17 June 2019
Sadly the recent weather played a significant part in this week's cricket, with a number of fixtures interrupted and several cancelled due to the rain. The first to suffer was the U15 Cup game against Wheatley Park School.
Although the first innings was completed, with Rory King making an excellent half-century, the rain prevented any further play. The fixture will be replayed this week. However, at Cox's, the Lower School matches against Abingdon Prep School were all completed with all of the teams successful in securing victories. Notable performances came from Thomas Mennie (51no), Sam Siriwardene (35), Freddie Arnold (22), Samuel Hughes (21) and Henry Haynes (21no).
With heavy rain continuing throughout the week, there was further disruption to Saturday's fixtures against Berkhamsted. The 1st XI fixture was moved to their second ground, and despite a number of rain interruptions, reached a conclusion. Batting first, Abingdon posted 175 in a 40 over game, with Harvey Jupp making 87. An excellent innings of 97 from the Berkhamsted captain, along with some kind Abingdon fielding, saw the target chased down for the loss of 4 wickets. At War Memorial, Abingdon batted first and made a very challenging 153 for 8 in a game reduced to 25 overs per side. George Siriwardene top scoring with 43no. In reply, Berkhamsted lost regular wickets in their chase, falling 51 short, with 102 all out. Owen Ravden (4 for 10) and Alex Scott (3 for 22) doing most of the damage with the ball.
There were some excellent, competitive matches across the U14 games. The As won a low-scoring thriller, getting themselves over the line with just a wicket to spare in chasing 93 on an old-fashioned, sticky wicket. Despite the contributions of Arthur Sheppard (32) and Ollie Sutton (4 for 23), the Bs suffered a narrow defeat by 2 wickets on the adjacent pitch, whilst the Cs, playing a two-innings match, lost by 3 wickets in another good game of cricket.
The U12 matches were very low-scoring games on some tricky wickets, with the U12As up against it having been dismissed for 48, after some accurate and disciplined bowling from the Berkhamsted openers. The Bs, having also been bowled out for less than 50 in their first innings of a two innings game, struggled to get themselves back in the game, falling to an 8 wicket loss.
Sadly, all of the matches at Cox's had to be abandoned midway through the second innings after some very heavy afternoon rain.
There is plenty of cricket to look forward to this week. The Primary Schools' Kwik Cricket Festival being hosted on War Memorial on Monday, before fixtures against the MCC on Thursday, the Old Abingdonians on Friday and a full block against Radley next weekend.
