home
Season 2010

Saturday Aug 28

First eleven Great Tew (A)

Having won the toss Challow made a good start to the game with the bowlers all performing well in friendly conditions in particular David Slade who returned figures of 7-57 from his 25 overs. As for much of the season Challow were unable to take full advantage of their initial position and finish the opposition off with a late partnership taking the Great Tew total to 166 all out in the 50th and final over of the innings following a rain delay.
    In the half time break Challow were in the stronger position despite Tew's tail performing well. However after a poor start Challow found themselves at 30-5 and many of the top order batsmen found themselves returning to the changing rooms to hear a chorus of 'All aboard the sinking ship... honk honk'. Credit must go to Nigel Hume who again delivered with the bat making 64 and Nigel Hill retuning to the side making 35 and keeping Challow in the game on a bowler friendly wicket, however this would not be enough as Challow struggled to chase down the target as wickets kept falling and eventually were bowled out for 145. This defeat confirming relegation to division 2.

Second eleven Brackley (H)

Brackley batted first and lost a wicket to the first ball of the match bowled by Dan Alderson. Brackley were reduced to 52 for 6 as a result of good tight bowling by all of the Challow bowlers. Good lower order batting allowed Brackley to recover to 177 for 9 in 53 overs. All Challow bowlers had excellent figures, Dan Alderson 2 for 35 in 14 overs, Rudi Du Plessis 1 for 35 in 9 overs, Luke Jones 1 for 38 in 13 overs, Rob Harries 2 for 45 in 11 overs and Conor Jones 1 for 15 in 6 overs. Rob Harries also took part in two run outs.
    Rain at tea reduced Challow's allocation of overs from 47 to 43.  A spate of early wickets left Challow on 52 for 4. A partnership of 75 between Roger Podbery with 57 and Daniel Rey with a fluently made 42 took the score to 127 in the 34th over and gave Challow a real chance of victory. The loss of three wickets in the pursuit of quick runs left Challow batting out the last four overs for a draw.


Saturday Aug 21

First eleven Shipton-u-Wychwood (H)

As life often imitates art, so the warmup often imitates the match and even the season itself. Nicko turned up late, Joey was hung over, and despite flashes of brilliance there were soft goals and fumbled balls. Olly won the toss for once, and Challow fielded with one eye on the weather. A probing first over from the skipper even produced an edge but Joey grassed it... his hands did seem a little slippery and strangely smelled of pina colada, so maybe that was it. Or it could have been he was still drunk. Anyhow, it didnt cost much and wickets fell at a steady if not exciting rate. A rain break cost Challow some vital overs and some vital enthusiasm, but Joey kept finding some loop and eventually picked up 5. He was backed up by some generally good outfielding, with JP showing the youngsters a thing or two, but amid it all was Shipton's Hole who crafted a fine ton and kept the rate competitive. They were eventually bowled out, but with the overs deducted it remained a good score which Challow would have to chase in only 40 overs.
    At half time the skipper roused his troops and reminded them that we had nothing to lose and 240 was perfectly gettable. It was inspirational stuff..., so much so that the team decided to go the whole hog and try to get the 253 needed to win instead. As a result, the openers got off to a bright start before the quake of controversy that proved to be the biggest threat to Anglo/Aussie relations since Rolf Harris. What really happened may never be known, but there was a mix-up between Inzamam-ul-Meadows and Owais Phillips, with the former being run out by a distance. The 'facts' were frankly debated for some time, but with both participants emphasising 'eye contact' rather too much the suspicion was that a trip to Relate may not be required. Notably, Rhino kept his head down and didnt mention Didcot. Jimmy didnt last much longer, which meant the young guns Hume and Gordon took up the task, and kept Challow in touch with the required rate. After the Rhino departed to a ghastly swipe in the danger zone, Buzzer picked up where he had left off but the run-rate still nudged up and when wickets fell it always seemed just out of reach. Tubbs fell for a classy 97, but Challow fought on..., with last man Sladey wielding the Big Edge to some effect when the field came up for the win... but in the end we were just 9 runs short and had to settle for a draw 9-down. Well tried, but not quite enough.
    DOTD went to Tubber, illustrating once again that excellence on the field of play counts for little when it comes to warming up in pink. He ruined it all by celebrating his 50 with a lovely bat wave to his missus who was sat in the car.

