On an afternoon bathed in July sunshine, a strong looking Oakley side entertained Overton in the third B3400 Derby of 2022. Could they complete a hat trick?
The Oaks batted first with the key objective being to see off the nagging and metronomic Andy Gould. Andy does something that terrifies batsmen at this level and that is putting the ball in the right places with a bit of movement.
He didn’t disappoint and was soon causing plenty of issues. Nellie Warner got done by what he described as “the best ball I have faced in years”, whilst Steve Bown (13) and George Lethaby (9) both got cleaned up in near identical fashion, straight after tucking into loose no balls.
Digging in and Turning the Tide
The consolation was that during this period the scoreboard had been rattling along and Matt Burrell was still there. This, despite surviving a strong LBW appeal and a caught behind that sounded good but was off pad rather than bat. Gouldy had his tail up and with Jack Brundle now at the crease, it was a case of The Oaks getting through his last few overs.
It was turgid stuff, notably from Jack but they got through it. Jack sometimes gets tangled up with being too defensive, but this was turning into a fine innings. Both he and Matt gradually became more expansive and with less accurate bowlers now on show, the partnership blossomed.
Unfortunately, Jack (47) missed out on a 50 and Matt (87) on a deserved ton but a partnership of 115 had put the Oaks in strong if not a formidable position. The Oaks wobbled a bit with Ben Robinson and Kalum Sapumanage going cheaply. However, excellent late flurries from Mike Tiley (23) and Harry Tucknott (19) kept the scoreboard motoring along. Up on the balcony the chat was all about how Harry is turning into much more than a tail ender; it was a well-controlled knock from the lad.
The Oaks finished on 234, which on a pitch playing well, was a lot to chase but perhaps not a formidable target.
Harry Tucknott and George Lethaby opened the bowling with the Overton openers clearly looking for an aggressive start. Both George and Harry looked like they were struggling for consistency in the heat, but chances did come along.
The Drop
It would challenge even the finest of sports writers to describe George’s dropped catch but I can only try. The Overton opening batsman was a big lad. His batting ability features and good eye, combined with agriculture. Going hard at a George delivery he miscued, dollying the ball around twenty feet into the air above George’s head.
I have thought long and hard for a contributing factor as to why George dropped it. There isn’t one. He walked nonchalantly towards the falling ball, put his hands up (Aussie style) and sort of parried it. It was the quietest Oakley CC had been since the 2020 lockdown. Such was the ineptitude, everyone just stood in stunned silence, broken only by the crows in the trees behind the clubhouse. It must go down as one of the worst drops ever. How can’t it?
As is often the case, the batsman played with gay abandon after that, pumping the ball to all parts. It briefly looked like it might be one of those days where a lucky escape became a huge and damaging score. However, The Oaks settled themselves, pushed out the field and George got his man, going for one haymaker too many, clean bowled for a chaotic 29.
Oaks Take Control as Galvin Doppelganger Departs
With Harry removing the other opener, The Oaks took control of the game and never really looked back. Overton tried to keep it interesting but deeper field settings and tighter bowling suffocated the scoring and wickets regularly fell. Harry picked up another wicket and Bob Lethaby removed Stan Gould who was looking good. A unique moment where Bob Lethaby bowled the son of Andy Gould who had earlier bowled out George Lethaby, the son of Bob. Proof that dads rule okay, if only occasionally.
In another unique moment, George picked up another wicket, with a thick edge off the bat of an Andy Galvin doppelganger, flying to his dad at deep slip. Bob took it on the run, with unexpected aplomb. “That’s how you take a catch son”, Bob didn’t say, but should have. Steve Bown later described Bob’s fielding display as “the best he had seen him ever put on”. Admittedly, the bar is low, but it didn’t stop Bob welling up with pride and fighting back tears of emotion that come with even the slightest of middle aged achievements.
Kalum’s Golden Finish
With the Oaks now well on top, it was time for Kalum Sapumanage to take the starring role. With two wickets already in the bag, Kalum rattled out the tail end, completing ridiculous figures of 5 for 6 off 8 overs. There can’t be many better figures than that in the Oakley record books.
So, the job was done, and maximum points were taken despite some stoical late resistance. It was a game played in a tremendous spirit throughout, with both teams enjoying a drink and a chat afterwards. The result looked conclusive, but it was tough going at times and it was only really one way traffic in the second half of the Overton innings.
A good day, one where Kalum’s five wicket haul will live long in the memory, George’s dropped catch, even longer.
Up the Oaks!