Oxfordshire out-hit UCCE
20/20 Cricket, the latest sensational attempt by the ECB to lure in larger crowds, made its first appearance in Oxford on Friday, with Pembroke meeting Keble in one encounter, and the UCCE playing Oxfordshire in the second.
In a packed out Parks with a carnival atmosphere boasting a barbecue, bar, and live radio commentary, Pembroke and Oxfordshire emerged victors in a showpiece event.
All the hallmarks of the jazzed- up game were there to be seen as the teams splashed out on coloured kit and the batsmen were accompanied by their own choice of inspiring music on their walk to the middle. Perhaps the only thing that was missing was the explosive run-scoring that the game is designed to encourage.
The opening college match saw Keble bat first and struggle to score quickly thanks to some solid bowling and indifferent shot selection. Rich Booth was dismissed in the first over for only one run, Chris Stearn was caught in the slips first ball, and the middle order struggled to find their feet on a seemingly good pitch.
There was hope however as Stuart Drury put some runs on the board. His 29 runs were much needed, but left-hander Alan Bannister stole the show with some momentous sixes. Dan Fox eventually paid back his vocal female support by taking Bannister's wicket in the final over and Keble achieved a meagre 116.
Pembroke Captain Paul Ramsay was confident throughout that his side would attain the target and he was proved right by the determination of his batting line-up. Fox and Parker-Jones found the boundary consistently but some accurate bowling from Bannister reduced the pink army's run rate, and Fox lost his wicket to a breathtaking diving catch from Rich Booth. Parker-Jones kept going however to reach 39, and Jonny Fennell weighed in with 19 to secure the win for Pembroke with an over to spare and seven wickets in hand.
The second game saw a much higher standard of play in a thrilling encounter between Oxford's Academy and Oxfordshire. The UCCE batted first but also struggled to come to terms with the new format and found themselves three down in the sixth over.
Hope was there however in the form of Marlan Richards, whose Carribean flair suited this game ideally as he smashed a quickfire 30. The Academy tail wagged thanks to some innovative cricket from Moreton and McMahon and they finished their 20 overs on 138, a decent total considering the ponderous start.
Oxfordshire started their reply in a formidable fashion, smashing the Oxford bowling to all parts, using the pace of Suman and Linley effectively. They seemed to be coasting at 80-2 in the twelfth over, but some tight bowling by Parker and Hawinkels pulled things back for Oxford. The visitors took a liking to the Academy spinners, Steve Moreton bearing the brunt of the attack, being hit over the pavillion for a huge six.
The match was always going to be close, with the teams proving to be evenly matched. In the end experience and size told however, as Oxfordshire's semi-pros managed to scrape through, winning from the penultimate ball of the match thanks to some hard hitting by the lower order. The Academy can take a lot from the game, and they will learn from the experience.
The day was a huge success as the crowds poured in to witness some thrilling cricket in a fantastic atmosphere. These type of events can only help the game, particularly if other UCCEs and minor counties follow suit to allow the non-first class cricketers to experience a more vigorous, tense, and testing form of the game, where players must adapt to the new challenges before them. One can truly say that on Friday, cricket was most certainly the biggest winner on the day.
10th Jun 2004