Second eleven Great Tew 2nd (A)

Challow lost the toss and were asked to bat first against top of the table Great Tew 2nd XI. On a very difficult wicket for batting Challow reached 100 for 9 after 53 overs. Phil Atkinson played well in making 27 and only Luke Jones with 14 and Dan Alderson with 10 got into double figures.
    Challow fielded well and bowled superbly taking a wicket before a run was scored. Mark Middleton again bowled brilliantly, well supported by excellent hostile bowling from Dan Alderson and the leg spin of Rob Harries. Great Tew were reduced to 91 for 9 and Challow appeared to be likely winners. Four consecutive maiden overs were bowled but despite some near misses Great Tew's last wicket pair saw their team home. Mark Middleton had fantastic figures of 18 overs 8 for 26, Dan Alderson 11.2 overs 0 for 31 and Rob Harries 3 overs 1 for 12. Conor Jones took three good catches.

Saturday Aug 14
First eleven Oxford 2nd (A)
We arrived at an overcast Roman Way and Olly performed his first task superbly by winning the toss and electing to field first. However, the conditions on the main pitch were not quite ready and, despite the game fifty yards away being well under way, the start was delayed by 30 minutes. Eventually the game got going but this excitement was short lived as the rain tipped down and everybody sprinted for cover on the benches outside the pavilion. The delay lasted for about an hour before everybody dried themselves off and got back out onto the field. Despite the long stoppage, Olly and Sladey came out and bowled superbly restricting the scoring opportunities for the Oxford top order and also picking up regular wickets in the process, leaving Oxford in a dire position at 31-6. But bad news was to follow, as rumours of rain at Cumnor circulated the ground the players knew this couldn’t be good news and, as expected, the rain started to fall once again. An early tea was then taken and the rain was still steadily coming down as the umpires and players emerged from inside to have a look at conditions on the field. The puddles on the wicket ends, the soggy outfield, the leaking covers, the rain still falling and the fact that play had to restart in ten minutes to get a result, left everyone confused as to what the best way forward might be. Luckily by this time Nicko’s “thumbs up friend” had arrived and had a quick look around and put forward his opinion that we might not be able to get back underway, and we took this shrewd observation as our cue to shake hands and head back to Challow with a no result, despite being in a very strong position. DOTD went to Ryno for no specific incident, but purely because everyone agreed he would look funny in the shirt.

Saturday Aug 7

First eleven Cumnor (H)

A rain affected warm up and some serious dark clouds about were ominous signs that forcing a result was going to be a tough ask. The possibility of getting 25 points became even tougher when Olly continued his consistent habit of losing the toss and Challow were sent into bat. The innings began rather cautiously as the pitch showed signs of early movement and the opposition making use of the new test ball. To the dismay of the umpires, fielding team and batsman the ball was apparently still round at 10 overs.  After an early loss Nicko, who was especially fresh after once again declining to overwork himself in the warm up, and Chucky brought up the hundred mark in quick time. Both batsman looking in good touch with Chucky displaying effective use of the thigh pad to accumulate runs. After Nicko departed for 62 and Chuck soon afterwards, there were flashbacks of signature Challow collapses. Tubber and Tubesy combined in the middle over with aggression and intent to remove any fears and set a foundation for Challow’s attacking middle order. Cumnor were effectively put to the sword. Tubesy’s cameo was followed by some brutal hitting from Hilly and Tubber continued to rack up runs at the other end finishing with 60 odd not out. In the end the home side were able to declare early with 255 after a rain delay had reduced the game to little more than 40 overs each.
    Bowling a side out in 42 overs was always going to prove difficult and with Cumnor’s own little snuff opening the batting both teams were effectively out of the game. Olly and Sladey both worked hard to beat the bat countless times but with only 2 wickets from 20 overs some extreme measures were necessary. As the Cumnor middle order began to show interest in a result the skipper obliged by bringing on the regular Challow pie man little chav. With runs flowing a plenty and little chav and Jimmy both grabbing a wicket the game was back on. However after some big hitting by Cumnor a couple of wickets inevitably fell and they went back inside the shell and time was out for the Challow boys to steal a win. Jimmy grabbing 3 wickets in the end with well controlled bowling and Challow coming out with 7 wickets and 15 points. Chucky grabbing the pink shirt for his thunderous effort in the gully area.

