Langmead sees us home at Headley

The disappointment of the previous week’s drubbing at Bradfield was put aside on a sunny and warm afternoon at Headley as we eased to a six-wicket win in a game which only last a total of 41 overs and which was done and dusted by 4.30pm.

We first played Headley in 1971 - it is our oldest continuing fixture other than the School match – and the appeal of the charming ground has never diminished.   The pitch has in the past been bouncy but on this occasion the ball kept low and batsmen who played back did not stay long.

The opening overs suggested we were in for a long afternoon as no fewer than five catches went down – four off the luckless Damien Hill – but once that was out of our system we took charge.  Rory Kennedy secured an unfortunate footnote in OCCC history when he became the first bowler to be ordered from the attack for bowling successive beamers.

Phil Roper (4 for 29) and Peter Hobbs (3 for 27) took regular wickets and only Barton (37) offered any real resistance before he fell to a spectacular catch by Roper off his own bowling.  Hobbs rolled back the years with the ball but wheezed and groaned his way round the field, while Steve Bailey managed to field with every part of his anatomy other than his hands.

The innings ended in a moment of shame for Rob Merry, who to the open-mouthed surprise of his team-mates decided to catch a chance offered off the first ball faced by Headley's 11-year-old No. 11.  Perhaps his earlier howler had addled Rob's thinking or perhaps he was under the impression this was a league game, but he took the catch leaving the rest of the OCs dumbfounded and the poor youngster disconsolate.

Chasing 122 in 35 overs, we started shakily, Noble and Tunnell taking two wickets each as we slipped to 41 for 4, and for the first two overs he was in the middle Ross Kingsnorth (21*) looked like a walking wicket.  It looked as if much would depend on Will Lamgmead (52*), who was batting with ease and class, but from nowhere Kingsnorth launched two massive sixes to take the remaining fight out of the bowlers.  Langmead rounded things off with a four and a huge six.

The OCs left bemused after Merry's catch ...