Match Report

Thoughts of a Strolling Hedgehog.

You may have seen recent photos of Paul Wordsworth, seated on the roller, bearing down on a spikey creature . That hedgehog not only survived that encounter but was induced to come out watch the second innings of the season’s opening game.  The dampened grass, moistened by one of the mid-game showers must have been to her liking. Her gently amble around the boundary from North to West took up most of the second innings and a close inspection from members of the Kamal family.

Without a drop of rain in the preceding three weeks, the 2025 season began in conditions as unlike those of last season’s as could be imagined. The square was parched and beginning to crack in places, and as hard as it has ever been in April. Hard does not always mean good. The strip provided help for all the bowlers, difficulties for the batsman and nightmares for the wicketkeepers.

MSCC provides more that its fair share of players in the Oxfordshire senior teams and thus a County Senior Select XI  is a welcome addition to our fixture list. The home side leant two of its senior players to the visitors to make up the numbers thus Howard Lancaster and Rob Barton were “playing away”.  Visiting skipper Fred Price won the toss, and in a forty over match decided to bowl first.

It is not unusual when a dad turns up to watch his son play, it is however when the dad is 99 years old. Mr Price snr watched the whole game and stayed for the barbeque. The youngsters ( in comparison) Mr and Mrs Lamb celebrate a birthday next week and we wish Georgina a very happy birthday as George whisks her off to France. 

The all new slimline Matt Carpenter and the once slimmer of the year, Jay Mumtaz, were eager to don pads and face the opening deliveries.  It is a relief to score your first run. It is a relief denied to Matt who chopped down onto to a delivery and saw the ball break his wicket. There are not a lot of words of comfort for the first duck of the year, so instead Matt was left with umpiring duties for the next 2 hours. There was just time for third batter Tim House, to strike a boundary to deep square leg before the drizzle that had threatened for the previous hour turned into much heavier rain. 

After a 40 minute break the match continued, but was now reduced to 35 overs per inning.  Jay and Tim took the score to 20 – 1 when the rain returned.  This shower was shorter and both batsmen took guard for a third time.  Jay was the more aggressive of the pair, striking hard through mid on while Tim ensured that second runs were taken when available. 

On a tricky wicket a full toss is often the least threatening delivery. Jay departed tamely for 20 hitting a full toss to Price at Mid off.  Ahmad at no 4 was soon in full flow and with Tim gaining in confidence the runs accumulated at an ever increasing rate. Approaching three figures Tim struck a drive with pace toward Mid off, Ahman backing up was ready to run. The fielder picked up and hurled down the stumps at the bowler’s end, Ahmad beaten by a fine piece of cricket.  With overs now running out, Tim looked to accelerate further and paid the price, bowled for a good 34.  

Tim Riley and Stevyn Jackson rebuilt for a few overs before attempting a final surge .  Stevyn kept the keeper interested, surviving one stumping attempt from Williams’ off spin but succumbing to the second attempt, as the keeper first juggled, then fumbled then took off the bails as Stevyn over balanced out of his ground. The last six overs saw Tim and Shaan add 45 runs, with Shaan playing two of the shots of the day driving Price for consecutive  boundaries to the Church End sight screen.

Family Dipple provided the first tea of the year. The secret infusion of strawberry jam into the centre of the “dainties” was a master stroke. The call for all hands to put the sheet out as another shower threatened was met with a groan from all the diners.  Many thanks Dipples! There are still lots of opportunites to sign up for tea making, please do not hesitate to put your name down.

The second half of the match found a slight improvement in the atmospherics  but a deterioration of the playing surface. Opening bowlers, Dipple and Hamidullah found movement in air and off the wicket. They were aided by the natural variablity of the surface which soon had both openers muttering discontentedly. Hamidullah took the honour of the first wicket, beating the extravagant drive of opener Crouch.  Matt, keeping wicket, noted that in contrast to his innings, at least one ball had struck the bat. 

Rob Williams looked the best of the Oxfordshire line up. Early shots hinted at a player who likes to drive and to hit the ball hard. Hamidullah and Matt bowled good lines, and gave few opportunities to scores. In contrast to the first innings, wides and no ball were avoided. The run rate required was moving rapidly away from the visitors. You may recall an innings of Ben Stokes against Australia in January ’22 when Cameron Green hit the stumps but did not dislodge the bail. Matt Dipple did the same to Williams, the bail lifting from its groove but not falling. He was mildly upset, as it was the best ball he bowled.

Paul bowled first change. Paul qualified as an Over fifties player more than twenty years ago, so you would have thought that Williams would have paid him more respect.  A couple of wayward deliveries were punished as Williams hit out.  One chance went begging as the ball hit the outside edge and curled over a frantically flapping Hamidullah at cover.

To make amends Hamidullah took a second wicket and then a third in quick succession drawing Howard Lancaster into bat. The field was set to cut off Howard’s main scoring shot, three gullies glowered toward the notorious cutter. Howard survived Hamidullah’s spell only to be faced with Ahmad and his off spin. 

Tim Riley came on to bowl  and with his first delivery all but assured victory, trapping Williams LBW as he played outside the line of the ball. Ahmad bamboozled Howard for an over then spun one back  to hit his off stump. Only wicket keeper Cairns showed further resistance compiling a patient 27 as the innings fizzled out. Matt picked up a catch behind the wicket, Tim House had Rob Barton caught and bowled  and Matt Dipple finishing his spell bowled Fred Price as he made room to try and play a cut shot. The hedgehog by now had covered half the ground.

Middleton were winners by 49 runs and duly retired to the bar and barbeque to celebrate. The visiting umpire, Mr Wilkes and the home scorer Chris Greer were awarded the Kip McGrath certificates for their contribution as the sun set behind the pavilion and the spectators wandered home to see Bryson de Chambeau steal the Masters.