Second eleven Banbury 3rd (A)

A rain delay before the start of play reduced the match to a minimum of 90 overs with the team batting first having 48 and the team batting second 42. Challow won the toss and decided to bowl first. Banbury reached 110 for 1 in the 17th over despite both Dan Alderson and Luke Jones bowling well with little luck. Excellent bowling by George Hook with 12 overs 3 for 44 and Steve Burry 14 overs also 3 for 44 resulted in Banbury finishing on 225 for 7 in 48 overs.
    Rain immediately after tea reduced Challow’s overs to a minimum of 32 and a draw was the inevitable result.  Luke Jones made 25 before being run out. Ryan Gordon, 46 not out and Mark Podbery 41 not out, both batted fluently in sharing an unbroken 3rd wicket partnership of 79.Challow finished on 131 for 2 in 33 overs.

Saturday Jul 31

First eleven Oxford Downs (A)
Hannibal (Olly) won the toss and decided to insert Downs to face the A-Team.  Getting good movement and bounce Hannibal got Challow off to a great start, picking up the first wicket.  Murdoch (Sladey) then found his battle cry and struck a vital blow on the Aussie openers’ pads.  The General continued to bowl well picking up a further two wickets to finish with the fine figures of 3 for 20 off 11. The new ball duo had Downs in trouble at 50 for 4 off 22 overs and time for a change.  Enter Face (Jimmy) and Mr T (we all know who this is!!), both bowled well but a fine stand helped Downs to build a good platform.  Sensing that Mr T had been wearing one too many chains and beginning to tire, Hannibal returned Murdoch back to the attack. Along with Face, they kept the score to 191, a good effort by all.  Face bowled a tidy 16 overs, 2 for 60 and Murdoch 17 overs, 2 for 64 – UH Murdoch you fool, meet my friend pain.
    After a decent tea it was time for Bluey (Nick) to return to the side and take strike, and did he strike the ball well. A fine opening stand with Face saw our score explode to 72 off twelve overs before Bluey departed for 33.  Face continued to look in good form but was given out caught behind for 55, with over 70 still required. Now with 5 wickets behind them, Downs thought that they were back in the game and started to get excited.  Enter Challow's very own Iceman to numb their thoughts of victory – In probably one of his best knocks for the club, Lynchy looked assured and played some great strokes including several stunning cover drives and one glorious six over long on.  The Iceman finished with 35no but it was down to Hannibal to hit the final boundary with an over and three wickets to spare.
    Strolling back to the pavilion with cigar in hand, Hannibal was heard to say “I love it when a plan comes together”.   If you have a problem and no-one can solve, maybe you can hire the A-Team.


Saturday Jul 24
First eleven Horspath(H)
On a warm day at the home of cricket, Challow played host to the league leaders. With Ian 'tubes' Demain leading the warm up Challow were looking good. Finally Olly won a toss and inserted the visitors. Sladey and Olly opened the bowling and bowled 14 tight overs, then Olly turned to spin in Jimmy Phillips and the unlikely bowling of Joe 'chavy' Harris. With the score at 95 Harris got the breakthrough with a quality delivery (the short long hop) caught by Sladey at mid-wicket. Harris then picked up another wicket with Horspath's number 3 walking past a straight one and Alex 'Atko' Lynch took the stumping. Jimmy picked up a wicket when the number 4 holed out to cow corner where Sladey took another catch (not bad for a fine leg fielder). The only other wicket to fall was a run out, the combination of Lynch and Harris combining to run out Horpath's number 5. Horspath ended up on 239-4 off 53 overs.  Jimmy and Joe the pick of the Challow bowlers bowled 39-4-189-3 - very tight bowling from the youth of the side.
    After a good tea prepared by the barmaid, Challow set about chasing the total. Owen and Jimmy opened the batting and started well before they both were dismissed in the 20's (Danger Zone Boys). Ian 'Tubes' Demain came to the crease but it was a short stay for only 2. Nigel 'Tubber' Hume was looking good until he left a straight one again, which hit the top of middle and off. (Good off stump awareness tub). Nigel 'veteran' Hill missed a straight one. Then the engine room of Lynch (13), Podbery (12), Burry (14*) and Harris (13) all got good starts but no one could go on and stay in and get a big score. Olly got triggered for a duck (maybe 10 next week skip). Eventually Challow subsided to 131 all out.  Positives to take from the game were - Joey's bowling is getting better (especially after 4 weeks rest), Owen 'Chucky' Dimbylow got into double figures for a change and Sladey's catching is looking good (still fine leg on saturday though). DOTD went to Nick 'Magnum' Meadows for his absence over the past 12 weeks.
  
