Olton grabbed a lifesaving victory at fellow strugglers Studley today. Put in to bat on a diificult wicket, mositened by faint drizzle, high scoring was never going to be on the cards.

Harris and O. Nazir opened the bowling. Marc Webb fell early and skipper James Neale foolowed shortly after both to Harris. J.Nazir then bowled Ceillam on his return to the 1st XI after last weekend's century in the 2nd XI. Gary Hawkins battled for 73 balls to make a courageous 23 as Fox and Simpson and Fitzgerald all found it difficult to build a major innings.

But then keeper Tim Owen who came in at 71-6 built a precious innings first with Gavin and then added an invaluable 43 for the eighth wicket with Vyakaranam (16) to end up 29 not out. This partnership proved to be the biggest of the day, deprived Studley of a fourth bowling point and earned Olton a batting point as the innings ended on 142-8.

The difficult conditions as a result of flooding at Studley midway through the season, meant that the target was going to be challenging.

Early breakthroughs by Gavin dismissing Harris and then having Miller caught by Fox having been palmed to him by Simpson meant that Studley were 23-2. Then followed 2 marvellous run outs first by Webb and then Fox and Studley were 47-4.

Edward and O Nazir then began a patient partnership which was slowly taking the game away from Olton. The brave introduction of fifteen year old Hawkins with his legbreaks separated them when they had put on 36 with Neale holding a good catch at long on to dismiss Edward (21). When Gavin held on to a catch at midwicket O.Nazir was out for 31 and Studley were 100-6 needing 43 runs off 11 overs.

Neale then brought himself back into the attack and when two wickets were taken at 119, the second a smart legside stumping by Owen off Vyakaranam Studley were 119-9. Olton had 23 balls then to snatch the final wicket and needed 20 of them before Ceillam held last man Hughes at short extra cover.

This 24 point win lifts Olton to 6th needing 4 points in the final match to stay up. 

Result: Olton & West Warwicks CC - Olton and West Warwicks. Sat. 1st XI Won by 22 runs

Date: Sat 8th Sep 2007 @ 12:00

Ground: Studley Cricket Club

Type:  League : Birmingham

Toss:  Studley CC - 1st XI won the toss and decided to bowl

Highlights: J.Neale 3-25; T.Owen 29*

The first XI are in a Warwickshire Sunday League semi-final. They will play the winners of Kenilworth Wardens v Walmley which will be played on Sept 2nd.

They will then be away to one of those two sides and the match will start at 12 noon.

If they win that match the final will be Sunday Sept 16th and it looks as if we will be drawn away.

The first eleven suffered a bitterly disappointing defeat at Whitchurch. A much depleted side due to holiday comitments found Xavier Gabriel able to bowl flat out for the first time this season after his injury.

After a steady start Xavier took two quick wickets to make the score 29-2. A partnership of 60 between Hasnain and Suliman brought the score to 89-2. At this point Xavier was reintroduced to the attack and brought early results with the wicket of Suliman for 40. A small of 25 which proved decisive between Yousaf and Hasnain took the score to 119 when Xavier struck once more to take out opener Hasnain for a patient 44 in the 43 over.

In another 5 overs the Whitchurch innings was over as Xavier bowling really quickly for the first time this season skittled them all out for 148 taking a really impressive 9-44.

Could Olton's depleted batting line up make it?

An early misunderstanding between Owen and Neale saw Owen run out and at 57 =4 when Bishop was out Olton looked in trouble. Simpson joined skipper Neale and they patiently fought their way through a difficult period and got Olton to 119. With 30 wanted, six wickets left and 11 overs to do it in, Olton seemed to have victory in their grasp.

But an even more disastrous collapse followed as no-one was able to stay with Neale and eight overs later Olton were all out for 135 and had lost by 13 runs. Neale had carried his bat in vain for 67.

Phil Williams - 08/07/2007

Result: Whitchurch CC, Shropshire - 1st XI Won by 13 runs

Date: Sat 7th Jul 2007 @ 13:00

Ground: Heath Road Ground

Type:  League : Birmingham

Toss:  Whitchurch CC, Shropshire - 1st XI won the toss and decided to bat

Highlights: J.Neale 67*; X Gabriel 9-44; G.Simpson 32

After a delayed start reducing the game to 49 overs per side, Old Wulfs got off to a steady start until Simms and Gabriel took a wicket apiece to make the score 28-2. Two more wickets saw Old Wulfs score creep up to 87 before Marsh and Killsworth put together a stand of 51 for the fifth wicket.

A big outfield and damp conditions meant hitting boundaries was difficult, such that Old Wulfs only managed 10 boundaries in all. Marsh was out for 24 the first of Jamie Hawkins's three wickets and twenty runs later Jamie struck again to dismiss top scorer Killsworth for 61. Eighteen more runs were scored in the last 3 overs. How precious might these be?

178 to win looked a daunting target at 9-2 as Olton got off to a poor start. Neale and Hawkins fought hard running exceptionally well turning noughts into ones and ones into twos to rebuild the start when Neale was out for 33 with the score at 51-3.

Skipper Dan Fox joined Gary Hawkins. They continued to run exceptionally well and created a stand of 73, the biggest of the day. Gary's patient knock of 34 off 97 balls was a determined innings worthy of a victory. Dan guided the tail through the remaining overs.

