On a bright afternoon at Stratfield Brake, Kidlington 1st XI produced a commanding all-round performance to dismantle Buckingham Town 3rd XI, securing a thumping 168-run victory and maintaining momentum in the Cherwell League Division 5B.

After being put in to bat, Kidlington’s innings was headlined by a magnificent century from opener Sahil Kalyan, who compiled a classy and composed 102 off 130 balls. Kalyan demonstrated great shot selection and temperament, holding the innings together while wickets fell at the other end. His knock featured 17 boundaries and a towering six, anchoring Kidlington’s innings and providing the perfect platform.

Middle-order support came from Romio Hans, who added a steady 39 off 50 balls, building a crucial 79-run partnership with Kalyan to help lift the hosts to a competitive total. Jamie Stothard chipped in with a brisk 18 off 16, while extras proved costly for the visitors, contributing 26 runs to the Kidlington total.

Despite the strong showing from the top order, Buckingham’s bowlers fought back well, particularly Meyyappan Meyyappan, who delivered a fine spell, finishing with 5 for 51 from 9 overs. His efforts were well supported by William Norton, who claimed 4 for 51, ensuring Kidlington were eventually bowled out for 231 in 44 overs, just falling short of batting out their full allocation.

In reply, Buckingham Town’s chase never got going. Faced with a challenging target, their innings crumbled under the pressure of Kidlington’s disciplined and accurate bowling attack. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and none of the batters managed to settle.

Only Samuel Mendis (12) and Josh Stigar (19) managed to reach double figures, as Buckingham were bundled out for a meagre 63 in just 19.3 overs. Arfan Younis bowled with control and purpose, making a key impact in Buckingham’s collapse. Younis relied on intelligent variations in pace and a nagging line just outside off stump, which repeatedly drew uncertain strokes from the batters. This relentless pressure resulted in 5 wickets for the wizard. The other Kidlington bowlers shared the workload, maintaining tight lines and length, which resulted in regular breakthroughs. Every bowler contributed, underlining a cohesive bowling performance rather than reliance on any one individual.

The energy in the field from Kidlington was also noteworthy, with sharp ground fielding and vocal support further demoralising the batting side.

The 1st XI move into next weeks big game away at Marston St Lawrence high on confidence.