Second eleven Bledlow Ridge 2nd (A)
 
 Challow again won the toss and continued with the policy of inserting the opposition which was backed up by a good bowling performance from the four bowlers used. Dan Alderson bowled with pace and took two early wickets clean bowling both batsmen and finishing with 2 for 60. Jamie Fraser, on debut, opened the bowling with Dan and bowled well finishing with 1 for 44. Luke Jones bowled tight lines and had figures of 1 for 13. George Hook again bowled superbly taking 6 for 40. Bledlow were all out in the 51st over for 170. Their score would have been much lower but for a tenth wicket partnership of 48 which was aided by two dropped catches off George Hook’s bowling. Luke Jones took an excellent running catch for George’s sixth wicket.
    With short boundary’s and a fast outfield this did not appear a challenging total. Challow reached the target in the 38th over for the loss of 5 wickets with all batters getting into double figures. Ryan Gordon made a hard hitting 49, Justin Penrose 23 with Phillip Atkinson, who earlier had kept wicket well, seeing us home with 26 not out together with the ever reliable Neil Phillips 14 not out.
Saturday Jul 17

First eleven Bletchley (A)


On a delightful midsummer’s day Challow made the arduous journey to Bletchley looking to build on last weeks excellent performance. Captain Olly Dimbylow managed to continue with his uncanny ability of failing to win the toss and Bletchley eagerly decided to bowl first on a pitch that had more grass on than the outfield at Challow! The top order Challow batsmen found it very hard to score runs on pitch that was offering plenty of lateral movement and an outfield that was sluggish. The standout batsman was James Phillips who battled very well for his 48 before picking out midwicket with a forehand smash.  Unfortunately none of the other batsmen were able to offer any support and the only other batsman to reach double figures was the skipper with a particularly scratchy knock. Challow were bowled out for 106 in the 47th over.
     The Bletchley openers begun in a positive manner, before the first wicket was given away as the batsmen chipped it straight to Tubber at Mid off and the number three quickly followed steering it straight to gully. Then came a mix up between the batsmen and even though they bashed both the triangle and x buttons as hard as they could the number 4 could not beat the pinpoint throw from David (Used to generate considerable pace) Slade. This brought in Bletchley’s Australian who proceeded to smash it all over the square luckily he was out lbw before he could endanger the outfield. Two more quick wickets followed to Lee Stevens to leave Bletchley perilously placed at 50 for 6. However, a combination of good aggressive batting from the lower order and missed opportunities from the Challow fielders allowed Bletchley to go passed the target without the loss of any further wickets. 
     DOTD went to David Slade who took the decision really well.

Second eleven  Tiddington 2nd (H)

Challow won the toss and the team decision was again to insert the opposition. Challow bowlers got off to a good start and after 28 overs Tiddington were 109 for 3. However a rapid fourth wicket partnership of 183 allowed Tiddington to declare on 304 for 5 off 51 overs. Steve Burry took 1 for 16, Justine Penrose 1 for 21, Mark Roche 1 for 31, Luke Jones 1 for 39 and Dan Alderson 1 for 54. Once again dropped catches contributed to Challow facing a large total. The target was never within reach and Challow finished on 205 for 5 after 54 overs to secure a draw. Luke Jones scored 55, Clive Robson a swift 52 not out with contributions also from Steve Burry 28 and Roger Podbery 26.

Saturday Jul 10

First eleven Bourton (H)


On a typical stinking hot day at the four C's home of cricket, the visiting team was our old rivals Bourton Vale C.C captained by Nigel Hill's good friend Paul Lazenbury.
After a very long warmup in the heat did us all the world of good it was time for the toss!  As usual our captain's inhability to win the toss saw us asked to have a bat first. "We will see if that decision was the right one as the game wears on" was the call from the lads!!  Another good friend of mine opened up the bowling for Bourton and seemed to bowl well on a helpful wicket. After losing one or two early wickets, the only players to mention with a "well tried" were Jimmy, Hilly and of course the man in form daddy Alex Lynch 63, who once he moved into the twenty's started to look far more relaxed! We struggled but managed to get to 178-7.
    As we went into the field, the momentum was most definitely with us. Olly (5-40) and Sladey (3-26) were simply almost unplayable, both with fine spells of bowling, allowed us to rip through the Bourton top order, at one stage leaving them 50-6 or something like that. In a very volatile atmosphere we were most definitely in the driving seat. While the skip went off to have a tactical chunder, Hilly seemed to think it was a good idea to bring himself on to bowl, who proceeded to pickup a cheap wicket! Much to my excitment it was time for my friend to come out and bat, who really I have to say did not impress me at all, what a surprise that was after all his coaching tips. Anyway we finally bowled Bourton out for 89!! Start the car, launch the pedalo!!!
Second eleven  Didcot (A)
Challow won the toss and the team decision was to insert Didcot. On a good wicket with a very fast outfield Didcot reached 257 all out in the 53rd over. George Hook was once again the pick of the bowlers with 6 wickets for 82 runs off 20 overs. Rob Harries took 2 for 37 and Dan Alderson took 2 for 68. Luke Jones and Justin Penrose both bowled economical spells without taking wickets.
    In reply Challow reached 185 for 9 off 56 overs. Ryan Gordon played well in making 49 with both Clive Robson and Neil Phillips making 24. Several other batsmen got into the teens but failed to go on and make a significant score. Dan Alderson played an excellent rearguard innings, well assisted by Rob Harries and Mark Roche to ensure the match was drawn.


