Tango & Fanta

OSCC, 117-0, beat Abbots Langley 149-7, on Run Rate

On a day when the rain poured down to suggest an ark might be more useful than a pavilion, Offley made it four wins in a row - something that cannot honestly have happened since before the pandemic - as Adam Ward and Richie Barker shared an unbeaten 117-run partnership to secure a 10 wicket win.

Once again it was a victory for the underdogs as Offley were reduced to 10 men for the final 30 overs of the innings after Scott Boatwright injured a calf muscle celebrating a catch.

Seriously.

Offley went into the match full of confidence, riding a three-game winning streak and safe in the knowledge that Captain Catastrophe, Marc Ward, was not playing.

Barker won the toss and elected to bowl first with rain in the air and every chance of a shortened game.

Offley got off to a good start as Syed Shah claimed two early wickets, both caught at the wicket by Boatwright.

Boaty had flown in from Japan, landing at 6am and there was clearly a bit of nip in the air and a bit of nip off the pitch.

Alas, as he sprang forward to celebrate his second catch, combining elation and surprise, he collapsed to the turf, clutching his leg in a manner reminiscent of Bambi treading on a land mine.

It was particularly cruel on Boaty who has now caught four in a row that have actually been given out by the umpire.

Ward took over behind the stumps and Boatwright, a man who would do anything for his club apart from allow Bradders to come back,  bravely tried to carry on for a couple of overs - channeling his inner Shaun Baines by standing at slip - before hobbling off.

With one or two Offley fielders looking around hopefully for rain, the visitors began to gain the advantage before Mark Kirkman turned the game with a delivery that could charitably be described as a pie which the dangerous Baldwin obligingly hit back to him, the South African spinner taking a fine return catch.

At the other end Tom Harris surprised everyone by producing a maiden - anyone who saw Tom's debut last week might have thought there was more chance of him conjuring six numbers in the lottery than six dots in succession - and then found the edge which allowed Ward to take a fine diving catch.

Kirkman struck again before drinks, reducing the visitors to 72-5 as for the second week in a row Offley found themselves in the unusual position of being on top at the break.

Offley's hopes of dismissing Abbots Langley for 120 came to nothing as Gumsley and the 14-year old Lloyd batted sensibly (note to our future selves, we don't need to be playing Lloyd in three years time) and the visitors posted a challenging total of 149-7 despite rain falling heavily throughout the final ten overs of the innings.

Special mention must go to Johnny On The Spot John (Lord love us, the opposition umpire actually asked him if that was his nickname). The ever-enthusiastic Davis produced an impressive three over spell of lobs in the closing overs of the innings, picking up his first ever league wicket.

Mincing to the wicket like a pissed up drag queen in eight-inch heels attempting to throw the javelin after quaffing a dozen pints and a few triple vodkas, Davis lobbed his dangerously explosive grenades towards the apprehensive batters who could only sit and wait for the mysterious offerings to land.

Johnny On The Spot John Pulls The Pin On Another Grenade

Figures of 3-0-11-1 show that they had little idea of how to deal with such unusal deliveries.

Regardless, a target of 150 still looked a tall ask for a team that has not exactly made a habit of chasing down totals in the Saracens League, especially with a damp outfield.

Barker and Ward opened up the innings as number three Will Inchbald strapped on his pads and waited to spring into action.

With the visiting bowlers generating unusually prodigious bounce at Offley, the two openers swiftly decided that they were likely to be there for a good time rather than a long time and went for their shots accordingly.

By the end of the fourth over Offley were 32-0. 

At this juncture Barker had been dropped at slip, mowed one over midwicket for six, slashed one over point for four, top edged a pull into his grillle while Ward had worn one and pinged a sublime checked-drive over cover for four.

And so it continued, the Tango & Fanta combination blazing away to good effect as the runs flowed and the rain poured down.

Between them they smashed 16 fours and two sixes - the second six of Ward's career a glorious on drive that emphasised this was not a run chase that would implode in familiar style - and left the opposition beaten and bedraggled.

Tango & Fanta Sparkle In The Rain

In fairness to Abbots Langley they didn't need to be out there getting drenched and could easily have asked the umpires to take them off at any point after the 15th over. I don't think we'd have been particularly keen to stay out at that point so a big thank you to them for their sportsmanship. 

When the game was called off after 20 overs with the result in the books, the opening stand was worth 117 and Offley had secured their first 10 wicket win since, well I assume it has happened before, but I have no recollection of when it might have been.

Answers on a postcard. 

The winner gets a signed copy of Blagging It With The Mrs by Roger Piepenstock.

Barker finished on 58 with Ward on 42.

The result lifts Offley up to the rareified heights of sixth. 

Sixth!

Next week Offley travel to Royal Herts to take on the team at the bottom of the table, aiming to make it a virtually unprecedented three wins in a row in the Saracens League.

Surely nothing - not even an ever-lengthening injury list with Boatwright the latest player to be facing a spell on the sidelines - can stand between us and three on the spin.

Except, of course, that Wardy's back at the helm.....