Scorecard

Oxford Downs CC v Cryptics Cricket Club on Sun 04 Sep 2022 at 1pm
Cryptics Cricket Club Lost by five wickets

Match report The last game of the season was played out at Standlake under the threat of a rain shower which, happily never materialised. Based on his recent match managerial form at HAC and Hampstead, Ruairi Willis was invited to skipper the side assembled by Chris Ward. The Cryptics would bat first and after the fearsome barrage experienced last year, enjoyed a steadier start against a side who mark their specific status as the "Sunday XI" with a bespoke legend on their caps. Callum Wood, whose sojourn at the wicket was altogether too brief last year, accompanied Jason Doole in accumulating a tidy 44 runs before a leading age from Jason gifted a simple caught and bowled. Ruairi Willis joined Callum and made a quiet start while his partner entered a different gear. After being beaten all ends up by G.Watts' first ball, Callum then struck the next three for six. However, a further attempt to loft the field saw him hole out at deep mid off having taken the score over 100. Robin White enjoyed a lively cameo for 19 before being run out courtesy of sharp fielding at midwicket and a throw that made it back to the bowler's end before he could. Ruairi meanwhile was quietly bludgeoning his way to 50 and saw Mike Stafford come and go without scoring. James Smart executed a few brutal blows around the field to help accelerate the score to 200 within 36 overs. Ruairi seemed to be set fair for a second successive century against the Downs but was caught at deep mid off and in what turned out to be a brief final scurry for quick runs, Smart gave gully some catching practice whereupon Sam Jones as the surviving batter was called in. He had faced a few balls, playing and missing before striking a sublime straight drive back past the bowler. Ruari felt that 219 off 37.2 overs was a good target and a challenging declaration - challenging as it turned out for the Cryptics who were set to bowl up to 54 overs in return unsuccessfully. In fairness there was some confusion over the timings and whether we stopped too soon before the halfway point.
The Downs made a bright start but Alan Gregory claimed his first wicket for the club as Wildman slashed but only edged behind to Ward. Sathya Vadivale would toil for thirteen overs in a row from the opposite end. He removed Ellwood with a marvellous delivery that cut the batter in half and clipped the leg bail. In all he bowled an excellent spell but was poorly rewarded ending with 1-37 - five overs were maidens - the Downs had not managed a single maiden in our innings. Mike Stafford bowled a characteristically tight and beguiling spell that pegged the Downs back. Ling tried to beat him to the pavilion but lofted the ball to a great height - there were those doubted that it would be caught but James Smart twisted and turned to place himself under it and take a remarkable catch. The Downs were 50-3 and things were looking up. When 15 year old Ed Smart joined the attack he removed young Will Owens in his first over, miscuing a pull to Sam Jones at short midwicket. Ed bowled an excellent spell moving the ball to varying degrees and going past the bat several times - too good even for an edge. The Cryptics bowled 20 overs in the first hour and had the Downs at 60-4. The declaration was looking good - the threat of rain had gone and we had time to bowl over 30 more overs....
Was it something in the squash we were offered at the drinks break? Something ended our penetrative attack to this point and Hook and B.Ling began to plunder the various offerings finding gaps and tormenting us by dropping the ball just out of reach on a few occasions. Ling was stumped by Ward off Willis for 61 with the Downs seventy runs short and half their team getting changed in the pavilion. However, G.Watts and Hook in contrasting styles dismantled our bowling and at the start of the 48th over (more than ten overs longer than we had batted) passed out 219.
So there was much talk of whether we should have batted a little longer - would the tail have added much to our total. But then this is Sunday cricket and it is sometimes too easy to try to bat sides out of a game. This was, with hindsight, a generous offer which the Downs gratefully took on. And it was a great game of cricket with everyone in the Cryptics getting involved with bat, ball or both thanks to Ruairi's inclusive leadership. Twenty eight years previously the victorious Cryptics side had included Andrew Strauss and Richard Hutton, students at Radley - I was the only member of that team playing on this occasion. It remains a favourite fixture on the card.
Chris Ward

Cryptics Cricket Club Cryptics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
8w 2b  
for 6 wickets
10
219		        
Jason Doole ct &b. W.Watts 17
Callum Wood ct M.Watts b. G.Watts 65
Ruairi Willis ct ? b. Brister 85
Robin White Run out  19
Mike Stafford ct Wildman b. G.Watts 0
James Smart ct Slatter b. T.Ling 19
Sam Jones Not Out  4
Sathya Vadivale  
Ed Smart  
Alan Gregory  
Chris Ward  

Oxford Downs CC Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
W.Watts8.0044144.005.50
A.Ling6.002500.004.17
G.Watts9.0065232.507.22
P.Slatter9.004100.004.56
T.Ling3.2025125.007.50
J.Brister2.0010110.005.00

Oxford Downs CC Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 1w 1b  
for 5 wickets
4
220 (47.1 overs)		     
A.Ling ct J.Smart b. Stafford 26
A.Wildman ct Ward b. Gregory 9
J.Ellwood b Vadivale 5
W.Owens ct Jones b. E.Smart 8
T.Hook Not Out  61
B.Ling st Ward b. Willis 61
G.Watts Not Out  44
W. Watts  
P.Slatter  
M.Watts  
J.Brister  

Cryptics Cricket Club Cryptics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Alan Gregory4.0028128.007.00
Sathya Vadivale13.0537137.002.85
Mike Stafford10.1428128.002.75
Ed Smart5.0221121.004.20
Robin White5.002700.005.40
Ruairi Willis4.0029129.007.25
James Smart2.00800.004.00
Callum Wood1.001100.0011.00
Sam Jones3.002500.008.33
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