Saturday Jul 3

First eleven Buckingham (A)

On a fairly warm day we took the trip to the not so happy hunting ground of Buckingham, where on arrival we were met by Joey and his ridiculous megaphone, and tales of Tubbers not so safe driving (although by all accounts it was better than his attempts to drive when out in the middle). During the warm up Slady had several discussions with the Buckingham groundsman about his capabilities in laying coconut matting, and although not entirely satisfied with the outcome Slady agreed to play anyway.
We lost the toss and Buckingham stuck us in, after a steady start we soon lost quick wickets, Jimmy was looking good before getting out in the dangerzone (again), Tubber misjudged the line of the ball he got and left a straight one, Rhino, Lynchy, JP and Buzzer all had a bad day with the bat, so at about 70 odd for 6 we were looking down the barrel. The skipper came to the crease and made things look easy, playing carribean style before the last wicket stand between Joey (21 not out) and Dan (21) got us up to a much more respectable score of 149 than it had previously looked like were were going to finish on.
     The tea was quite an impressive spread, including pizza, sauages, sausage rolls and mini doughnuts (they were not chocolate flavour which pleased Rhino after his Horspath experience).   Second half and we started ok, we bowled fairly tight lines before some streaky edges and not so sharp fielding allowed Buckingham to start pushing on, until Olly bowled one ball in anger (we can't print what made him angry, but Ted wouldnt have been pleased with it, lets say that) that got up to the batsmans chest which he tried to pull, and failed miserably, looping the ball up to the safe hands of JP, while the ball was in the air no-one was in any doubt that he would take the catch - honest. After that the pitch flattened out and batting became a lot easier, we took another one with us before they reached the target 2 down.
     All in all not a great day, there were some positives (such as Joeys batting, and JPs fielding) but there is work to be done to make next week a better week. A special mention is needed for Stefan - after being picked up by JP, they had made it as far as Hanney before he decided to tell people that he was car sick, and needed the car to be pulled over because he thought he was going to actually be sick, that will teach him for trying to read in the back of the car!   DOTD was awarded to a certain Mr Hill, and for explanations please contact the skipper!

Second eleven  Thame 3rds (H)
Thame batted first with solid contributions of 45 and 39 from Chown and Brooks respectively, eventually reaching a total of 204-7. George Hook took a splendid 4-47 off a 17 over long spell and the dependable Rudi Duplessis took 3-49 from his 16 overs.
    Challow then batted with hero Neil Phillips carrying his bat from opening until close of play with a well fought for 66 not out. Challow finished on 154-7 to draw the game with no other batsmen making above 20, although Rudi Duplessis saw out 18 overs at number 9 with 14 not out to complement the wall that was Neil Phillips.

Saturday Jun 26

First eleven Great Tew (H)
Batted first, terrible from top order - no one scored runs. Two opening bowlers go a lot of early wickets and at one stage we looked as if we was going to get rolled for under 50. But a positive to take was a good batting display from lynchie and Joe Harris or as Sladey told the Oxford Mail Lynch and Phil Atkinson. However 108 on a Challow track isn't enough. Bowlers tried there best but getting Tew 3 down however wasn't enough.

Second eleven  Brackley (A)
Challow won the toss and chose to bat first on a very hot day. The wicket was difficult for batting and with a slow outfield scoring runs was never easy. Luke Jones and Phillip Atkinson batted really well in a second wicket partnership of 66 with Luke scoring 31 and Phillip 44. Mr reliable, Neil Phillips scored 24 in the middle of the innings but at 114 for 7 the innings was faltering. Rob Harries, on his 21st birthday, then contributed a well made 27 not out to take Challow to a very competitive159 for 9.
    Challow opened the bowling with spin at one end and seam the other and got two early wickets. Brackley then had a useful third wicket partnership but once this was broken the runs dried up. Mark Middleton was almost unplayable and his superb spell of bowling produced figures of 7 wickets for 25 runs of 21.2 overs. Rory Moore, bowling good away swing to the right handers, took 2 for 21 with Luke Jones taking 1 for 21 and grabbing 2 slip catches. Brackley were all out for 77 in the 44th over giving Challow 2nds a win by 82 runs.



