OU Authentics 1 May 2025

Manager  Aayaz Mallick

Lost by 1 Wicket

SOA 222 for 7 dec (Ed Phillips 77*, M Ratnaweera 47)

OU Authentics 223 for 9 (Nick Bishop 5 for 53)

1st May, temperatures 25+ degrees, not a cloud in the sky – what could be better than heading to Univ College Sports Ground for a thrilling tussle with The Authentics which kept all results on the cards until the very last over.

‘Tics skipper Mikyle Ossman won the toss and, perhaps surprisingly, opted to take the field. SOA openers Malitha Ratnaweera and Alex Wildman looked to see of some useful pace and movement from Marriage and Pandyala.

Wildman, Shiraz Hussain (unlucky to be run out on 16) and Trevon Burgess came and went leaving SOA at a tipping point score of 80 for 3 from 19, when a useful partnership between Ratnaweera (47) and skipper Ed Phillips moved things along nicely.

Keeping the score at just under six an over Phillips moved past the fifty mark (again) and, despite wickets for the returning Marriage (4 for 69 from 14), he was able to declare on 222 for 7 from 39 overs leaving the ‘Tics with around an hour plus 20 overs to chase the total down.

Evergreen Danny Dawson and Ishwar Karthik (1 for 35 from 7) had their chances early on but both Ossman (36) and Montblatt (22) looked in good nick adding 67 for the first wicket. One often brings two and so it was but ‘Tics looked very well set on 80 for 2 at drinks, 140 needed at 7 runs per over certainly gettable in the final hours play.

Phillips turned to Nick Bishop who picked up a wicket first over back and the tireless Dawson bowled out his eleven over stint to finish with a somewhat poorly rewarded 1 for 51. The ‘Tics kept going for their shots, SOA kept knocking them back with regular wickets and a grandstand finish was brewing.

Richard Pye picked up a wicket, Bishop (5 for 53 from 10) continued to make in-roads bowling from anywhere between 22 and 24 yards and Pres Elect Craig Foster entered the attack to pick up the death bowling duties with the latter.

125 for 4 from 24, 153 for 5 from 27, 193 for 6 from 31, 201 for 7 from 32, 202 for 8 from 33 and 213 for 9 from 34 left ‘Tics needing 10 runs from the final over with one wicket in hand.

Foster worked hard looking to snatch victory, whilst Woodford (25 not out) and Marriage didn’t hold back, looking to win the game in style. A draw was never in either sides approach and so it was that ‘Tics got home with three balls to spare when Woodford hit a marvellous ‘six’ to take the spoils, all parties walking off having head a great day out in the early summer sun.

Thanks to Mike Knox and Andrew Moss for umpiring / scoring and to Robbie for providing another splendid ground to match both sides play. Here’s to more of the same in 2026!

Footnote: in addition to a fine game of cricket, we were blessed with the attendance of the Pres plus two former Presidents (George Lamb and Tony Lurcock), with the latter bringing along two Authentics Fixture Booklets, one from 1914 and the other from 1926 – Lurkers assured all and sundry that his name did not appear in either…. Meanwhile George preferred to offer no comment!