Errol Simms came in with the score at 171-9. 13 balls were left. Dan took a four and a single in the 48 over to take the score to 176 and two needed for victory. Old Wulfs had 3 balls in the 48 over to get Errol out but he survived. And so to the final over. Two wanted for the win.

Dan pats the first ball back. The field is in to save the single, but second ball Dan lifts it high over extra cover for six and Olton had won by 1 wicket with four balls to spare.

Phil Williams - 24/06/2007

Result: Olton & West Warwicks CC - Olton and West Warwicks. Sat. 1st XI Won by 1 wickets

Date: Sat 23rd Jun 2007 @ 13:00

Type:  League : Birmingham

Toss:  Olton and West Warwicks. Sat. 1st XI won the toss and decided to bowl

Highlights: D.Fox 68*; G.Hawkins 34; J.Neale 33.J.Hawkins 3-48

Olton's first visit to Wombourne after the wash out on Sunday saw Wombourne get off to a steady start and were 26-0 when rain interupted the match for the next three hours. Upon resumption Wombourne were able to bat for another 28 overs and were all out for 155 with James Nelae taking 5-33 supported by Sunil with 3-68.

This left Olton 26 overs to get 156 or 109 for the winning draw. The wet outfield slowed the ball effectively reducing the number of fours available but at 96 for 4 with three overs to go Olton were in the driving seat. But two disastrous run outs in the 23 rd over put pressure on the the Olton tail and they fell two short.

Phil Williams - 29/05/2007

Result: Drawn

Date: Mon 28th May 2007 @ 13:00

Ground: Church Road

Type:  League : Birmingham

Toss:  Olton and West Warwicks. Sat. 1st XI won the toss and decided to bowl

Highlights: J.Neale 5-33; S. Vyakaranam 3-68

Olton convincingly won this match against Kington whom Olton had never played before. On a green pitch Olton won the toss and asked Kington to bat first. Two early wickets from Gabriel and Simms set Kington back. A stand of 66 from Brierley and Exall followed but once James Neale had Exall LBW for 37 there followed five more wickets in quick succession to leave Kington 107-8. Barrat and Rhys Price eked out 29 runs for the ninth wicket but Gabriel returned to dismiss Barrat Price and Sunil with his fourth wicket wrapped up the innings for 136.

A steady start by Marc Webb and Neale saw them make 66 for the opening wicket with Webb making 37, their best opening partnership of the season so far. Skipper Dan Fox joined Neale and took the score to 108 with Dan making 24. Adam Croutear making his first team debut scored 13 not out to see Olton home with twenty overs to spare. James Neale had carried his bat for a patient 42 to follow up his 3-30 in the Kington innings.

Result: Olton & West Warwicks CC - Olton and West Warwicks. Sat. 1st XI Won by 8 wickets

Date: Sat 26th May 2007 @ 13:00

Ground: 1st XI ground

Type:  League : Birmingham

Toss:  Olton and West Warwicks. Sat. 1st XI won the toss and decided to bowl

Highlights: Sunil 4-39; J. Neale 3-30 and 42*; M.Webb 37

Olton kept Pelsall from an easy win in this Birmingham League match.

Pelsall asked Olton to bat on a showery day. With the start delayed and four interuptions for rain, Olton's batsmen could not settle and find any rhythm on a damp pitch.

Only Marc Webb early on could find any form and his 40 at the top of the innings proved the top score of the day, but his inability to really get going cost him his wicket as in frustration at all the delays saw him send a catch to Grainger.

Thereafter as the conditions became trickier only Gary Hawkins (38*) batted with any patience and resolve until Gabriel, Sunil and Simms helped him to add 61 precious runs for the last three wickets.

Pelsall had 35 overs to score the 157 for victory and set out after them in the evening sun and on an increasingly easy pitch with Grainger, Ridgeway and Oswald-Jacobs all making significant contributions, but economical bowling from Sunil and James Neale tightened their grip and with 22 needed off the last two overs, Neale's dismissal of Oswald-Jacobs settled the affair and Olton forced a draw with six runs to spare.

Result: Drawn

Date: Sat 19th May 2007 @ 13:00

Ground: The Pavilion

Type:  League : Birmingham

Toss:  Pelsall CC - 1st XI won the toss and decided to bowl

Highlights: M.Webb 40; G.Hawkins 38*

Olton's first trip to picturesque Wem outside club memory saw a team grateful for a rain interuption of well over an hour.

Wem batted first and consistently lost wickets but Rasika, from Sri Lanka, was always a threat and his batting swung the game Wem's way. At 122-6 in the 38th over things loked to be going Olton's way but an expensive miss in the deep allowed Rasika a life and he duly punished Olton with a hard hitting 132 not out from 129 balls with 17 fours and two sixes bringing Wem to 228-9.

Olton thought they may have been able to chase that down but Stuart Raine took three early wickets. Then a rain interval of over an hour meant that sides were playing for the winning draw. Raine took three more to finsih with 6-38, as Bishop 31* and Fitzgerald on his first team debut 19* held on till the 34th over and end of play.

Phil Williams - 13/05/2007

Result: Drawn

Date: Sat 12th May 2007 @ 13:00

Ground: The Kynaston Ground

Type:  League : Birmingham