The Complex Journey to Chawton
DJ’s team traveled to Chawton for a top-of-the-table clash. After parking a mile away, walking through a park, and crossing a bridge, the team eventually gathered at the ground. True to form, Kalum and Sharan were late, but with their level of talent, warm-ups were deemed unnecessary.
Confident Start Turns Wobbly!
Oakley batted first, following Big Mike’s advice that they weren’t great at chasing, despite successfully chasing 213 in a previous match. Woody and Paddy opened the innings, doing well to keep out some sharp opening bowling. When one of Chawton’s openers got injured, Woody and Paddy took the opportunity to push the run rate. One bowler switched to spin, sensing that pace wasn’t working. Just as the team began to feel confident, Paddy was dismissed, quickly followed by Tiley, bringing them back to reality.
A Struggle Finding Momentum
Josh then entered the fray, hitting some superb straight drives, though he kept Woody off strike for three overs. Just as the team regained momentum, Josh was out. Bowny followed, showing flashes of brilliance but ultimately falling to a spectacular catch at slip. Will then hit a six over square leg but was soon caught. Meanwhile, Woody plodded along, eventually reaching a gritty 50 before being run out, thanks to a brilliant throw from point. DJ added a useful 26 before being bowled. Extras also contributed significantly, second top-scoring with 34, helping Oakley reach a total of 169 all out—a score many felt was 70-80 runs short on a good pitch with short boundaries and a quick outfield.
Defending the Total: Early Wickets and Tight Bowling
With a modest total to defend, Oakley knew early wickets were crucial. The Chawton opener looked dangerous but was dismissed for just 8, chipping one to Harry off Stef’s bowling. The other opener was more patient but was eventually bowled by Stef for 10. The number 3 came in swinging but was soon caught behind off Josh’s bowling for 13. Oakley was right back in the game.
Wills’ mate walked out and started targeting mid-wicket. Kalum cleverly bowled a couple of half-trackers that were dispatched for six before luring the batsman into another, which he hit straight to Stef. Kalum’s persistence paid off again when he had another batsman caught at slip by Bown. Stef then removed Chawton’s key batsman, caught by Josh at slip, putting Oakley in the driver’s seat.
The Final Blow: Harry’s Deadly Spell
Harry delivered a devastating spell, taking the last three wickets as promised, just eight minutes after his predicted time. His first came from a wide ball that the batsman skied straight to Sharan. In a moment of pure drama, Sharan appeared to misjudge the catch but somehow managed to backpedal and make a spectacular one-handed grab, followed by an acrobatic roll that left the team in disbelief. Harry’s second wicket came from a batsman who had already hit a few sixes but chipped one to Stef at mid-on. The final wicket saw Harry clean bowling the batsman, sending the bails flying.
Victory Secured: Oaks Move to Second Place
Chawton was bowled out for 112 after just 27 overs, securing a convincing victory for Oakley. Woody was named Man of the Match for his gritty 50, with notable bowling performances from Stef, Kalum, and Harry. With this win, Oakley moved up to second place (then got replace by St Cross) and kept their promotion hopes alive, despite their season being over six weeks ago. It’s just a shame there is only one place up for grabs this year.