Village Cup upset at Ouseburn

posted by John Winn

At precisely 7:45 on a cold, dull Sunday evening Ouseburn CC skipper, Chris Morrison clean bowled the last Sessay batsman to close the visitor's innings on 109, still 28 runs short of the target set by his team. Sessay, winners of the competition in 2010, currently top of the second tier of the York Senior League had been clear favourites to win the game and most, this blogger amongst them, felt that Ouseburn's 137 was at least 40 runs short of what was needed to test the visitors who had made the short journey down the A19.

 

The morning had been dismal with frequent outbreaks of drizzle after overnight rain but although the start was delayed by over an hour the umpires decreed that the full forty overs per side could be bowled. Put in to bat Ouseburn struggled to get above one an over against a hostile attack with Liam Carver, brother of Yorkshire's Karl, particularly quick coming down the hill. Good contributions from Cummins, Rose and Morrison brought respectability and an increase in the run rate. In the field Sessay looked very sharp and the large support they brought with them were no doubt happy with the tea interval situation.

Sessay's opening bats looked the part even as they walked to the wicket and began in convincing fashion, helped by Ouseburn's attack of Robshaw and Bryant offering up far too many wides. It was to the credit of young Jack Sheridan, OCC's keeper that most of the stray deliveries added only one to the total. When a couple of catches went down the pavilion pundits began to think in terms of an early finish but when Jamie Bryant made the breakthrough wickets began to fall at regular intervals and at 6:35 I texted to say that my traditional Sunday g and t would have to be taken later than usual for I would not be leaving until the game was over.

The fall of the seventh wicket brought a comment from Bruce, a Sessay supporter but known to some of the pavilion pundits, that the game was up for he had little faith in his team's Rag, Tag and Bob. His comment was a trifle premature for useful runs were added for the eighth wicket but Morrison's gamble in holding back spinner Sam Dale paid off, Ouseburn showed that they could hold their catches and it was fitting that the skipper should take the last wicket to round off an afternoon where he had made useful runs, taken wickets and despite occasional dissenting voices amongst the cognoscenti, handled his bowlers well.

The fall of the last wicket brought a roar and the statement from one that this was the biggest win in Ouseburn's history. Sessay, used to success in the competition sportingly applauded the victors from the field and Ouseburn go forward to the national stages and the last 32. Their opponents will be Falkland CC from the Kingdom of Fife who play in the Eastern Premier Division in Scotland and are currently mid table. Their twitter feed shows they are very much looking forward to their trip to North Yorkshire on June 28th and are planning to bring a bus. Last night they tweeted that 'Greater(sic) Ouseburn looks a lovely wee place'. It certainly was at 7:45 last night.

In the National Club Championship the winners in the two games played  yesterday were Leyland and Bromley. The remaining fourteen ties will be played next Sunday.