Oliver And Farrant Combine To Propel KCC To Victory

After winning the toss, Captain Richard Walker decided to bat on a slightly green wicket. After some loose bowling, Walker was maybe regretting the decision as he was out to a good yorker from the Ilsley opener as KCC were 10/1. Chris East joined Andy Oliver in the middle and after striking two perfect cover drives to the boundary, he too was back in the Pavilion after chasing a wide ball and edging to the keeper. Tom Bozman now joined Oliver, who was ticking the score along nicely whilst regularly scoring boundaries through the offside including some beautifully timed straight drives. Bozman was looking I looking to rekindle some previous seasons form and looked just like doing that as he began solid in defence, before setting about the Ilsley bowling, accelerating the score nicely with some brilliant running between the wickets with Oliver and some textbook Bozman shots! including a big 6 flicked off of his pads over square leg! Oliver passed his 50 as the score moved past 100 in the 20th over, as Bozman looked sure to pass his half century before he middled a cover drive straight to a fielder who took a good low catch. Ralph Bishop joined Oliver, as he was another batsman who had struggled for runs this season. With more good running between the wickets, the pair kept the scoreboard moving nicely as Bishop was content feeding Oliver. With the Ilsley opening bowlers returning to the attack as KCC moved to 170 with 11 overs remaining, Kidlington wanted to score big in these remaining overs and Oliver and Bishop didn't disappoint. Oliver continued striking the ball beautifully through the offside as he brought up his second century of the season with a huge straight six! Bishop was scoring rapidly at the other end, pouncing on any short bowling as he moved to his first half century of the season with some lovely timed flicks including a big six over mid wicket! Bishop was out with one ball of the innings remaining being bowled going for a big shot. Waseem Azad faced the last ball, as he hit it for four through third man, meaning KCC finished on a formidable 256/4 from their 45 overs!

After a brilliant tea, Kidlington set about defending their runs with Dan Farrant and Christian Blackford opening the bowling. Things couldn't have got off to much of a better start, as Farrant struck with the second ball of Ilsleys innings swinging the ball back into the batsman and hitting middle stump. Farrant and Blackford bowled in tandem, but it was Farrant who profited with some accurate swing bowling aided by the odd ball which stayed low. Farrant struck in his second over as the batsman chopped on to his stumps trying to cut a full delivery. He the had his third wicket with a ball that stayed low and again hit middle stump. Ilsley were soon 4 down as Farrant again hit middle stump with a yorker. Blackford finally got a wicket he deserved with an LBW which the umpire had no doubts over quickly raising his finger. With Ilsley on 25/5, Blackford was replaced by Waseem Azad. The incoming Ilsley batsman decided that attack was the best option for his team, as he swing hard at anything wide of the stumps. He hit Azad for 3 big sixes as the score moved past 50. Farrant then struck for his 5th wicket and first five wicket haul of the season to remove the batsman before quickly taking his sixth wicket in the same over, again both batsman being bowled with swinging deliveries. Farrant couldn't seem to do anything wrong, as he reduced Ilsley to 60/7 with a run out. After some smart fielding from Christian Blackford at mid on, a mix up between the batsman left the non striking batsman scrambling for his ground, Farrant received the ball at the bowlers end and threw the stumps down at the opposite end with a direct hit! He took his 7th wicket in identical fashion to his previous six, as the batsman misjudged a swinging delivery as it clipped the top of offstump. Magnus Taylor replaced Azad and was unlucky not to take his first wicket for KCC as twice the ball looped in the air after loose shots but landed between fielders. Jim Blackford came on for Farrant and wrapped up the victory with the last ball of his only over bowling the batsman with a lighted delivery that hit middle stump.

A brilliant team display, laced with individual performances, leaving Kidlington a chance of finishing 3rd in Division 4 and the possibility of a third consecutive promotion!