Slow and Low at Brightwell

Brightwell-cum-Sotwell 160; Mandarins 61. 

Brightwell won by 99 runs.

Put in by Baxter, on the usual low and slow wicket here, the home side batted steadily, put away the bad balls and in Holland had the one batsman on either side to build a long innings (54). 

Heard was the mainstay of the Mandarins attack, taking 5 for 21 in 12 overs.  Having taken four, his chances of taking a five-for looked to have gone, as the last man looped up a simple catch to him at mid-wicket, but something told Andy he had to drop it.  And sure enough, in his next over, a [truly] wonderful diving catch by Munro at point brought the innings to an end and got Andy his just reward.

McIntyre (3-42) was economical, except when being hit for four sixes.  Manian (2-21) also chipped in with key wickets to contain Brightwell in the second half of their innings.

Only two Mandarins batsmen reached double figures: Chris McKeon (16) and French (13).  Otherwise, it was largely a case of failure to adapt to the pitch, though the yorker that bowled Manian would probably have done for most of us.  Just for a moment, as the last hour ticked away, there seemed a faint chance of a draw, but the end came with six of the last 20 overs left.

Despite a rain shower which held up play for 10 minutes in the Brightwell innings, this was a lovely Oxfordshire spring day, rounded off with our friendly hosts in the Red Lion

Mandarins XI: Baxter (capt.), French, Heard, Manian, Munro, McIntyre, McKeon A, McKeon C, Tivey, Tunbridge, Williams L

Paul McIntyre