UCS Old Boys 26 July 2026

Manager Frankie Crouch

Lost by 5 Wickets

SOA 246 for 6 dec (Max Wyman 78*, Lewis North 41*, Swapnil Kulkarni 35)

UCS Old Boys 249 for 5 

There was no shortage of incident, nor indeed of good cricket, when South Oxfordshire Amateurs met UCS Gowers in a contest which, despite the eventual defeat of the Amateurs by five wickets, provided a thoroughly entertaining afternoon's sport.

The Amateurs, having found themselves in the distinctly uncomfortable position of 76 for five, staged a most commendable recovery to reach 246 for six from 44 overs. Their efforts, however, were not quite sufficient, for Gowers, after some anxious moments of their own, reached the required total with 23 deliveries of the allotted time remaining.

That South Oxfordshire Amateurs were able to make such a game of it was due in no small measure to a splendid innings by Max Wyman, whose unbeaten 78 was the cornerstone of a recovery which, at one stage, had seemed scarcely possible.

Wyman Comes to the Rescue

The early proceedings offered little encouragement to the Amateurs' supporters.

Alex Ross made a lively 17, dispatching the ball to the boundary on two occasions and once clearing the ropes altogether, whilst Ayyaz Mallick contributed 13. Neither, however, was able to establish himself for any length of time, and the Gowers attack continued to make steady inroads.

Aakif Imthiyaz departed for seven, S Younus for 15, and Chris North for six, leaving South Oxfordshire Amateurs in considerable difficulty at 76 for five.

It was at this unpromising juncture that Wyman took matters firmly in hand.

Batting with admirable resolution, and showing a happy readiness to punish anything loose, he set about repairing the damage in company with Swapnil Kulkarni.

The latter played a valuable innings of 35, which included seven boundaries, and together the pair added 63 runs for the sixth wicket. Their stand brought a welcome measure of respectability to the score and served to check what had threatened to become a procession back to the pavilion.

When Kulkarni was dismissed at 139, Lewis North came to the wicket, and there followed the finest partnership of the innings.

North, with a sound appreciation of the situation, gave Wyman excellent support. The two batsmen proceeded to add 107 runs without being separated, gradually wresting the initiative from the bowling side.

Wyman finished undefeated on a splendid 78, his innings containing twelve fours and one six, whilst North remained unbeaten on 41, with five boundaries to his credit.

Thus, from the distinctly parlous position of 76 for five, South Oxfordshire Amateurs closed at 246 for six — a recovery reflecting considerable fortitude and no little skill.

Ross and North Make Early Inroads

With a respectable total to defend, South Oxfordshire Amateurs entrusted the new ball to Alex Ross and Lewis North, both of whom performed their duties with credit.

Ross bowled six overs for 30 runs and one wicket, accounting for Joel Grabinar, who had made four. North was similarly successful, dismissing Joe Craig for 12 and finishing with one for 32 from five overs, one of which was a maiden.

The Gowers batsmen were by no means permitted an uninterrupted passage, and at 22 for two the Amateurs had every reason to regard their prospects with satisfaction.

Unfortunately for the Amateurs, Wishal Khan proved a batsman of considerable enterprise.

He struck the ball with great freedom, collecting ten fours and four sixes in an innings of 77 made from only 65 deliveries. His vigorous methods threatened for a time to put the issue beyond doubt.

Nevertheless, the Amateurs persevered, and it was Jack North who eventually brought about the much-needed dismissal.

North was perhaps the pick of the South Oxfordshire Amateurs attack, capturing two wickets at a cost of only 23 runs in five overs. His removal of Khan, with the score at 140 for four, was a particularly welcome success and served to restore the balance of the contest.

Chris North also bowled steadily, conceding 25 runs from five overs, whilst Craig Foster returned figures of none for 35 from six.

Wyman, having already carried the principal burden with the bat, undertook nine overs with the ball, conceding 54 runs, while Aakif Imthiyaz contributed a solitary over for six.

A Stubborn Stand Settles the Issue

With Khan back in the pavilion, much depended upon the ability of South Oxfordshire Amateurs to maintain the pressure.

Nick Corbett, however, contributed a useful 26 before falling to Swapnil Kulkarni, whose 5.1 overs yielded one wicket for 23 runs.

The dismissal left Gowers at 193 for five, and the Amateurs could still entertain reasonable hopes of carrying off the honours.

But Alex Pemberton, who had by this time become well established, was in no mood to relinquish the advantage.

Batting with commendable patience and sound judgment, he compiled an unbeaten 60 from 65 deliveries, finding the boundary eight times. In David Goldsmith he discovered a capable partner, the latter contributing 22 not out.

The pair added 56 for the sixth wicket, and although the South Oxfordshire Amateurs bowlers continued their exertions to the last, no further breakthrough was forthcoming.

Gowers duly reached 249 for five in the 43rd over, securing victory by five wickets with 23 balls remaining in the timed contest.

It had been a creditable chase, though one which the Amateurs might reasonably feel had been rather too generously rewarded.

Honour in Defeat

If victory eluded South Oxfordshire Amateurs, there was nevertheless much in their display to merit favourable notice.

Wyman's 78 not out was an innings of considerable substance, combining enterprise with the sound judgment demanded by a difficult situation. Lewis North's unbeaten 41 was scarcely less valuable, and the partnership of 107 between the pair must rank as the most satisfactory feature of the afternoon from the Amateurs' point of view.

With the ball, Jack North's two for 23 was an excellent performance, whilst Ross and Lewis North had given the side the early encouragement of two wickets with the new ball.

The Amateurs may perhaps regret their inability to break the final partnership, but it would be ungenerous to dwell unduly upon that disappointment.

Cricket, as the old saying reminds us, is a game of glorious uncertainties, and on this occasion the balance of fortune favoured Gowers.

South Oxfordshire Amateurs, for their part, may take considerable satisfaction from a performance marked by determination, good fellowship and a refusal to acknowledge defeat even when circumstances appeared decidedly unfavourable.