Saturday Jun 19

First eleven Shipton (A)

Challow made the trip to Shipton still searching for their first win of the season. After winning the toss Challow chose to bat on what looked like a decent track. The Challow batsman never really got started and wickets fell at regular intervals, Nigel Hill was the one stand out batsman who scored freely with a gutsy 47. Challow ended up with 136 which was never really going to be a challenging total
    Knowing that the bowling and fielding had to be spot on Challow took to the field. Things started well with Dave Slade taking an early wicket but this was only a glimmer of hope as the Shipton batsman began to settle and score runs quick, points are at a premium this season and with a number of catches going down who knows what could have happened!!!  Shipton got to the total with four wickets down and plenty of time left.    DOTD = Justin

Second eleven  Great Tew 2nd (H)

Challow lost the toss and were asked to bat first and got off to a good start with Luke Jones and Roger Podbery putting on 111 for the first wicket. Luke batted really well for his 45 runs with Roger going on to make 109. Neil Phillips scored a quick 27 and there were also useful contributions from Phillip Atkinson, Mark Podbery and Joe Harris in the latter overs with Challow finishing on 225 for 6 wickets.
    In Great Tew’s reply Challow bowled far too many gift balls in the early overs resulting in Great Tew reaching 102 for 1 in 16 overs. From that point onwards the bowling was much tighter, particularly by the spinners, however Great Tew reached their target in the 46th over for the loss of 5 wickets. George Hook again bowled well taking 2 for 31, as did both Rob Harries, 1 for 15 and Conor Jones 1 for 9. Sunny Kumar was the pick of the seam bowlers with 1 for 44. Challow’s cause was not helped by 4 dropped catches and a clear run out opportunity not taken.

Saturday Jun 12

First eleven Oxford 2nd (H)


Having won the toss Challow skipper Olly Dimbylow decided to have a bat and openers Owen Dimbylow and Jimmy Phillips made a solid start to the innings making 53 and 49 respectively, it was hard going on a wicket which offered assistance to the Oxford bowlers who bowled well making scoring difficult. The fielding side were in a generous mood putting several catches down including three off the pinch hitting Owen. Both openers fell in quick concession leaving the team needing to push on for quick runs in the final 20 overs after a solid start none of the other batsman managed to get going with the home side only managing to get to 183 from the full 53 overs. This was followed by one of the highlights of the day, a very impressive spread was on offer at tea, credit must go to the young Mrs Harris.
    The Oxford openers D King (74) and J Barrett (60) came out and made a very positive start to the chase, one very tough chance was offered early on, Nigel Hill appeared to have been the target of the famous challow sniper in this instant as the ball flashed through the cordon high to his left only to find himself falling to his knees and the ball being retreived from the boundary. Oxford quickly found themselves in a match winning position but the bowling of Jimmy Phillips and Ian Demain was a positive and made Oxford work hard for thier runs as 5 wickets fell before the target was reached with Ian taking 3-26. The former performing arts student performed well with the ball after a long absence from the bowling attack and will be missed next week as he is away performing a special exhibition at his former college.
    DOTD went to skipper Olly for reasons which have been prevented from being published after an injuction was taken out. An insider is reported to have described the incident as outrageous.

Second eleven Shipton 2nd (A)

Challow lost the toss and were asked to bat first. We were 115 all out in the 50th over with Nigel Hume playing well and top scoring with 35. The only other contributions of note came from Phillip Atkinson with 23, Luke Jones 22 and Neil Phillips 20. We were able to occupy the crease but scoring runs at a reasonable rate proved very difficult for our batsmen. Our score never looked likely to test a strong Shipton team and they reached their target with 9 wickets remaining in the 34 over. A day to forget for Challow seconds.


