After the rain got the better of them on Wednesday, washing out their BUCS fixture against Loughborough, the Oxford MCCU girls were eager to get back out onto the cricket pitch this week.
On a beautiful morning at Parks, the Navy won the toss and put Oxford in to bat. The girls got off to a steady start – captain Vanessa Picker and her opening partner Alice Hart ran well between the wickets, and took 24 from the first 5 overs. Wickets fell regularly throughout the innings, but despite some disciplined bowling from the Navy attack, Oxford managed to post a respectable 116-5 from their 20 overs. A solid 51 not out from Picker proved crucial – she hit the only three boundaries of the Oxford innings. Oxford looked sharp in the field, their pre-season trip to Desert Springs paying dividends, and they reduced the Navy to 24-2 from 6 overs, with early wickets for Hearn and Dack. It was Hart though, who proved to be the pick of the bowlers, taking 2-7 from 3 economical overs as Oxford bowled the Navy out for 107, Hearn taking the last wicket in the final over.
A good, competitive game of cricket played in the right spirit was solid preparation for T20 varsity this coming Friday. First, though, the girls set their sights closer to home, as they take on Wadham in the first round of men’s Cuppers on Sunday.
