Bloxham School 16 June 2021

Manager Ed Phillips

Lost by 3 wickets

SOA 219 for 8 dec (Ellwood 89)

Bloxham School 222 for 7 (Woods 2-25 off 7)

Elwood Puts in a Glowing Performance.

SOA’s Northern correspondent Phillips won the toss as well as negotiating a timed cricket format at 11am. Some on lookers say this is where his captaincy peaked.

The opening partnership from Old Bloxhamist Griffiths and local lad Beckett helped mask Phillips’s laissez faire style with a speedy start and boundaries flowing in the North Oxfordshire sunshine. The top order managed to put together almost note worthy partnerships whilst keeping the scoreboard ticking. Ellwood was the shinning beacon in the batting performance, scoring freely to make a fine 83. He was the one red flag which Bloxham should have been mindful of and kept the innings together as the school boys managed to take regular wickets at the other end. At the fall of the 9th wicket Phillips declared with 219 hard fort runs on the board.

Upon taking the field Phillips’ foot soldiers started to drop like flies, young and old alike, no one was spared from a tweak of muscle and a limp in their stride. This made field placements crucial as the ball needed to hit the fielder for him to execute a stop. This may have been due the Covid restrictions at the Elephant and Castle, where lunch time opening has been quelled , this left the top order unhappy and unoiled.

Before his muscular strain Woods started well on debut with an early brace of wickets, but was self diagnosed as unfit to continue after 7 overs 2 maidens 2-25. Looking back this is where control of the scoring rate ended. The remaining bowls, unaided by their fielders, bowled regular bad balls that were punished at ease by the fearless and well mulleted batters. Some wickets fell but it was never enough to gain control of the match and while 7 down Bloxham School were the worthy winners with 10 or so overs left before the close.

Man of the match was awarded to a fine young spinner in the Bloxham ranks by the name of Ben England, who showed great control on the ever more regularly turning wicket at Bloxham.