Witney Mills 105, Justin Bowerman 18-3-38-4, Simon Howarth 9-4-20-4
Cumnor 106-1, Tony Munsey 56*, Jack Metcalfe 25*
Cumnor 30 points, Witney Mills 5
SCORECARD
On winning the toss skipper Bowerman had no hesitation asking Witney to bat first even though Appleton had produced a superb batting track for us. Opening the bowling the skipper immediately found his line, well after the first ball anyway, and bowled superbly in tandem with Ali Lee taking his preferred sewage works end. Lee nipped out the dangerous Duncan Sellman thanks to an excellent catch from Jack Metcalfe at mid-wicket, and Bowerman removed the other opener who had hit some lusty straight drives, after a stunning diving catch by the evergreen Tony Munsey at square cover. Regrettably Mick Shepheard was not able to emulate this feat at slip - palming a dolly destined for Ian West's hands at first slip over the bar - both men landing in a heap on the floor - the bill for groundworks from Appleton will no doubt follow!.
With the main batsmen out, the run rate plummeted and with a tight line and length being bowled Witney Mills managed just one an over for some 28 overs. Bowerman bowling superbly, picked up wickets steadily and did well not to be distracted by the sight and sound of a fretting Simon Howarth warming up after every ball bowled and muttering "I could get both of these two out within the over...." Finally the skipper relented and took himself off after 15 overs and brought on Howarth, allowing Lee to bowl unchanged for 19 overs, which included an 11 over spell containing 6 maidens and just 8 runs.Tom Whitehead was again a live-wire in the field, and after bravely stopping one at short midwicket with his knee, was moved out of the way by a benevolant Sim Howarth to mid-on, only for the next ball to be mullered straight to him where again he made an excellent and brave stop. When Lee eventually ran out of steam, Howarth switched ends which immediately brought a wicket, plus 3 more of the Oryctolagus cuniculus variety of batsmen to wrap up the innings. If you were into the paint drying variety of innings, this was the one to watch, however the sight of Pollock running after the ball with his whites slipping down his legs did alleviate the tedium.
This contrasted sharply with the Cumnor innings opened by Jack Metcalfe and Adam Jones, the latter given plenty of advice by Ali Lee, about patience and playing straight and seeing it through etc. Metcalfe was his usual straight and meticulous self, while Jones proceeded to smash his first ball through a widish mid-on, well cow really for 4 and seemed in a hurry. 2 excellent clips through mid wicket for 4, and some other shots of an agricultural variety followed before his luck ran out and a leading edge was pouched at cover, out for an entertaining 21. Metcalfe sensibly playing his own game through this carnage, took some time to get off the mark, but seemed settled by the arrival of Tony Munsey at the crease and began to play some nice shots. Munz, as only Munz can pounced on anything wide whipping a couple over mid-wicket for six, bludgeoned some straight drives and scored freely all round the wicket. Fittingly however, it was Metcalfe who finished the game - hitting a fine lofted drive through mid-on for 4, followed next ball by a straight six.
As Bobby would say, "happy days"
