July 14-16, 2024
Minor counties cricket returned to Thame with a 3-day match between Oxfordshire and Cheshire. The Minor Counties play T20, 50-over and 3-day competitions.
Oxfordshire reached the semi-finals of the T20 competition, but the finals day was rain affected and not completed, and it is not clear if it will be re-arranged. Cheshire had finished third in their group behind Cumbria.
The 50 over competition was not as successful for Oxfordshire as they finished third in their group behind Berkshire. Cheshire won their group, and thrashed Devon by 110 runs in the quarter final. I haven’t been able to find when the semi-final will be held.
The three-day competition has just begun, and this is the first match for Cheshire in a five team group involving Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Cornwall and Devon. Oxfordshire were frustrated in their first match where rain prevented little play after Oxfordshire had accumulated 299 all out, and Cornwall ended with 61 for 1 for a draw.
Cheshire
The Cheshire side announced for this game contained one player who had first class experience, captain Harry Dearden, now playing for Oxton, but between 2016 to 2021 played for Derbyshire and Leicestershire, scoring 12 fifties over 78 First Class, List A and T20 matches.
Zach Perren had played for Lancashire 2nd XI this season and Leeds/Bradford UCCE prior to that, and Sam Perry had also turned out for Lancashire 2nds this season. Alec McLoughin had played for Leicestershire 2nds this season.
Thomas Hafil ( Didsbury ), Perren, Sebastien Botes ( Moorside and previously Albury in Australia ) and McLoughlin were making their debuts for Cheshire. The rest of their line-up played for club sides across Cheshire, Liverpool and Greater Manchester, with Luke Young playing for Hyde, wicket-keeper Owen Feakes playing for Flowery Field, Andrew Dufty for Oulton Park, Henry Dobson for Oxton and George Valentine for Alderley Edge.
I had played one match in Cheshire, scoring 54 at Pott Shrigley in a tour match in 1987, which was lost by 9 wickets as their ex-Derbyshire player scored an unbeaten 80 not out. The other two matches on our tour were rained off.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire’s team included a couple of players with had played first-class cricket, with 33 year old Jamie Harrison playing 25 games for Durham scoring 2 half centuries and taking 62 wickets. However, a serious knee injured brought an end to his career at the highest level.
Left-arm spinner Tom Hinley played one match for Sussex in 2021 and has played for Worcestershire 2nd XI this season. Tom Davis has played for both Worcestershire and Warwickshire 2nd XIs this season, including playing for Warks against Worcestershire.
South African born Hayden Rossouw scored 93 for Oxfordshire in 2021 against a Sussex attack that included Jofra Archer, James Coles and Travis Head. Rossouw was one of five players from the Aston Rowant club, together with Tristan Rossouw, Dylan Driscoll, Luke Hayes and captain Maximillian Mannering, who no doubt has plenty of Dad’s Army references to deal with !
The other Oxfordshire players in their XI came from Oxford Downs ( Prav Chahal, who also had played for Oxford UCCE, and Henry Welch ), Oxford CC ( George Tait ) and wicket-keeper Eitan Litvin, who plays for Kenilworth Wardens and was making his Oxfordshire debut.
Day One
Cheshire won the toss and elected to bat but were quickly bundled out for 119 in the 54th over. Number 9 Mcloughlin top scored with 23, with Perren the next highest score with 20. Chahal had the best figures for Oxfordshire with 3 for 13 whilst spinners Mannering and Hinley took two wickets each.
Although Oxfordshire lost Harrison early, Hayden Rossouw ( 72 ) and Hayes ( 67 ) tucked into the youthful Cheshire attack and although both fell just before the close, Oxfordshire ended the day on 219 for 3, a lead of 100 runs.
Day Two
Despite a short rain delay in the morning, Oxfordshire ploughed on to make 424 for 8 before declaring in the 89th over. Tait made 80 and Litvin 56. For Cheshire, Valentine was expensive, but some late wickets gave him the best figures of 4 for 87 of 14 overs, and spinner Dearden took 2 for 90 off 16 overs. Only Dobson brought any element of control, conceding just 17 runs off 11 overs.
With Fatbear about to turn up to watch the last two hours off play, the heavens opened, and the players went off for an early tea. With the prospects of play looking unlikely, it was time to go to the pub.
The inclement weather did relent long enough for 5 more overs, in which time, opening Hafil was LBW to Mannering for 1 as Cheshire limped to 9 for 1 before more rain ended play for the day.
The forecast for the final day doesn’t look good, but Oxfordshire will be hoping there will be enough time to force the win.
The match is being live streamed on the Oxfordshire Cricket YouTube channel, which has one camera behind the bowler's arm. However, it doesn't follow the ball so when the shot is hit square of the wicket, you have no idea if is going to be caught or cut off before the boundary, until the umpire signals !
Link to Scorecard : https://oxfordshireccc.play-cricket.com/website/results/6188747
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