Rain puts a damper on Feast festivities

THE best cricket social day in Oxfordshire finishes the season today, proclaimed the tweet from Banbury stalwart Neil Megson ahead of the Horspath Feast match. And once again the occasion didn't disappoint off the pitch - even though the weather certainly did its best to ruin the day with persistent rain allowing just 25 overs play. Arriving at the ground courtesy of a taxi driven by a man from that burgeoning cricketing power Afghanistan, it soon became clear that all the action before lunch would be confined to the bar. Several pints later the players, club members and guests sat down to a convivial lunch thanks to the excellent efforts of the team led by Cath and Val. Entertaining speeches followed from Max Eason, on behalf of the club, and Clive Ricks, for the President's XI, before umpires Bob Chamberlain and AJ Smith gave the go-ahead for play to start in light rain. With the deteriorating conditions making it difficult for Horspath's bowlers to hold the ball, Martin Andersson and AJ Woodland got the President's XI off to a flying start. They put on 122 for the first wicket with Andersson hitting 81, which included three sixes and 11 fours, while Woodland made 32. Ian Belcher chipped in with 20, before Wes Morrick's unbeaten 14 included arguably the shot of the day with a reverse sweep for six as the President's XI's innings closed on 179-5 from 20 overs. Stephen Green took 3-16, while Dave Ward provided his annual comical piece of fielding when he took over the wicket-keeper's gloves from Jack Biggs, but declined to put on the pads and was hit on the shin by an outside edge, leaving him hopping around in agony much to his teammates amusement. Despite what was by now torrential rain, Horspath went out to bat and had reached 46-4 from five overs when play was abandoned, with Charlie Fisher and Sam Jones taking two wickets apiece. Chris Jones was in full cry at the time, having moved on to 15 with three consecutive boundaries, while the average age of the President's XI was reduced considerably by 12-year-old Alfie Turner, one of the youngest players - if not the youngest - to take the field in the Feast match. So the curtain came down in rather soggy fashion on a highly successful season for the club, which saw the 1st XI crowned Home Counties Premier League Division 2 champions and Wilf Bennett Trophy winners, the 3rd XI win promotion from Cherwell League Division 5 and the youth teams triumph in four county competitions. Roll on 2017.

Posted by: Russ