May’s Junior Round Up
The season is now well underway and with the weather starting to play ball, the Sandford Saints junior section has managed to get out on the field with varying levels of success.
Friday nights:
After a first-week washout, our Friday night junior section has gone from strength to strength. So far this summer we have seen over 100 different junior players attend Friday night cricket. The switch from one session to two sessions on Fridays has worked really well and everybody appears to be enjoying the evenings at the club. The BBQ has sold out each week, and the new addition of the weekly Ice Cream van has been a real hit. I would like to thank all of our amazing coaches who give up their time to coach on a Friday night, without them, none of it would be possible.
Friday night cricket returns on the 9th June.
U11 Hardball
Our U11 squad have been amazing. They started off with a win away at Cropredy in their first game as a team. They have followed that up with two close games vs Hook Norton and Horley, where we just came out second best. The latter game going down to the final ball of the match. It has been great to see so many of our U11s playing hardball cricket. We can certainly improve in all areas of our game, and our coaches Phil and Will are continuing to work on these through our Friday night sessions. Please keep an eye out on SPOND for the fixtures on Sunday mornings, it would be great to get some extra support on matchdays.
U13 Hardball
Our U13 team have so far had the most success. In the 20/20 league and cup they have won 3/3 so far. Starting out with a win away at Banbury Cobras before then beating Chipping Norton at home. This leaves the side joint top of their division with 4 games to go. They have also progressed to finals day of the 20/20 cup. A strong performance against Witney Mills put them through the quarter-final, where their opponents Challow & Childrey had to concede the game.
We will contest the finals day on the 25th June. Again, watch SPOND for our fixtures played on Thursday nights. The bar is open and its great to see the future cricketers playing some great cricket.
Last year’s U13 team reached the finals day of the 100 competition. With bad weather, it was postponed in September and the finals day was played on the 4th of June at Abingdon School. We played Wolvercote in the semi-final, and having won the toss we decided to have a bowl. It started so well with Matt Sykes bowling the opposition opener in the first over. Wolvercote were a very strong side, and their batting, and running was fantastic. They set us a massive score of 160 to chase. Unfortunately, their bowling was as good as their batting, and we were restricted to 80 runs. Zane Gardner the pick of the batters with 30*. A good experience to play on a finals day, one which will stand many in good stead for the 20/20 finals to come in a few weeks. And no shame at all in losing to the eventual winners who beat Cumnor in the final.
U15 Hardball
Our U15 side is just getting going. With a record of played 3, lost 2 and won 1. The side just keeps getting better. We started away at Banbury, having had no practice with a hardball yet.
The Banbury team was very strong, with multiple players playing in their 3rd and 4th teams on a Saturday. We battled well but fell to defeat.
Next up was Chipping Norton at home. A much-improved performance with Theo Ritson-Thomas and Zane Gardner leading us to a competitive total of 115. All the team bowled well, and a controversial no-ball call denied Phoebe Symons a wicket with her first ball. The opposition made the most of this as that same batsman smashed a brilliant 50, supported by other teammates as Chipping Norton chased it down in 16 overs.
We then played Great Tew, where a sublime 50 from Matt Sykes, supported by 30s from Theo Ritson-Thomas and Kai Cosby led us to a score of 183. In response, all bowlers bowled well and restricted Tew to 104, to claim their first win.
We are a U15 side with very few U15 players. The majority are U14 or U13, and because of this, we are excited to spend the next few years working with this team.
Away from the U15 team, two of the members, Matt Sykes and Toby Mann, have both made their second team debuts this summer. Matt becoming a regular as the opening bowler, and Toby taking a wicket in his first over for the club! Well done both and we hope to see more of the U15s playing senior cricket in the near future.
U15 Girls Hardball
Our U15 girls hardball squad played their first game in the last week of May. This was the first girls’ hardball match many could remember at Sandford, and it is a testament to the work Colin Simpson has put into this group.
Again we are a young and inexperienced side, and we fell to defeat against Oxford Downs. Harriet Hunt and Phoebe Symons batted brilliantly, and all the girls played really well. We continue to work on our skills and with more games on the horizon, I am sure we will continue to improve.