                0
Extras       (1b,0lb,1w,0nb)        2
TOTAL (All Out(8 whts),45 overs)  140

FoW:1-16,2-42,3-55,4-113,5-113,6-133,7-140,8-140.

Bowling-Dow 10 3 27 2,Akers 6 0 28 1, Thurston 7 1 28 0,Hebbert 7 1 22 1,Berryman 9 1 26 1, Rae 6 2 8 3.


OXFORD DOWNS Innings
S Florey   run out                 20
L Hope     c O’Sullivan b Rezko    58
R Dow      bowled         Blumberg 19
S Jones    bowled         Blumberg  2
S Akers    bowled         Blumberg  4
S Rae      bowled         Rezko     0
*P Hebbert not out                 14
+C Jones   not out                 15
Extras    (6b,2b,1w,0nb)            9

TOTAL (6 wickets, 35.5 overs)     141
DNB:D Thurston,R Berrymen

FoW:1-62,2-80,3-85,4-92,5-112,6-123.

Bowling-Barret 11 2 34 0,Ireland 7 0 31 0, Blumberg 11.5 2 41 3,Rezko 8 0 27 2.

   On a beautiful warm sunny Sunday in utter contrast to the freezing temperatures the day before, Nomads were invited to bat and began promisingly once Dan O’Sullivan had overcome a propensity to lunge at Seamer Dow in a manner somewhat reminiscent of Jeremy Lascelles. Whether this had anything to do with his Swedish supporters was not revealed. Once over this Dan played some stunning cover and straight drives reminiscent of England’s new ODI skipper Michael Vaughan. We were inserted because of lack of numbers at the start of play and indeed one player mysteriously never turned up at all. ODs had kindly lent us two although promising three but equally mysteriously they were found themselves short of their expected 14. Wes Barrett and Nathanial Jones ‘guested’ for us.

   Play was in fact delayed because neither side had any wicket keeping gloves. Following the fire and thieving that OD’s suffered last summer resulting in their fine wooden pavilion being burnt down the least equipment stored on site at present the better is club policy. However the game was underway by 2.15 and in the 6th over Richard Woolhouse, in a new role as opener, somehow played on failing to keep out a yorker from young left arm seamer Akers.

   O’Sullivan and Barrett added 26 in 8 overs before O’Sullivan attempting to turn Dow for a single, fine on the leg side, popped up a dolly catch to the bowler which was a pity as he had looked in sparkling form. Joe Ireland played some nice shots before edging Dow to the wicket keeper which then brought Russell Mann in to join Barrett. These two looked in complete command and had put on 58 when Russell decided to clout Berryman over his head and was well caught and bowled. Barrett our South African Guest then misjudged a ball of no great merit and was caught for a robust 45 including a hefty six. Nomads at 113-5 (really 113-7) were in poor shape.

   Lamb (non running ) and Rezko added 20 when Rezko became the first of Simon Rae’s three cheap victims. Fed up with a lifetime of being ‘blocked out’ by the Hon Sec he threw up a leg break, a la Stuart MacGill, which turned nearly three feet and bowled the amazed Blumberg round his legs for a golden duck, a dismissal which brought forth immense mirth from everybody else present and some relief from ODs who had endured his lengthy but run starved presence at the crease inover many years past..

   With no wicket keeper in the side Dan O’Sullivan was persuaded to put on the gloves (Nomads did have their own ‘keepers pads and inner gloves) and he performed extremely creditably for a debutant receiving some coaching from one umpire who claimed to have been a keeper aeons ago. Barret opened at one end with some pace off a shortish run and beat the bat on occasions. At the other end left arm spinner Ireland had left hander Florey in trouble but kept over pitching his more flighted ball to the delight of young Hope who tucked into some early boundaries. A mix up between the batsmen saw Russell Mann with the Keeper’s help run out Florey for 20 with the score already nearly half way to target.

   Blumberg replaced Ireland and dropped on a length straight away and soon bowled Dow with a faster yorker via some bat for 19 with the score 80. Rezko replaced Barrett with orthodox and sharp turning off spin. Blumberg bowled two more batsmen and crucially at the time Rezko had Hope caught behind by O’Sullivan for 58. Three balls later Rae was bowled playing an extravagant straight drive. Rae was wearing the wrong glasses but a duck is a duck.

   With 20 runs to get and three more wickets required the game was well balanced for a tight finish but ‘old hands’, skipper Paul Hibbert and his partner C Jones, knocked off the runs with some effective in inelegant shots to bring victory to the home side by 3 wickets with several overs to spare.

   Nomads had fielded with 9 men which hardly added to their cause but a very enjoyable game was played in glorious conditions.

Previous Matches

 

2002 ODs won by 4 wickets

**Postscript.

   Nomads became short for the second year running with this game as follows. The Match Manager had a staff crisis which forced him to work on Sunday. A ‘senior’ cricketer informed the MM on Thursday afternoon he was not playing for Nomads after all. A late replacement dropped out on Saturday evening because of family illness. A regular member of the club claimed he had never told the MM he was playing, quite the opposite and this was Saturday. Lastly one member failed to turn up having asked to play the week before and having been confirmed there and then as well by email on Friday.!!!!

   Gentlemen, there are a thousand good reasons why you are not available for Nomads, on a particular day, but do please communicate this early and clearly.  Quite why two young Australians preferred to nurse their anticipated hangovers rather play on such a glorious day is incomprehensible to those of us of older and more robust constitution but doubtless if asked earlier in the week even they may have planned their nocturnal entertainment differently. Likewise a last minute recruited wicket keeper batsman who was keen would not then have discovered his wife had made other arrangements for him thinking he was not playing on Sunday. ..It was ever thus!!

   Let’s do better for the rest of the season PLEASE.

***Those of you intending to come the Centenary Dinner MAY 29th please make your booking with a cheque £36.00 to Nomads and posted here c/o 157 Praed Street Paddington London W2 1RL..indeed it will be helpful to hear from regular players and members who are not coming because of conflicting schedules.

*** If you have not sent off your annual sub £15.00 please do so asap to Brinde Collins Lodge Farm Childrey Wantage Oxon OX12 9XA