Wol took a Hat-Trick in the Phoenix League!!!

 

Spruce leads the way as the emotions take over at Little Stoke

Word of Spruce's performance had quickly spread...

The Oulton First XI were on the road this week as they made the short journey to the bottom of Stone town to take on Little Stoke CC. In fact some of the lads had been on longer pub crawls than that journey!

It was to prove to be another impressive showing from the O’s as they put in a professional performance against Division three's basement side.

After winning the toss and electing to field first the travellers set about their work well with captain Dan Colclough setting the tone at the start of the innings taking figures of 4-24.

Colclough then made way for the Man of the Match Tom Spruce as the well-balanced spinner tore through the Little Stoke batting line-up with five wickets for 48 runs. It was a spell of bowling for the locals to tell their grandchildren about.

Spruce’s spell had it all drama, suspense, flight, guile, large breasts and of course wickets.

After the throngs of the disproportional spinners adoring fans had retreated back to the stands the hosts were bowled out for 130.

It is worth noting that the Spitting Cobra even joined the parade and took a wicket this week. Finally.

In response Oulton made short work of the Little Stoke posting thanks to another quintessentially brisk innings from the Church Eaton Moose (Andy Wood). The big man added to his six counter in his innings of 39.

However the game wasn’t over and after the pressure of the occasion got to Tom (Teflon) Phillips who had to retire on 16, it was left to the man of the hour Spruce to shoulder the burden with the scoreboard poised trickily on 60-0 off 7 overs.

A measured yet scintillating 25 not out from the plump left-hander sent the baying crowd into raptures again. Spruce barely made it off with his shirt and pants in one piece and was greeted at the pavilion by gorgeous women in togas throwing what appeared to be roses at his feet.

We think they were roses it was difficult for this reporter to tell through tear soaked eyes.

Rob Spruce also stuck around for 20 odd…

We later caught up with Oulton’s captain Colclough: “I am really happy for Spruce, he’s a humble kid and someone who wouldn’t want all of this attention.

“He really is one of the greatest spinners I’ve ever played with. You would think his size would hold him back but he just gets on with it you know… these are the cards he’s been dealt and I say good on him!

"Not only he is a great player, he is also a great friend." Finished the skipper holding back the emotion... just kiss!

All in all it was a good win the O’s  and one which keeps them third in the table just eight points off the second automatic promotion spot.

Two's take a whipping and so does Sparky... with less resistance

Sparky had Eadey right where he wanted him

The Oulton Second team were in action up at the Spencer Copeland Ground again this weekend as they hosted highflying Porthill Park CC.

The day started well for Jake Eade’s men as they won the toss and elected to field against the Division Seven leaders.

The hosts bowled well enough up front with Danny (the Flying Carpet) Cutler and Ian (the Thin White Duke) Stretton claiming two wickets each at the top of the Oulton attack.

However Porthill’s engine room pumped harder than Cutler the bear later that evening to take their team to 209-7 from their 50 overs.

Mark (Sparky) Bates also somehow managed to pilfer himself as couple of wickets through grit, determination and a s*&t tonne of luck.

In response the O’s never really got going… but in their defence you will struggle when you suffer four ducks in the top six.

Only captain Eade (24), Bates (16) and Luke (Ginge) Evans (19) managed to scrape their way into double figures.

This piss poor batting performance meant that in the end Oulton succumbed to 108 all out in the 40^th over.

We tried to get a word in with the skipper after the game but he looked too pre-occupied whipping himself as punishment in the showers.  

It got even worse for Eade when he turned round beaten and bloody and through the salty tears all he could see was a naked, aroused Sparky waiting to get involved with the whipping action.

Tough evening ahead…

First Team Bowlers ensure the Batters can't balls it up!

OultonFirsts V Bagnall Norton (H)

Nathan Wood looked extremely happy with his day's work, shortly before he beat a badger to death for "looking at his beard funny"

The firsts continued their impressive start to the season by making short work of promotion favourites Bagnall Norton.

The O’s were at back HQ again this week as their visitors came in fine fettle themselves losing just one of their opening five games.

The day started well for Dan Colclough’s men as he managed to put his impressive tossing skills to good use and electing to field first.

Colclough then continued off the back off his 8 wicket haul in the abandoned game against Oakamoor last time out.

The skipper looked a young illiterate half-brother of Glenn McGrath as he took figures of 7-16 from his 18 overs.

Ian “Shergar” Whalley managed to shake off a particularly vicious looking case of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis which was had been doing the rounds in the Oulton stables to take 3-15 from his six overs. Bagnall were eventually toppled for 48.

The spitting cobra was unlucky again as he had to settle for another none-fer.

If we could get close enough to him to get an interview without having to hold an umbrella I am sure he would congratulate his captain McGlough and Shergar on their performances and would reiterate that for him it’s not about taking wickets.

In response the Oulton batters offered another compelling impression of a team who’d never seen a cricket ball before as they slumped to 46-4.

However in truth the damage was done and a fine unbeaten partnership of 3 between vice captain ShuntyTown69 and Nathan “the tramp” Wood was enough to see the lads over the line.

After the throngs of adoring fans had cleared the playing field we managed to catch up with Wood following his scintillating 1 not out.

“Yeah it was a good result for the lads in the end. You know, we know we possibly haven’t caught them on their best day.

But we’ve come out with the win and I’ve managed to find a new pair of pads behind the boiler and I was also able to use my borrowed bat to beat some magpies off a squrriel carcas in a nearby field. So everyone’s a winner. Dinner and a show eh!”

What appeared to be the legs of Nathan Wood were later seen collecting half smoked fag buts out of a local Morrisons bin. What a day for the lad!

We’re happy for him.

Two's are Formidable up front

SecondXI V Betley (A)

When you win the toss and bowl first and the other side end up 266-0

 

This week saw the second XI travel to mid table Betley where they were looking to continue their early season dominance in Division Seven of the NSSCCL.

The home side won the toss and elected to field first, a decision they would instantly regret as Stuart (Space Hopper balls) Leigh and Rory (Kenwyne) Jones set about dismantling their hosts bowling attack.

It was a majestic display from Leigh and Jones which has nearly resulted in them both being called up to Roy Hodgson’s England squad, that’s how clueless that youth is! #Topical

Jones and Leigh struck hard at the top of the order bagging the pair 132 and 123 not out respectively.

This marvellous opening display quickly resulted in the O’s finishing on 266-0 from their 50 overs and captain Jake Eade helping is number three (who shall remain nameless, for reasons which will become clear) in dabbing on a healthy dose of Sudacrem for that pad rash.  Reports claimed that the skipper was extremely thorough with his application… almost too thorough.

The skipper was later quoted in regards to the thorough dabbing: “well people will say I was a little rough and maybe I can be accused of being a little too involved with my players. But I believe you can never be too thorough when it comes to groin strains.” We subsequently reminded the confused leader that he should’ve been treating his player’s shins, not his… action area.

After the nameless player had shaken off his rough dabbing the two’s took to the field to set about defending their mighty posting.

Betley though showed what a good track it was over there in Melbourne by finishing on 183-5 from their 50.

A steady 3-37 at the spearhead of the attack from Curtis (Anthony Joshua) Bates made sure that the O’s remained in control.

The match eventually ended a draw but it will be the Oulton lads who will be happier with two form batsman, a lifetime supply of Sudacrem and 13 points to take back with them to the Spencer Copeland Ground.