A few days prior to the fixture it came to light that both teams thought they were playing away.
Long Itchington agreed to take the fixture.
The last time Napton CC visited this ground was in June 2004 when they received a real ‘tonking’ which set a few team records for Long Itchington.
It also set a few records for Napton CC - but not the ones that need remembering !!

The bucolic setting of the ground adjacent to stream-side meadows was the perfect place to be playing and watching cricket on this sunny afternoon.

Sam’s psychic powers are improving and he won the toss again.
He elected for Napton to bat first.

Mike and Ollie opened.
This pair wasted no time in clocking up the runs. 61 runs after 10 overs and 137 after 20.
In the 22nd over Mike popped one back into the bowler’s hands.
157-1.
Oh dear. Just a few runs short of Mike’s record 164 run opening partnership with Tom on 30th April.
Joe joined Ollie and scored the only ‘six’ of the match but then fell to a well-taken catch.

James C hurried the score along with his ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ style. He was eventually bowled on 27 runs in the 37th over with 247 runs on the board. James maintained for the rest of the day that 2 runs given as byes were off the bat !!
However, regular inspections of the scorebook continue to indicate that 27 is his correct score.

Run-machine Tom came in at number five with just under four overs left.
Is it being cynical to think that this is a ploy to keep him away from a thousand-run season? Animal Farm, equality and all that !!

Through all of the above activity Ollie was still there giving a performance that was composed and controlled with a variety of text-book strokes and shots. He is certainly a quality batsman and a welcome addition to Napton’s line-up.
He was very near his century and try as Tom might to shepherd Ollie to the striker’s end he finished on 99 Not Out and ‘carried his bat’.
Prior to this report Ollie’s scorebook entries were re-checked. Unfortunately, an additional run could not be found.
The innings finished with Napton on 283-3 after the allocated 40 overs.

What a magnificent tea awaited the teams and officials.
Freshly made and tastily filled sandwiches and other savouries, accompanied by fresh strawberry and cream-topped scones, cakes and chocolate treats. All to be washed down with pots of piping hot tea.
This was a traditional cricket tea that matched any we have at Napton.
Sharp intakes of breath are heard. A cricket tea equal to a Napton production and being heralded in print !!
An explanation. With the aforementioned confusion regarding the venue it was agreed that Napton would provide the tea. So, Napton’s peripatetic refreshment team got into gear.
Bronwyn, Emma and Vikki prepared the tea at Long Itchington’s pavilion with help from other Napton travelling supporters. Well done!

With over 7 runs an over as the target the home team took to the wicket.
Napton kept the run rate low and through a diving (tumbling?) catch by Tom off Mike removed one of the home side’s openers. 22-1 in the 9th over.
Mike was back in the stats in the 11th with a ball that removed just the off-side bail.
Long Itchington just about remained in the chase but after batsman number 4 went in the 23rd over there was a steady turnover of batters.

Another catch by Tom, a one-handed catch above the head from James and two hoisted smacks well taken by JP and Sam sealed the target-chasers fete.
Committed fielding, including a run-out, all helped in taking the 10 wickets for 142 runs in the 31st over.

Captain Sam and his team are consistently returning satisfactory results. All aspects of Napton’s game are improving season by season.
However, the real strength of Napton Cricket Club is the camaraderie between all concerned, players and supporters alike. It took the team through more challenging times. It will now be a great factor in enjoying the team’s improving status and also, the less than satisfactory results that will come from time to time.