Sunday 12th July saw the first ever Unicorns Minor Counties T20 finals day at the pleasant ground of Banbury cricket club at White Post Road, Bodicote. Regular readers will be aware of my normal aversion to this form of the game, but this really was something completely different. For one thing the players were all in whites (no coloured clothing for once), there was no loud music and a pleasant atmosphere throughout. It also gave me the opportunity to see four Minor Counties sides in one day.
The first semi-final was between Cheshire and Devon. This started early, at 10.00 in fact, and Cheshire were put into bat by Devon, who must have thought chasing a known target would help them. Cheshire set off at eight an over and, despite the loss of openers Ollie Law and South African Warren Goodwin, by the eighth over they were 59-2. Skipper Lee Dixon then kept things going with a fine innings of 51 off only 31 balls, which included three fours and four sixes. After he was out at 133-6 Lamb and Brown, the wicketkeeper, kept things going until Brown was run out of the last ball of the innings. Final score 165-7 from 20 overs.
Early morning cloud at Banbury
The usually strong Devon side lost a wicket early on but a good partnership of 44 for the second wicket kept them going, although just behind the required rate. Then disaster struck when left arm spinner Dan Woods removed opener Woodman for 33 and two more wickets fell in the eleventh over to leave Devon 69-4. Wicketkeeper Matt Thompson kept them in the game with a fine 69 off only 31 balls, but received little support and three wickets from Rick Moore saw Devon finish on 156-8. Cheshire through to the final by 9 runs.
This was when my cunning plan came into operation. My researches had discovered that a few miles down the road at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock a friendly Sunday afternoon match was due to take place between Blenheim Park cricket club and Captain Scott's XI a well known, if eccentric, London based wandering side. The appeal for me was the photo opportunity of cricket in front of the huge palace building. So off I went.
It was not all plain sailing. Having paid the admission fee to the park and grounds the car park was quite a long walk from the house and after receiving directions found a difficult route through parts of the building. I eventually emerged onto the south lawn where the cricket was about to start after a slight shower of rain. So I got my pictures and spent some time watching the home side piling up the runs. Unfortunately the club's website only provides the information that Captain Scott's XI won, with no details of the scores. However a beautiful place and well worth the effort to get there.
Cricket at Blenheim Palace
By then it was time to drive back to Banbury to see the T20 final, but another bonus as the second semi-final had been delayed by rain and I was able to see the final overs of Oxfordshire v Bedfordshire. Oxford being very much the home side with quite a few Banbury players in their ranks. Bedford had apparently collapsed early on to 26-6 and despite a quick 55 from Hussain, only managed 106-7 in a curtailed innings of 14 overs. Oxford made light work of the Duckworth/Lewis target of 97 and won comfortably by seven wickets in only 12 overs. So the stage was now set for the final between Cheshire and Oxfordshire.
Goodwin begins the onslaught
What followed had to be seen to be believed. Cheshire won the toss and batted with Ollie Law, formerly with the Lancashire Academy a few years ago, and Warren Goodwin, born in Port Elizabeth but a Cheshire regular for many years. This pair took the Oxfordshire bowling attack apart in an amazing display of big hitting, particularly by Goodwin. He hit the ball to all corners of the ground and beyond and raced to his century with twelve fours and nine sixes, ending on 132 not out from 61 balls. His partner the very tall Ollie Law was not far behind completing his century from the last ball of the innings after hitting six fours and six sixes in his 101 not out from 59 balls.
The Cheshire total of 240-0 must be some kind of record.
Ollie Law celebrates his century
Cheshire's batting heroes Goodwin and Law
Needless to say after this onslaught Oxfordshire were somewhat shell shocked and were soon all out for 121 in 16.1 overs to leave Cheshire the winners by a massive 119 runs. The men who did most of the damage were Jack Williams with 4-17 and the skipper's brother Ross Dixon with 4-19. For once star bowler Dan Woods had only 1-24 to show for his efforts but it was a great all round team performance and no doubt the celebrations went on for some time. The whole day was a great advert for Minor Counties cricket and excellent entertainment for the substantial crowd.
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