Sunday 9th May 2010, E&W Hendred, Away – Lost

The season started with a minor cock-up as, after a week of scraping around trying to get a team, I ended up with 12 players. This turned out to be fine as I wasn’t feeling too bright and was more than happy to drop out of the team and score instead. Barry “Coach” Martin took over the captaincy role and the game started with Wantage batting. The Mercers opened and it wasn’t long before Hendred took their first wicket, dismissing Alan “Raffles” Mercer on 2, caught and bowled. Peachy replaced him. “Three”, everyone…continue reading →

30th August, President’s XI, Home – Win

A mostly hungover team took on the President’s select XI last weekend and a friendly battle between two strong teams ensued. Having used underhand tactics the previous evening by stealing one of our ringers to play for them, the President’s XI opened the batting in a 35 over game. 28 overs later and with 158 runs on the board, we got our first wicket. It wasn’t that our bowling was bad, but there had been some dropped catches that went down to difficult chances. Pippy had delivered his signature dive but this time…continue reading →

23rd August, Swindon Civil Service, Home – Win

With England on the verge of winning the Ashes, we had a match against Swindon Civil Service. Remarkably, both sides managed to get a full team out and took to the field with the sun shining on a hard and dry wicket. Swindon had won the toss and had decided to bat. And bat they did. We found it amazingly hard to get our first wicket. In fact their number two batsman, M. Giddings retired on 100 galliantly letting some of the rest of his team have a bat, or possibly just protecting…continue reading →

9th August, Cold Ash, Home – Win

Sorry, no report, but here’s the figures: A. Mercer 39 O. Haine 0 S. Bramley 4 L. Faulkner 0 R. Martin 4 T. Lane 50 D. Henson 0 J. Mabbett 34 G. Summersbee 14 not out C. Mercer 0 C. Mackinnon 2 not out Wantage 155 for 9 J. Mabbett 7-3-18-4 R. Martin 5-1-21-0 T. Lane 5-3-10-2 C. Mercer 5-2-16-2 D. Henson 2-0-3-0 C. MacKinnon 0.2-0-0-1 Cold Ash 73 all out.continue reading →

2nd August, Crowmarsh, Away – Win

Sorry, no report, but here’s the figures: J. Mabbett 6.2-2-11-1 A. Peach 7-1-24-3 G. Summersbee 7-1-23-3 R. Martin 6-0-24-2 B. Ross 4-0-24-0 Crowmarsh 112 all out A. Mercer 20 O. Haine 11 R. Martin 20 J. Mabbett 50 not out C. Mercer 7 R. Lonnon 0 not out B. Ross DNB L. Faulkner DNB G. Summersbee DNB A. Peach DNB D. Henson DNB Wantage 115 for 4continue reading →

14th July 2009, Letcombe, Away – Lose

We arrived at Letcombe slightly tense as England were teetering on the edge of a potentially massive loss against Australia. The rain had passed over earlier in the day leaving the wicket slightly sticky and very dead. I won the toss and elected to field first. After some early wickets, Letcombe settled in and scored 190 for 7. Pippy taking a couple of catches that were quite dull compared to last Wednesday’s outstanding diving catch. Colin MacKinnon also took a nice catch above his head. Overs Maidens Runs Wickets B. Martin 7 1…continue reading →

28th June 2009, Uffington, Away – Win

It was a lovely hot day at Uffington, I won the toss and put Uffington in to bat. Moobs and Circus opened and it wasn’t long before they both took wickets bowling the opening batsmen. Then Circus struck again as the batsman spooned an easy high catch to me at mid on. After ten overs they were three down with only 25 runs. A good start. Then Peachy got one and bowled really tightly only giving away seven runs from his four overs. Chris Yates bowled tightly too… and Olly… and “Albert” Ross.…continue reading →

14th June 2009, Harwell International, Away – Lose

Only time for a short report this week. So here goes. We bowled first at Harwell in a controversially long 40 over game against Harwell. This was mostly so that we could listen to England beat India in the Twenty20 world cup. A great start saw both of Harwell’s openers, Steve Pritchard and Toby Gallington out for ducks after 9 balls thanks to some great bowling from Moobs and Peachy and a some lovely catches by ’Bows and Rich Lonnon. However that was it for wickets for a while as Harwell’s M.Davies showed…continue reading →

7th June 2009, Eynsham, Home

So, after a brief summer, the Twenty20 world cup has brought us miserable weather and on the day that England managed to survive and stay in the world cup by beating Pakistan, Wantage faced a tough challenge against Eynsham. Wantage being one player down made the challenge more testing. Wantage won the toss and chose to field, hoping that the wicket may dry out a bit later on. Eynsham batted well and tore apart the opening bowling attack. Moobs going for 27 and Pippy 25 runs off their 3 overs, although Moobs did…continue reading →

31st May 2009, Crowmarsh, Home

It’s always good to play a cricket match in sunny weather. It can be hot and frustrating in the field when you’re chasing the ball to every boundary and looking under hedges and in the long grass in the neighbouring field for balls that have been dispatched for 6 by the opposing team. But it’s better to do this glistening with sweat than to be cold and miserable as we often have been at this time of year. The Derek Shorter Cup match proved to be a very challenging game for Wantage this…continue reading →