UWIC fall to Loughborough for the 2nd year running in BUCS Trophy Final
Article courtesy of BUCS
Loughborough retained the Men’s Cricket Trophy in a repeat of the
2010 final, overcoming a stubborn UWIC team at the University Parks at
Oxford University. In a day that had ‘four seasons in one day’ the
morning heavy rain was replaced by windy conditions which lead to a warm
and sunny early evening finish.
Loughborough won the toss in very overcast conditions and their
captain Greg Evans had no hesitation in putting UWIC into bat. UWIC
started confidently 24/0 after 5 overs before the rain arrived and the
pitch was covered. After a delay of nearly an hour, the teams returned
to continue the match in dry but blustery weather which aided drying the
pitch, but quickly lost their first wicket, Adam Miles edging to first
slip where Evans took the catch off of the bowling of Suheil Tandon. The
second wicket pair of Matt Thompson and Michael Barber put on a
partnership of 52 before the introduction of spin from Loughborough saw
Euan Brock claiming his first victim of the day, Thompson being caught
by Oliver James. Brock soon followed this up by trapping Barber LBW and
UWIC’s Tom McNellie followed the same way a few overs later to give
Brock his third wicket of the day (Brock finished with 3/27 off his 10
overs). UWIC rebuilt their innings through partnerships between James
Hammerton and Simon Gregory, who was caught and bowled by Simon Correya,
and then Hammerton and Phil Harris, who put on 51 runs before Harris
was bowled by Tandon, leaving UWIC 174/6 with 5 overs remaining. With
UWIC looking to up the run rate over the last few overs, Hammerton was
caught in the deep off the bowling of Tandon for 41, UWIC’s top scorer
and then the tail were dismissed cheaply, John Denning becoming David
Martin’s only wicket of the day, caught by Brock for 1, Lee Watkins run
out without scoring and Michael Wood caught behind off Tandon for 1 to
leave him with figures of 4/38 off his 9.2 overs, leaving UWIC 187 all
out off of 49.2 overs.
With a run rate of less than 4 an over required and a rapidly drying and quickening outfield, UWIC needed to get quick wickets to put the pressure on Loughborough and did just that with the first ball of the innings, Michael Wood trapped opener Dannyjo Cox LBW. Wood continued to trouble the Loughborough pair of Matt Cross and Jack Bell, with the Loughborough batsmen playing and missing a number of times a couple of decent LBW appeals being turned down. However, Cross and Bell found scoring runs at the other end easier and moved the score onto 57 before Wood finally claimed his second wicket of the day, Cross being caught by Adam Miles for 29 (Wood finished with impressive figures of 2/21 off his 10 overs). Bell soon followed, clean bowled by John Denning for 25 and Loughborough captain Greg Evans was also back in the clubhouse five overs later, lofting a catch to Wood off the bowling of Tom Maynard, leaving Loughborough at 75/4 after 24 overs, still needing 113 for victory. The new partnership of Mark Bennett and Tom Winslade regrouped at the drinks break and combined powerfully hit boundaries with quick singles to keep the scoreboard ticking over and the run rate at around 4.5 an over. Into the last 10 overs, Bennett brought up his half century and the partnership moved past 100, the run rate reduced and UWIC saw no reward for their hard effort in the field. Loughborough passed their target with more than 4 overs to spare after Winslade his sixth boundary of the day to finish on 46 not out, Bennett had scored 65 not out and the match winning partnership of 113 saw Loughborough complete their victory by six wickets.
With a run rate of less than 4 an over required and a rapidly drying and quickening outfield, UWIC needed to get quick wickets to put the pressure on Loughborough and did just that with the first ball of the innings, Michael Wood trapped opener Dannyjo Cox LBW. Wood continued to trouble the Loughborough pair of Matt Cross and Jack Bell, with the Loughborough batsmen playing and missing a number of times a couple of decent LBW appeals being turned down. However, Cross and Bell found scoring runs at the other end easier and moved the score onto 57 before Wood finally claimed his second wicket of the day, Cross being caught by Adam Miles for 29 (Wood finished with impressive figures of 2/21 off his 10 overs). Bell soon followed, clean bowled by John Denning for 25 and Loughborough captain Greg Evans was also back in the clubhouse five overs later, lofting a catch to Wood off the bowling of Tom Maynard, leaving Loughborough at 75/4 after 24 overs, still needing 113 for victory. The new partnership of Mark Bennett and Tom Winslade regrouped at the drinks break and combined powerfully hit boundaries with quick singles to keep the scoreboard ticking over and the run rate at around 4.5 an over. Into the last 10 overs, Bennett brought up his half century and the partnership moved past 100, the run rate reduced and UWIC saw no reward for their hard effort in the field. Loughborough passed their target with more than 4 overs to spare after Winslade his sixth boundary of the day to finish on 46 not out, Bennett had scored 65 not out and the match winning partnership of 113 saw Loughborough complete their victory by six wickets.