Published 20 July 2022
The first ONA match since 2018 was a fitting (official) conclusion to the 1st XI’s season on a sweltering evening at Falkland CC. Reduced to 14-4 by the pace of Edan Camplin and especially Oscar Bean, (the fastest opening bowling pair that Mike Hart could ever remember seeing in this encounter), the school looked set for an early tea when the “Georgian era” began.Messrs Greenwood and Shakespeare combined for a partnership of exactly 100 runs, with the former playing in a buccaneering, Bairstow esque style to hit 10 fours and one 90-yard six in his 70, while the latter added a sturdy and sensible 28. In the end, Bart’s fell 11 short of the ONA’s 146, which had owed much to captain James Bird’s 53. The current Falkland CC skipper’s last three balls before retiring all went for six – one of which landed perilously close to Mr Sharpe’s car.
Earlier, the ONA’s talented opening batters, Anthony Hennis and Charlie Mabbatt, had been dismissed without scoring and, once Bird’s innings had flown, the battle between bat and ball was pretty competitive, with James Humphries taking a wicket with his first delivery of leg-spin and fellow Y10s James Hewetson and Jack Robbins both bowling with vigour and smarts. Ani Vashisht’s left-arm angles also presented problems for the ONA batters.
Thanks to Tricia Ray for arranging the tea; to Mike Hart and Jes Sharpe for umpiring duties; and to all at Falkland CC for their hospitality to school cricket this season. Let’s hope next year is even better.
