Blackford saves the day for Kidlington!

The seasons finale at Stratfield Brake saw the 3rd X1 close the show with a victory from the jaws of defeat in what was a low scoring but thrilling match as low scoring games so often are.
With Deddington needing victory to secure promotion as runners up they opted bowl first on a hard dry service in the hope of chasing a low score. In the 7th over with the score at 12-1 they drew first blood when Lewis Bletchley(2-26) bowled Razwan Dogar(3) with a ball that moved off the seam. At the Pavilion End Deddington Skipper Ashley Clark(1-24) varied his line of attack switching to around the wicket and the different angle defeated and bowled Micheal Webb(6). Twelve runs had been added with Martin Eagle(18) who now looked to up the scoring by pressuring the field and running hard between the wickets. This almost proved his undoing with a stolen run to square leg to get Ajay Behal(2) off the mark and only a dive saved him. He didn't learn his lesson as after Behal was bowled by Adam Moody(1-21) and the score was already perilous at 37-3, Eagle compounded a bad situation attempting a suicidal 2nd run and was heading for the Pavilion at 39-4.
Ten runs later a bad situation became much worse when Jon Pyrah(0) was adjudged lbw to Simon Oldfield(3-22) and then Paul Hewitt(7) became the second senior player to run himself out. When Robert Webb(2) and Ran De Silva both fell to Oldfield 5 wickets had fallen for 16 runs and the score had slumped to 53-8 and things looked bleak. However Christian Blackford (49 not out) now launched a brilliant counter attack! With no room for mistakes he put bat to ball 2x6's and 4x4's flew over the field and gradually the pressure went onto the fielding side. Sixty five crucial runs were added but this could not have been achieved without partner Malcolm Webb(8) who showed great maturity and a good cricket brain to hold firm at the other end.
Webb was finally bowled by Bletchley in the last over and Blackford was off strike and unaware he was 1 short of a half century. Simon Hague(8 not out) was also unaware but nonchalantly cover drove 2 of the last 3 balls through extra cover as Kidlington closed on 126-9 which constituted a marvellous recovery.
Although not a big score to chase the pressure was now firmly on Deddington who had to win. Joe Roberts(12) went hard at the ball from the off and was dropped twice in Ran De Silva's first over. Both sharp chances to Robert Webb and Martin Eagle respectively. Fortunately this was not too costly as Roberts played on in De Silva's next over. Deddington still looked to attack all out from one end while at the other James Ransom(18) played the anchor role.
Ashley Clark(11) struck 2x4's before Ajay Behal held a good catch at mid-wicket off De Silva(3-43) while Christian Blackford(2-24) trapped Neil Goward(0) lbw. Malcolm Webb(3-15) replaced Blackford and bowled Nial Murphy(4) with a floated inswinger and later got the crucial wicket of Ransom with Simon Hague taking the catch. 45-5 became 45-6 with when De Silva bowled Roberts(0) as Ran bowled straight through his spell with good control allowing his captain Paul Hewitt to rotate the younger bowlers at the Brake end.
The young players in this match had certainly impressed and after Robert Webb had taken a one-handed catch to remove Matt Oldfield(2) off Blackford and Malcolm Webb bowled his father Simon Oldfield(2) it was the turn of Deddington's youth. !3yr old George Welch(28 not out) came to the crease at 57-7 and never looked in any trouble as he guided his side back from the brink and into a winning position. He found a good ally in Adam Moody(17) who came in at 63-8 and the pair added 36 runs for the 9th wicket before some tight overs built the pressure and Moody was run out.
Some hard hitting from last man Bletchley(14) took Deddington to 112 but by now another 13yr old was charging in, Ajay Behal(1-19) had the last word bowling Bletchley as Kidlington got home by 14 runs in a thriller!