Page 51 - Bloxhamist 2017-2018

SPORT

cricKet

The 1st xi started the term with a damp pre-season held at the Dewey. The
season’s fixtures got underway with a friendly against Westbury Cricket Club
held at Bloxham. The grounds team worked incredibly hard to combat the flooding
that Easter brought and we enjoyed a positive learning experience against
a strong side containing lots of Old Bloxhamists. The team learned a lot very
quickly and knew that if we were going to have a successful season we needed to
put all the hard work from the winter into our matches.

From previous years we knew that performances as a team. excellent cricket grounds and the team
Solihull at home would be a challenge and the coaches are very grateful for all
but it’s one that the boys accepted with After half term, the 1st XI turned their the hard work and effort they put in.
a fine bowling performance from Toby attention back to some exciting fixtures
Staveley Parker and Ollie Maw, sharing against some tough teams. Against Dean The Junior Colts A XI found wins hard
seven wickets and the former seeing us Close they performed admirably to win, to come by but produced some good
home with his brother Ben, with Toby but on the horizon was the Founderstide performances, above all in a 12 run
hitting 71*. This was the start of a fine game against the Old Bloxhamists. This victory against Wellingborough. Their
batting season for the 1st XI’s number 3. is a fixture that everyone involved most valuable experiences came in the
with the 1st XI looks forward to and prestigious T20 tournament at MCS
The buzz from the Solihull game led produces both a fantastic environment Oxford, where they came up against
the team into a busy week, with three and atmosphere to play cricket in. sides from Brighton College and The
further games in five days. It was Once again the ground was looking a Perse as well as KES Birmingham and
brilliant to gain a fixture against an picture. OBs batted first and after slow the hosts. Playing sides of this standard
Eton XI. After a good start with the ball, progress set the school 176 to win and can only do the boys good, as does the
Bloxham let standards slip in the closing thanks to a fine hundred from Harry experience of staying in Balliol College
overs and needed runs from the skipper, Denison-Smith, the school won the during the festival.
Ollie Morgan. He duly obliged with 85* annual highlight and headed off for the
and Bloxham won a tight contest. It set Founderstide Ball. The Yearlings A side enjoyed an
up a good contest for the next day, at emphatic win against Dean Close, with
Stowe v their U17 side. It was Bloxham’s The season ended with a good big innings for Sam Blake and James
first T20 outing of the season and they performance to beat Dean Close in their Gurney, and won by six wickets against
put in a team performance to secure a festival week, and the team finished Warwick, with James scoring 58* in a
win. Confidence was high going into their season with a healthy win ratio. All successful run chase. Sam Kentigern-
the weekend fixture with Warwick, but the squad played their role but some key Fox was the side’s top wicket taker. The
Bloxham never got on top of the run rate performers were Toby Staveley Parker Yearlings B side won five out of six, with
chasing 224 and suffered the team’s first who ended as top run and wicket taker, a seven wicket victory over Aylesbury
defeat. with Ben Staveley Parker and Ollie Maw Grammar School the highlight. The U13
close behind in the wickets. A team won four and lost five, winning
The season progressed towards half an excellent game against Warwick,
term with the team winning all their There are too many people to thank when Will Benson hit 50, while Ollie
games, except a tight 40/40 against for all their efforts with the 1st XI but Brooks hit a half century, against
Wellingborough. The game kept we must thank Mr Best for all his help Cokethorpe. Playing for the Yearlings B
swinging both ways and Bloxham looked and support in his first season with the team against Kingham Hill, Ryden Dann
set to complete a memorable run chase team. He has been a valuable member managed to take four wickets in four
only to lose a cluster of late wickets. of the coaching team and has offered balls. One notable achievement by an
At the half way stage of the season, excellent guidance to our players. Also, Exham player was Alex Din who gained
the Bloxham 1st XI had shown a lot of the grounds team, Paul and Matt, have full colours while still a First Form
skill and hard work to put in excellent worked hard to ensure the boys play on student. DDF

rESuLTS: CriCKET

1st xi 2nd xi 3rd xi 4th xi 5th xi Junior Junior Junior Yearlings Yearlings Yearlings u13A xi u13B xi
Colts A Colts B xi Colts C xi A xi B xi C xi
xi
Won 11 Won 2 Lost 3 Won 1 Lost 1 Won 2 Lost 3 Lost 1 Won 2 Won 5 Won 2 Won 4 Won 4
Lost 4 Lost 5 Lost 4 Lost 5 Lost 1 Lost 1 Lost 5 Lost 4
Drew 1
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