Oakley felled by Waverley

Two wins on the spin as juggernaut gathers momentum...

It may have been cold and overcast but at least Sunday's match at Oakley beat the weather. On show for the visitors were Adrian Day ('Mog'), James Wright ('Jim Jam'), Johnny Mathis ('the Crooner'), Simon Brewer ('KV'), Jason Trimmer ('JT'), Matt Du Gay ('Doogs'), Simon Knox ('Chewy'), Adam Carmichael ('AC'), Andy Rooke ('Rookey'), Peter Brewer ('Mr B') and David Stockwell ('Stockrates').

Making a tactical decision to win the toss, Waverley fielded first against a youthful home side. Doogs led the line with Chewy, the latter still making it onto the pitch before Mr B despite arriving minutes before the game was due to start. It was Doogs who helped himself to two early wickets, inducing his first victim to play onto his own stumps with a scampering AC pouching a mis-timed flick in the mid-wicket area. Chewy toiled away for no reward but, along with Doogs, kept a lid on the run rate in the first twelve overs. AC was introduced into the attack and was blasted to all parts in his first three overs and despite recovering with some more economical bowling, he was unable to get his name in the wicket column. Not true of Rookey from the other end, who helped himself to three wickets and put the hosts firmly on the ropes with a fine eight over spell (although no one is to ask Jim Jam for catching tips for the foreseeable future). AC was replaced by Stockrates and Waverley's resident archaeologist also found himself amongst the wickets, KV taking the catch down at long-on. From the other end first Chewy and then Doogs returned to pick up a wicket each, while Mr B got in on the act at the death with a wicket of his own. Although Waverley were unable to clean up the final wicket, the home side completed their 40 overs with a score of 124-9.

With tea consumed, Mog and Jim Jam were tasked with feasting on the bowling in the Waverley innings. The pitch was a little trick and the start was steady, but not spectacular with Jim Jam departing early on. However, the second wicket partnership between Mog and the Crooner gradually built momentum, Mog providing the anchor for the innings while the Crooner tucked into the bowling. When the Crooner was bowled off his pads for 42 the target of 125 was in sight. However it wouldn't be a Waverley innings without a little wobble as first KV (LBW) and then JT (bowled) departed without troubling the scorers. But Mog had kept going and a couple of boundaries from him left Waverley needing one to win and Mog needing three for his half century. Only a boundary would do and Mog duly obliged at the second attempt, carrying his bat with 51* as Waverley rounded off a comfortable victory.

Mog was awarded the Man of the Match Hat for his display of batting, but also won the Supporters' Egyptian Hieroglyph Pink T-Shirt Award after the Waverley Ladies complained about the time taken to chase down Oakley score. The Pink T-Shirt went to Doogs for throwing himself out of the way of the ball while fielding (although Stocky ran him close, not least as he was heard to describe Doogs as "easy on the eye"). Comments from the Clio saw AC joined this week by Stockrates and Laura, AC's missus putting in her annual appearance at the cricket. You'd think that with a lawyer, a PhD student and one of Waverley's foremost thinkers in one car that a great many of life's difficult questions could be answered. Top on Laura's agenda? Her disappointment that AC wasn't awarded the Pink T-Shirt...