1st XI Poor Run Of Form Continues

KCC Captain Richard Walker (pictured) won the toss and decided to bowl first on what was a damp wicket. Although just before play began, the sun came out and there was blue skies which began to dry out the surface and make batting easier than first thought! Dan Farrant opened from up the hill and Waseem Azad down the hill as the Marcham batsmen chanced their arm from the off. Anything slightly short was deposited to the short boundaries as Marcham raced out of the blocks going at 8 an over for the first 6 overs. Azad was replaced by Jim Blackford and Farrant came off for Chris East as the run rate slowed with the introduction of slow bowling. KCC got the breakthrough after a mix up as from the batsmen as a brilliant piece of fielding from East caused the runout of the batsman. Blackford then took a wicket with his next all as the other opener top edged the ball and Blackford took a good caught and bowled. As Marcham kept the score moving along at 6 an over, RIchard Walker replaced East and Azad came back on for Blackford as the score passed 100 in the 15th over. Walker took a wicket in his only over as the batsman tried a big shot but Jake East took a brilliant high catch on the mid wicket boundary. As Azad bowled the 19th over, the heavens opened and the game came to a halt with the umpires deciding to take tea early as the rain came down. After tea, the sun has started to come through the clouds but the weather had taken its toll on the wicket as it now became very soft. After a 15 minute delay and a lot of sawdust being laid for the bowlers run up play resumed. Dan Farrant returned to replace Walker and struck early after a good high catch from Andy Oliver at mid off. With the ball shooting around all over the place, the wicket had become extremely hard to bat on with uneven bounce. Farrant took his second wicket with a yorker that was too good for the batsman as it hit middle stump. After taking his 3rd wicket with a good catch from Kevin James, Farrant had bowled out with East taking the last over from up the hill. Blackford came back for the last over after Azad had bowled his allotted overs and took his second wicket with a swinging yorker that the base of middle stump. East bowled the last over well with only 5 runs coming from it as Marcham closed on 145/7 from 25 overs although from the 6 overs after the rain break, only 20 runs were scored showing how the rain had affected the wicket.

In a quick turnaround, the sun had come out and started to dry the cut up wicket making things even harder in Kidlingtons reply. Andy Oliver and Richard Walker opened the batting, however Oliver was out early after playing around a straight one. Jack Desmond joined Walker as the pair batted well scoring regularly whilst playing every ball on its merit. Walker was the aggressor smashing two big sixes as KCC kept up with the required run rate, yet when Walker and Desmond went in quick succession, KCC began to struggle against some accurate slow bowling from Marcham. Chris East and Ralph Bishop were now in the middle, East was next out stumped after striking two fours trying to get to the pitch as the ball was turning and bouncing on the uneven wicket. Waseem Azad joined Bishop, as KCC were now in danger of falling away from the run rate. When Bishop was bowled around his legs, and Azad was run out, Kidlington were in serious trouble with Dan Farrant and young Magnus Taylor needing to score 8 an over from the last 4 overs. With the uneven bounce it was always going to be difficult and when Farrant was out stumped, KCC were relying on Kevin James to come in a score some quick runs, yet when he was out stumped Kidlington needed 36 runs from 2 overs. Jake East and Taylor batted out the overs as Kidlington finished on 117/8, 28 runs short of their target.

A game that got away from Kidlington in the early overs of Marchams innings and losing too many wickets in quick succession in their innings to some good accurate bowling.

A big well done to Jake East and Magnus Taylor who both fielded brilliantly and batted well!