Saturday Jun 5


First eleven  Cumnor (A)

Challow made the short trip to Cumnor looking for a first win of the season back in the top flight. Apart from the Dimbylow brothers who were absent, Challow put out a strong side and confidence before the game was high.  Stand in captain Tubes won the toss and batted first on what looked like a good deck that we all hoped would offer our three spinners some assistance in the second innings. The first four overs of the innings only offered up two runs as Jimmy and Tubes both got a good look at the bowling and it looked liked runs would be hard to come by. It didnt take long however for the two openers to get in and soon runs began to flow. The opening bowlers seen off, Cumnor turned straight to two off-spinners but this didn't help in slowing down the Challow run rate. Jimmy was first to reach his fifty, Tubes joining him the very next ball and things looking rosy at 115-0 at the end of the 22nd over. A change in bowling brought a wicket as Tubes was dismissed for 53, his middle stump pegged back as he played down the wrong line. Robbie Owen in at three struggled to get going and must have wanted a sit down as he ran past a waist high full toss from a 15 year old and was bowled for just 4. With the ball getting older and a little softer run scoring became harder as Hilly joined Jimmy at the crease. The pair put on 64 for the 3rd wicket before Hilly also felt sorry for the young off spinner and offered up a catch, Nigel must have deep pockets, another pound for being out in the 'danger zone' 38 this week. Jimmy still going strong at the other end was scoring runs all around the wicket off both front and back foot and reached his well deserved hundred with a slap to wide mid-off. Stumped soon afterwards for a very well made 104, Jimmy's innings was the highlight of the Challow day. Ryan continues to show great promise with a quickfire 15, Daddy Cool Lynch brought out the late cut during his innings of 10 and Buzzer was not out 5 as the innings closed. 238 for 6 was a decent effort from the batters but with only 123 coming from the final 30 overs perhaps the total should and could have been much nearer 300.
    In the absence of skipper Dimbylow, David Slade shared the new ball with Dan Alderson and struck in the first over. 0-1 soon became 25-2 as Sladey got the umpire to raise his finger to an LBW appeal for the first time in the day. A great opening spell was backed up at the other end by Dan who was unlucky not to pick up a wicket, but kept things tight. The introduction of the three spinners into the attack was supposed to be Challows trump card, however all three proved expensive as the Cumnor batsmen found runs easy to come by. A third wicket stand of 103 was broken by Sladey returning for a second spell and he soon picked up his fourth wicket to keep Challow in the game with the score 135 for 4. From here Cumnor's Dave Dyer took the game away from us, scoring 135 including four sixes in four balls in one unfortunate over. Cumnor reached the target 4 wickets down with plenty of time to spare. Despite the loss a few positives can be taken, another hundred in the bag, an opening stand of 115 and Sladeys 4 wickets on a pitch that offered little are all pluses. DOTD goes to Joe Harris 5 overs 0 for 51 (including a maiden) left him with little defence.


Second eleven Banbury 3rd (H)
 Banbury won the toss and batted on a hot and humid day. Challow reduced Banbury to 120 for 6 before a seventh wicket partnership of 92 enabled them to reach 228 for 9 off 53 overs. All Challow bowlers performed well with Luke Jones taking 3 for 43, Mark Roche 1 for 59 and Sunny Kumar 1 for 40. George Hook, bowling for the first time in the second eleven, bowled his off spin magnificently taking 4 for 50.
    Challow lost an early wicket but a second wicket stand of 141 between Justin Penrose, who played excellently for 74, and Roger Podbery with 68 built the foundations for a possible victory. Mark Podbery played fluently for a quick 38 not out and with Neil Phillips who scored a vital 17 not out saw Challow to victory in the last over of an exciting and close game played in a good spirit.

Saturday May 29

First eleven  Oxford Downs (H)
On a wet and windy Saturday afternoon, Challow produced a much improved performance to edge a rain interrupted draw against Oxford Downs. Challow skipper Olly (long dog) Dimbylow on winning the toss,decided to bowl on a hard and fast track, described by Berkshire Cricket supremo and Head of Covers, Mark Roche as “a real belter!”.
    A cosmopolitan Oxford Downs took the Challow opening bowlers to the sword, despite a number of very confident LBW appeals by veteran bowlers Dimbylow and Slade. The onslaught continued when the home teams chirpy slow bowler Joe(in the field) Harris tempted the batting team with a variety of short deliveries. Harris unfortunate not to claim the wicket of centurion Justin Cantrell when late arriving Ryan Gordon caught the batsmen while standing on the boundary rope. Gordon completed another disappointing day by breaking a much loved bench next to the clubhouse at tea time.  Oxford Downs amassed a score of 201-6 with Cantrell finally being given out for 121.
    In reply, Challow struggled to keep up with the run rate, although a resilient and scratchy innings of 53 not out by Owen Dimbylow proved to be the highest score. The highlight of Challow’s innings was a classy 21 by former Superstars and Britain’s Got Talent contestant Nigel Hill. Some disappointing and controversial scenes followed when coach Ted Heape invaded the pitch to dispute a decision with the umpire and Mark Podbery deliberately spoiled Challow veteran Clive Robson’s opportunity to win the Run Predictor prize.  Challow finished on 123 -5 in 33 overs.
Second eleven Oxford Nondies & Blechington 2nd (A)                Cancelled.
Saturday May 2First eleven  Horspath (A)


