Match Date: 17th July 2025
Under the blazing Belgian sun (yes, really!), the second team were asked to field first. The opposition showed why they were top of the table with a 100%-win record as the openers made steady progress, though it wasn’t long before captain Channi enticed one of the batsmen into nicking off to first slip. A few lusty blows and a couple more wickets followed before the visitors again settled down and added 75 for the 5th wicket stand, shared between one opener, who ended up on a run-a-ball 73, and the number 6 batsman, who made a 50 more agricultural than a combine harvester rolling along the fields of Oakhampton. Thereinafter, it was one-way traffic as we took two wickets in two balls and the last 5 wickets for just 14 runs as Braine moved from 175-5 to 189 all out in just 30 overs. The young bowling attack of Atharva, Akshat and Issa did themselves and the team incredibly proud, taking 6 wickets between them and never relenting on the pressure built up by excellent work from everyone in the field. The standout performance was, however, the captain, leading from the front and finishing with figures of 4-33 from his 7 overs.
Having bowled Braine out quickly, we were asked to negotiate a tricky period of 15 overs immediately after their innings before taking tea. Rob and Matt strode out to the middle and got to work trying to keep out the pacey and (in some cases, internationally) experienced bowling attack, knowing that if they could take the shine off the ball, put some overs in the bowlers’ legs and keep the fielders under the sun for as long as possible, it would make life much easier for the rest of the order coming in. Agonisingly, the first wicket fell just 4 balls short of the tea break, but a solid platform had been laid and Braine heads were visibly starting to drop. The top 5 batsmen all got starts but were undone by a mix of high-class bowling and some umpiring at quite the opposite end of the spectrum. That same umpiring also did for the middle order, with two consecutive golden ducks, both LBW, one very audibly nicked and one almost certainly making its way wide of leg stump. Atharva and Chris Ancil put up some good resistance, sharing a stand of 29 and taking us very close before Atharva holed out to long off, and the wickets fell like dominoes from there, leaving us 171 all out – a tantalising 19 runs short of what would have been a phenomenal (and well-deserved) win!
Despite the result, there were many positives to take from the game – we were excellent in the field, taking all our catches, saving lots of runs and keeping the pressure on the batsmen. Our young bowling attack never let up, each picking up where the last left off and keeping standards high throughout the innings. We also batted properly and as a unit, setting a platform, kicking on from it and batting into the 48th over. If we continue to perform like that, the results will undoubtedly go our way before too long. Chin up lads and onto next weekend!