Gentlemen of Worcestershire 6 June 2024

Manager Ed Phillips

Won by 71 Runs

SOA 231 for 5 dec (Shiraz Husain 193 Retired Out, Alexander Basford 35, Ben Ling 34)

Gentlemen of Worcestershire 160 all out (Alex Ross 3 for 31)

A sunny day in West Oxfordshire (the gateway to the Cotswold’s some were saying on the day), with a cracking wicket and hospitality from Shipton-under-Wychwood Cricket Club, awaited the President and his band of merry men, looking to get the Club’s first win of the 2024 season. 

Things got off to a great start, “winning the toss” and electing to bat, Shiraz Husain batted superbly to reach a 103* (retired) off 117 balls. Resembling the fine wine his name resembles. The rest of the batting line up ably supporting him along the way with everyone making double figures as minimum fare. Basford and Ling most notably, making 35 and 34 respectively. 

The caterer performed a marvelous task under high pressure. Shipton’s tearoom, damaged by a tree in preseason, self-diagnosed “lack of band width for the job” and bombardments of sarcasm all around did not deter the fixture sec from the task in hand, and The SOA tucked into AJ’s humus, beetroot and carrot sandwiches having declared 231-5 from 47.5 overs.

SOA debutante, James “Rizzy” Risbridger opened the bowling with one of the unluckiest spells since Lurkers was a lad, finally claimed a well-deserved wicket, finishing with figures of 9 Overs, 1 Maiden, 1 for 37. Alex Ross was Rizzy’s opening partner, who grew into the role starting waywardly, but finished up with a potent 3-31 from 8 overs. 

The Gents stuttered further when Sir Les Patterson’s (Craig Foster) cultural attaché partnered with Past President Bishop for a marvelous spell of spin bowling and reducing TGoW to 88-6. 

Unfortunately for the bowlers, Shiraz resembled Liebfraumilch in the field and just as the SOA followed his high standards with the bat. This time blindly followed his example in the field. The seventh wicket partnership was the visitors finest, and saw the game develop nicely into the final 20 overs. 

The natural, would have been left disappoint though as the SOA closed out the innings well. Bishop, Eaton, and Basford all bowled admirably, but the pick of the bowlers was undoubtedly Sir Les, finishing with Figures of 11.3 Overs, 3 Maidens, 2 for 37, and deservedly sealing victory with the final wicket. Bowling out The Gentlemen of Worcestershire for 160 from 46.3 overs. 

A sincere thank you goes to AJ for stepping in as caterer, Sue Hayes for expertly scoring, George Honey as umpire and lastly but by no means least Shipton-under-Wychwood CC for hosting us.