On a blisteringly hot day Challow were sent in to bat on a slightly grassy wicket. The two openers got off to a reasonable start but with the score on 31 we lost our first wicket of Jimmy for 25. This brought Ryan to the wicket who took some time for his well-played 40. However this was the only major score for Challow who struggled to 145 for 9 with the skipper left not out for 22. The tea lifted Challows spirits(until we found out the doughnuts were chocolate). Challow took to the field opening up with Olly and Sladey, but coupled with no balls (Sladey) and Joe’s bad fielding the Horsepath openers got off to a good start reaching 75 for no wicket. It took an inspired bit of fielding from R.Gordon to run out the batsmen and claim Challows first wicket, but this only delayed the effect with Horspath winning by 8 wickets.    

Second eleven Bledlow Ridge 2nd (H)

On a hot sunny day Challow batted first and reached 205 for 5 of 53 overs. Luke Jones 27, Roger Podbery 33, Alex Lynch 64 and Mark Podbery 55 not out were the main contributors. Richard Dryden bowled at one end continuously for the visitors. Bledlow Ridge started well reaching 72 before the first wicket fell. In an exciting game which could have gone either way, a brilliant spell of bowling by Mark Middleton with 8 for 51 in 23 overs, well supported by Mark Roche with 2 for 64 in 16 overs and by the keeping of Phil Atkinson achieved a close win for Challow by 8 runs.

Saturday May 15

First eleven  Bletchley Town (H)

The first home game of the season at the fortress Vicarage Hill saw the arrival of Bletchley Town. The toss was won by the returning Olly Dimbylow who had no hesitation in batting first on a typically batsmen friendly Challow surface. Once again Chucky Dimbylow and Phillips started well picking up early boundaries before Phillips was dismissed for 28. This brought Demain to the crease, who started confidently, latching onto anything loose he was given by the Bletchley attack, whilst all the time being supported by the ever steady Chucky. After Chucky was dismissed in the danger zone, Demain continued on his way and breezed past fifty, well supported by Hilly and Robbie who both contributed scores in the 30’s. Soon after the 40th over, Demain reached a superb 100, which was rumoured to have been scored at an out of character strike rate of around 90 and can only be put down to the strange coloured clothing that he had decided to wear. Thanks to Tubes, and contributions all the way down the order, Challow reached a sizeable total of 273.
    The Bletchley reply started slowly thanks to some accurate new ball bowling by Slade and Dimbylow and not surprisingly the wickets started to fall. A decent third wicket partnership, and Stevens’ introduction into the attack, saw Bletchley gain a glimmer of hope in chasing down the score before golden arm Joe Harris came on and picked up his first wicket of the afternoon. However, Bletchley’s overseas player stood firm and hit the ball to all parts of the Challow square with a fine array of attacking strokes which drew comparison by many to other Australian greats with the willow, such as McGrath and Gillespie. Despite a couple of wickets from Phillips, Slade and Stevens, the visitors continued to work hard and the crowd were only awoken briefly when Bletchley’s number 9 decided to drive Sladey into the site screen and echo’s of ‘take that Sladey’ could be heard all around the ground from the away changing room. Bletchley resisted well to finish 8 down and prevent a first home win of the season. DOTD went to Owen for a misjudged catch and an equally mistimed comment earlier in the afternoon.
Second eleven Tiddington 2nd (A)

Challow batted first and were quickly in trouble at 13 for 3 wickets.  Clive Robson again played well scoring 43, initially supported by Mark Podbery and then Alex Lynch who made 29. Scoring quickly was difficult and Challow ended on 135 all out in 49 overs. Tiddington reached 85 before the first wicket fell and Challow got another 3 wickets quickly but Tiddington reached their target with 6 wickets remaining. Ryan Gordon had bowling figures of 2 for 50, Conor Jones 1 for 19 and Harry Kent 1 for 11.

Saturday May 8

First eleven  Bourton Vale (A)