2025-05-04_Islip

Salix vs Islip on 2025-05-04 at Islip (Season 2025)

Report by Dills

Win to open our season

The 2025 season began, as many have before, in the picturesque village of Islip – one of our longest-standing fixtures. Earlier in the week, temperatures had soared to 27°C, but in typical bank holiday fashion, they dropped sharply by match day. Half the team was found rummaging through cricket bags (likely untouched since last season) in search of as many layers as possible.

Skipper Raj won the toss and chose to bat. He opened the innings alongside the returning Yov, who was making a special appearance. The pair got off to a strong start, finding early boundaries and reaching 44-0 after 8 overs. A bowling change brought the breakthrough as Yov was bowled trying to find the rope once more. Rory joined Raj and started aggressively, hitting two boundaries in his first three balls. But a few overs later, he joined Yov in the “eyes lit-up club,” falling to a sharp caught-and-bowled as he mistimed a pull shot.

Chetan then joined Raj, batting with poise and finding a good rhythm between quick singles and boundaries. He eventually fell LBW, with Raj soon after, having notched a well-earned half-century. CK came in and looked fluent before being bowled by a ball that kept low, bringing Andy to the crease, who immediately looked in excellent touch.

With the game finely poised at 133-4 after 21 overs, Islip introduced a leg-spinner from the uphill end. Things unraveled quickly for the bowler—his first three deliveries were no-balls after double bounces, and the first of those was smashed for four by Andy: nine runs without a legal ball. What followed was carnage. Andy struck the next six deliveries for 4, 6, 6, 4, 6, 4 – 39 runs in one over, shifting momentum heavily in Salix’s favour.

Raj, having scored a ton last year, looked on track for another but was eventually caught for a well-made 65. Then, in true Salix fashion, a collapse ensued. At the start of the 28th over, your correspondent was umpiring at square-leg; by the end, I was facing a hat-trick ball after three wickets fell in five deliveries—including Andy, bowled just four short of a spectacular fifty. In first-class cricket, I might’ve been timed out, but luckily, I survived the hat-trick ball. A few overs later, we were all out for 204 in the 31st over. After such a strong position, the collapse and four unused overs left the match evenly poised.

We began well in the field. Adam opened with a wicket maiden, and Andy struck in the following over. Then came a dominant partnership from their No. 3 and No. 4 – over 130 runs in just 16 overs – a blend of fine batting and some understandably rusty bowling. The game appeared to be slipping away.

To make matters worse, Chairman Tim made a valiant effort in taking a catch of a fiercely struck cover drive and had to come-off the field injured. (X-rays later showed a dislocation fracture – speedy recovery, Tim!)

But just when we needed something special, Yov delivered a bullet throw after a slight misfield to affect a run-out. In the next over, skipper Raj removed the other set batsman. The tide had turned. CK and the returning Andy bowled superbly during this key phase, maintaining tight lines and using the uneven bounce to claim regular wickets.

The leg-spinner who earlier conceded 39 in an over was now scripting his redemption, expertly farming the strike and edging Islip closer to the target. With just 15 runs needed and one wicket remaining, he was on strike for the final ball of an over. Looking to sneak a single, he struck it straight into my grateful hands.

A brilliant game of cricket and a fantastic way to kick off the season. We celebrated at the pub, covering essential topics like the Oxfordshire pub game “Aunt Sally,” Raj’s obsession with Kerrygold butter (2 blocks a week!), and the theory that Shane Warne’s childhood leg injuries led to his powerful arms. It was great to be back—and even better to be back with a win.

Tim’s Thumb