by Sam Debenham, reprinted with permission by the author

IT wasn’t a grand final win but Oxford Centennials have picked up some atonement for their loss last April by defeating ORC in the opening round of the Bathurst District Cricket Association Commonwealth Bank Cup.

A solid top-order performance and a four-wicket haul from leg-spinner Pawan Saini were the catalysts for the six-wicket victory, achieved in the 30th over in the 35-over match.

Things got gloomy in the later afternoon and made things difficult but former Randwick Petersham first grader Paul Toole and the ever-reliable Troy Oxley negotiated some tough conditions and guided their side home.

“Overall it was a really good team effort,” Ox-Cents captain Josh Toole said. “I thought we fielded very well and cut down what runs we could to try and make the target as small as possible and Pawan was outstanding with his four wickets.

“Troy was very good with the bat, he held down an end and rotated the strike. It was a good performance to start the season.”

Toole won the toss and elected to send his opposition in, and initially at least he may have been regretting it as the first over of the ORC innings went for 12, Mitch Botham hitting two boundaries off Aaron Seymour plus four byes.

Things settled down from there though and the rest of the Tigers innings was an exercise in good work being undone. They never lost wickets in quick succession but everytime a partnership was forming, it was nipped in the bud.

Botham fell for 11, followed by former Old Boys captain Evan Jones for one. Mike Waldren and Brendan Inwood took the score to 2-37 after nine overs before Waldren was trapped in front by Saini, and Inwood followed soon after.

He may have counted himself a bit unlucky, racing to 24 at a run a ball before smacking a long hop to Clint Bryant at short fine leg, the fielder taking a superb reflex catch to dismiss the new ORC captain.

Regular wickets continued to fall despite the efforts of Wayne Sellers who started the season in damaging fashion with four fours and two sixes in his 40. The Tigers still looked capable of something around 140 before Sellers was run-out in a mix-up with Tim McKinnon (eight not out) and eventually they had to settled for 123, dismissed in the penultimate over.

Saini finished with 4-24 from eight, while Jamie Wicks was also impressive with 2-24 from eight.

Ox-Cents made a shaky start when Blake Aubin (one) hit a full-toss from McKinnon straight to Brad Glasson in the second over and they were 2-24 after seven overs when Aaron Bell (13) became McKinnon’s second victim.

Josh Toole made an auspicious start to his captaincy tenure by smacking his first delivery to the boundary, and his 22 quickly took the momentum away from ORC.

When he fell the door was ajar at 3-66 but Paul Toole (19 not out) and Oxley (41) were good enough to get through some at-times tricky conditions and all but got their side across the line. Aaron Seymour put the finishing touches on things with 15 not out.

McKinnon was the only multiple wicket-taker for ORC with 2-31 while Mick Fardon and Jacob Bognuda (1-26 apiece) also got a scalp.

“We were below our best obviously, I don’t actually think we batted that badly but we had some brain explosions and Pawan did bowl well for them,” Inwood said.

“We didn’t have a lot of luck with the ball, we felt that if we could get through their top six we could really give ourselves a chance but Troy Oxley and Paul Toole have a lot of experience and
kept us out.

“I think we’ll improve from that, we have at least two or three guys to come into that side.”