Oliver Knock Helps 1st XI To Victory

With a damp wicket and outfield but the sun beginning to shine through the clouds, it was a big toss for Captain Richard Walker to lose as Kilkenny skipper Tom Poole won and didn't hesitate with asking KCC to have a bat!

Opening pair Walker and Andy Oliver started conservatively on the difficult surface with 13 overs passing before Oliver struck the first boundary with a sweet drive through the covers. Oliver had early fortune however as he was dropped second ball of the game after gloving one behind to the Kilkenny keeper! With the outfield being extremely slow, boundaries were rare as Walker and Oliver had to work hard for their runs with plenty of twos and threes which on other days would have perhaps gone to the fence! Walker realised that with the score on 50/0 after 15 overs, he needed to try and accelerate the run rate slightly. With the veteran Macdonald now bowling though, it wasn't going to be easy and after a couple of good shots through midwicket, Walker was undone by a yorker from Macdonald. Tom Bozman joined Oliver in the middle, looking to build on his innings last week. He started well striking an early boundary straight past the bowler as he and Oliver moved the score past 80 in the 20th over. With the introduction of young J.Floyd, he took the prized wicket of Bozman as a short ball got stuck in the damp wicket and Bozman was caught at deep square leg. Sam Rodway came to the middle but struggled with the ball not coming on to his predominately front foot style and was caught by the keeper after nicking one behind. Captain Walker promoted Dan Farrant up the order to try and increase the run rate with Oliver looking assured at the other end. Farrant was dropped 2nd ball in the covers and then scored a quick fire 13 including a big six down the ground before being another player undone by a short ball that caught up in the wicket and bowled him after being through his shot. Oliver needed a partner to try and guide KCC to a competitive score with only 20 overs remaining and the score on 90/4. Edd Willmot came to the crease and started well rotating the strike with Oliver before striking a beautifully timed straight six! Oliver brought up his half century with a nicely struck drive down the ground as the score past 100 in the 28th over. Oliver now began to open up more as he and Willmot put on a brilliant 80 fifth wicket partnership to get Kidlington close to 200 and full batting points! Oliver had moved into the 90s with only 2 overs remaining and it looked as if he could go on to record his first century of the season. As he moved on to 95 in the last over, he couldn't get on strike as Willmot was run out. Simon Smith came to the middle and struck a great straight drive for 4 from his first ball and then got Oliver on strike for the last ball. He need 4 for his century and to bring up the 200 for KCC. With Kilkenny spreading the field, Oliver opted to drop and run as he finished on 97* and Smith 5* with KCC finishing on 197/5 from their overs!

With the sun now shining and rapidly drying the wicket and outfield, KCC were eager to get out after yet another brilliant tea from the KCC Tea Ladies!

Dan Farrant and Steve Litten opened the bowling and both found that anything loose would go to boundary against the class act of Macdonald. He and fellow J.Bishop opener raced to 30, however once Litten and Farrant adapted to bowling on the damp wicket, the runs quickly dried up. Farrant thought he had removed danger man Macdonald but unfortunately Ash Siddique put down a catch at short square leg. Litten went close with an LBW shout and was again unlucky when Mark Burton just failed to hold a sharp low catch at short extra cover! Farrant was again unlucky after Walker couldn't hold a sharp catch from Bishop stood up to the stumps! With the score now on 50/0 from 17 overs, Captain Walker made a double bowling change, replacing Farrant with Edd Willmot and Litten with Tom Bozman. Both began well, but it was a magnificent piece of fielding from Steve Litten that got KCC on their way to victory! Macdonald called for a quick single, however Litten picked the ball up cleanly at point and hit the only stump he could see, running out J.Bishop and sending KCC into wild celebrations! With the partnership broken, Edd Willmot took the big wicket in his next over, beating Macdonalds edge with a drifting delivery as the ball went on to hit offstump! KCC could now sense the game was there for the taking. A big innings was required from Kilkenny skipper T.Poole, however when Bozman removed D.Bishop, who was caught behind by Walker and D.Floyd clean bowled, Kilkenny had lost 4 wickets for 10 runs and found themselves on 60/4 in the 23rd over. Willmot took his second wicket, turning one through the gate of B.Bryant, before Bozman took his tally to 3, removing captain T.Poole.with a quick yorker! K.Hafeez tried smashing Kilkenny to victory, but when Bozman took the wicket of D.Bower and his total to 4, that was looking less and less likely. With Willmot bowling into the footholes of Bozman, who was bowling around the wicket, he was turning the ball a long way and took his third wicket when he got another to turn through J.Floyd and clip the top of middle stump. Bozman was searching for his first 5 wicket haul for KCC and thought he had it when Hafeez slashed at a wide delivery only for Farrant to put down a sharp low catch at gully! Willmot then thought he had his fourth wicket of the game, but Siddique just failed to get to the looping ball at short fine leg. KCC moved to within one wicket of victory when a smart piece of fielding from Bozman at point ran out A.Collett. Willmot then sealed the victory with the next ball as he had M.Ryan caught and bowled to wrap up an impressive 97 run victory against Kilkenny and keep up the sides perfect start to the season!