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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8<br />
PRESiDENT'S DAY CRiCKET MATCH<br />
Botany Bay CC (86 all out) lost to Dave Sheath’s OSA President’s<br />
XI (87 for 2) by eight wickets<br />
Following the retirement, from all forms of cricket by Steve<br />
Young and Mike Weatherley (both of whom played in the<br />
inaugural fixture in 1972), after the fortieth anniversary fixture in<br />
2012, the match manager was on the ‘look out’ for new recruits<br />
over the winter months.<br />
Following a Saturday in the OSFC bar, Dick Hersey reported<br />
that Neil Jervis (an OSFC First XI regular in the nineties) had<br />
played cricket in his twenties and would love to play. With Terry<br />
White returning from injury, which kept him out of 2012 game,<br />
and with the nine who hadn’t retired persuaded to return; the<br />
average age of the side originally selected was reduced – albeit<br />
not by much!!<br />
Unfortunately, a few weeks before the game, one of the 2012<br />
debutantes, Gary Page, the stepson of Apostle, Peter Hawkins<br />
‘cried off ’ due to a stag weekend to be replaced by Martin<br />
Slatford, youngest brother of OSA President’s XI regular,<br />
Richard. Then in the week before the game, Neil Jervis advised<br />
that a family bereavement would prevent him playing, and after<br />
much debate, Martin Slatford’s fourteen-year-old son, Oliver<br />
was drafted in.<br />
With every game of cricket in Middlesex being ‘washed out’ the<br />
previous day, the weather prognosis was not great, but it least the<br />
sun was shining first thing on the Sunday morning. However,<br />
when the team arrived, and inspected the uncovered wicket it<br />
was clear that it was ‘very damp’. Prior to eighty plus diners<br />
sitting down to a very pleasant lunch, hosted by our President,<br />
Dave Sheath, and masterminded by Gordon Rose, it had already<br />
been agreed to delay the start.<br />
With lunch coming to an end, the skipper went out to toss with<br />
his Botany Bay counterpart John Jarvis. With time at a premium,<br />
it was agreed to play a thirty-five over game, and when JJ asked<br />
if Botany Bay could bat first as “…he had to prepare the tea…”<br />
it reminded me of captaining OSCC sides in the 1970’s, when<br />
we regularly had to do something similar. However, as we were<br />
starting late – and they had always let us bat first in recent years<br />
– when I won the toss the opposition were inserted as requested.<br />
OSA President, Dave Sheath, had claimed during lunch that he<br />
was a Maltese cricket international – and whilst Cricket Archive,<br />
and similar websites cannot verify this - his first ‘ceremonial’ ball<br />
was better than many seen recently, although it had to be<br />
repeated during the tea interval because of a malfunctioning<br />
camera!!<br />
When battle eventually commenced, fourteen-year-old Ollie<br />
Slatford opened the bowling and started with a maiden, as did<br />
John Jackson (1-14) at the other end. In John’s fifth over, he took<br />
his first wicket in three years when their opener hit the ball<br />
towards Ollie at square leg – and Ollie actually took the catch -<br />
unlike the more ‘senior’ fielders in the previous two seasons.<br />
When the opening pair were withdrawn from the attack, Terry<br />
White and Ilyas Malick – who took 6 for 18 in his only previous<br />
bowl in the fixture, in 1992 – were introduced. Ilyas’s second ball<br />
was driven hard and low towards extra cover were young Jack<br />
Cox took a stunning catch. With two more wickets in his next<br />
four overs, Ilyas was ‘taken off ’ having taken 3 for 3 in five overs,<br />
with another batsman having to ‘retire hurt’ after attempting a<br />
quick single to get away from the strike!!<br />
Jack Cox (2-13) then got amongst the wickets – with Richard<br />
Slatford, who was keeping wicket, taking two catches off of his<br />
bowling – before James Mote conceded only five runs in four<br />
overs. An excellent run out proved the worth of younger fielders<br />
and the returning Ollie Slatford (1-14) took his first, and only,<br />
wicket, in the final over of the innings. The Bay innings closed<br />
with their last two batsmen at the wicket, with a score of 86 for 8.<br />
After the obligatory teatime team photo, Mark Slatford and Jack<br />
Cox opened the OSA President’s XI innings – with power and<br />
culture, respectively. When they were dismissed for 12 and 17<br />
respectively, Ilyas Malick joined Andy Douglas at the wicket,<br />
with the score at 30 in the eighth over. The pair then settled<br />
down to seeing the side home to victory, and by scoring at four<br />
an over, taking us to 87 for 2, victory was ours with more than<br />
thirteen overs to spare, with Andy on 24* and Ilyas on 32*.<br />
On the day we were too strong for the Botany Bay Invitation XI<br />
– which in some ways made a pleasant change from previous<br />
years, when we have been struggling to compete – as the OSA<br />
President’s XI were victorious for the first time since 2008. With<br />
an average age approximately five years younger than previous<br />
years – and teenagers who can field – here’s to 2014…<br />
Geoff Blackmore<br />
Presidential technique!<br />
Jack Cox shows his elegance at the crease.<br />
9
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