Colts Vs Ickleford 15th July

Ickleford under 13's Vs Offley & Stopsley Colts CC - 16th July

OSCC Lost by 2 runs

In a thrilling encounter at Ickleford the youngsters made their debut match for Offley & Stopsley CC and lost by the narrowest of margins.

Captain Mark Ward won the toss and decided to field on a bright evening. His younger brother Adam had the honour of bowling the first ball for the Colts and nice and steady it was too. Jamie Dyer bowled the next over fromn the other end. Unfortunatley the change in conditions and nerves got the better of him slightly, his first over being a mixture of wides and length balls.

Ickleford got off to a flyer in the first 4 overs, racing to a very good 33-0, until Adam Ward made the breakthrough. The impressive Howard went for the pull of a short legside ball, hitting a skying delivery straight down the throat of Conor Gargan, who took an impressive catch despite his nerves. With that wicket the nerves settled slightly and the young team started a fightback. In Wards next over the very same thing happened, Gargan taking a slightly easier catch.

Gary Chamberlain came on and immediatly got the home team jumping slightly with his increased pace, clean bowling Dench in his very first over. In his next he got a caught and bolwed. Mark Ward bowling consistently at the other end. The match was settling down now at 67-5 when Charlie Kelly came on to bowl and with his third and fourth deliveries he took the wickets of Beeson and Woodhead, both clean bowled. He so nearly got a hatrick when the flashing blade of Gould so nearly took the edge.

In the last over Jason Nathan took the wicket of G Ross. Ickleford 99 All out.

Cameron and Mark Ward started the reply in cool style, calmy keeping the scoreboard ticking over without any panic play, at 24-0 after 6 overs things were looking good when Mark Ward mistimed the drive and was comfortably caught at mid-on. Harry came to the crease with the clear intent of hitting it hard, he soon settled down and supported the ever more comfortable Cameron in a partnership of 18 before this was broken by the dismissal of Harry himself whenhe gave up a simple chance to the cover fielder.

Conor Gargan now came to the crease and got of the mark straight away with an easily played sweep to square leg for a singler. This brought the demise of Cameron who unluckily gloved an attempted pull to the keeper. When Conor also got out soon after OSCC were teetering on 45-4. Gary Chamberlain then came to the crease and recieved the ball of the day to be out for a second ball duck. 45-5

Jack came in and steadied the nerves with 5 runs, but when he was bowled the score at 61-5 things looked bleak. Charlie came out and straight away settled into his stride playing a cool shot for two. Jason Kelly also looked happy at the crease. Together these two used the overs, ran the singles and played the ball for four until with two overs to go OSCC needed 21 to win. This was now getting exciting.

Facing this over was Jason, 1st ball was a dot, next a wide, then a full toss sent to the boundary. Another dot ball, then a two and then another 2. Suddenly OSCC only needed 11 to win with one over to spare.

The first ball was bowled to Charlie Page who scored two with a shot behind point, followed by a dot ball. He then hit a single before beiing run out on the fourth ball of the over. Adam Ward came to the wicket with 2 balls left and 8 to score. The very first ball he faced was a high full toss which he he to the boundary. 4 runs and still to balls to go. Unfortunatley the admirable boy Ross bowled two very good balls at the death to only allow a single to be scored and so OSCC lost a great game by two runs.