The tension of Saturday faded away and the 1st XI produced a stirring account of themselves to win the Warwickshire Sunday League John Whitehouse Trophy for the first time.

Olton chose to bat against Harborne at Harborne's small ground and made an unspectacular start falling to 88-6 despite skipper Gary Hawkins 49. However the tail wagged with Babar Khan leading the way with the bat this time as he struck 51 including 5 sixes as Olton recovered to make 197 off their 40 overs. Not a huge score on Harborne's small ground and it would need a tremendous effort from the bowlers to contain Harborne who two weeks earlier had won the league.

A tremendous effort was indeed the response - by two teenagers 18 year old Phil Ceillam and 15 year old Callum Reilly, who tore into the Harborne batting and bowled them all out of 20 (Yes 20) in just 11 overs. Kieran Iyer, Harborne's skipper, came in at number 4 with the score 14-2 and was completely stranded at one end as he watched his side bowled out in five more overs for just another six runs.

Phil Ceillam's figures were 5.4 overs 2 mdns 8 runs 5 wickets and Callum Reilly's 5.3.6.3.

What a win!

Phil Williams - 14/09/2009

This match between Olton and Moseley Ashfield would decide the fourth relegation place back to the Warwickshire league. The losers would go down. Olton had the advantage in that a draw would do for them. For Moseley Ashfield it was a win or nothing.

Skipper Marc Webb asked Ashfield to bat, thus setting out Olton's plan to bat it out for 55 overs at the end. Ashfield therefore needed runs and set off briskly for an opening partnership of 36 before Andy Brookes had Foster caught by James Neale for 26. Sunil Vyakaranam in a long steady spell of 17 overs claimed Carey's wicket with the score at 52 and Babar Khan had danger man Zubair Khan LBW before he'd settled in for 0 at 55. Olton then steadily whittled away at Ashfield but a tenth wicket stand of 16 before the innings closed took Ashfield to 179. How vital would those 16 runs prove to be?

After tea and nerves began to descend on the spectators. Was it use up the overs or go for the win? Olton seemed to settle on caution and use up the overs. Neale and Webb made 29 for the opening stand and Davis joined Webb and got the score to 62. Gary Hawkins came in and with score at 77-2 and 31 overs used up Olton's fears seemed to be easing. But Hawkins was run out having unbalanced out of his crease and Simpson was out in the same over. 77-4. Nerves were jangling.

Bishop recalled to the side for just this scenario gritted his teeth and fought for dear life. 101-5 became 101-6 when Webb was out for a gallant 55. Despair in the Olton supporters. Dan Neale joined Liam Gately as Ashfield pressed. Every run was greeted with applause. Every over consumed up got another ringing round of cheers. Spectators paced round and round the ground. Some couldnt look. Nails were bitten. Stomach's churned. Neale was out at 135 with nine overs to go. Babar Khan joined Gately.

Slowly the overs seeped away to 157 and just 12 balls left. First ball Khan out LBW and Brookes comes in. Surely Olton couldnt lose three wickets in those 12 balls. A leg bye and Gately on strike. Out! Caught for a valiant 30. 7 balls left.

Sunil survives the first ball. No ball! But four runs and then a single leaving Sunil to face the final over.

Big men couldnt look. Others stood almost hiding in the deepest corners of the ground as the players counted down the balls. Sunil remained outwardly calm but his very lefthandness was his big advantage as ball after ball from Carey sped through towards the wicket keeper. Only twice did he have to hit it and as the last ball failed to dislodge him an enormous sigh of relief swept over Olton and Grange Road as their place in the Birmingham League for 2010 was secured.

Phil Williams - 13/09/2009

Olton were denied a much needed victory by the outstanding performance of Brandon Miller for Studley.

Put in to bat James Neale and Michael Ceillam got Olton off to a steady start amking 45 for the first wicket when James Neale was bowled by Brandon Miller in what was to be a fine bowling spell in which he took 4-50. Michael ceillam was joined by Brad Davis and they took the score to 116 for the second wicket when Michael was caught by Dodd off Swanick for precisely 50. Gary hawkins came in but Brad Davis was in fine form. Gary made 29 and was out at 205. A minor collapse followed as batsmen one after the other attempted to get Olton to the fourth batting point. Brad Davis mad a fabulous 90 off just 86 balls but Olton fell short of their self imposed target at 222-8 off their allotted overs.

Studley's start was almost a mirror image of Olton's as Stamenkovic and Dodd made 47 when Stmankovic was caught well behind by Liam Gately, the first of three victims, for 15.

Brandon Miller joined Dood as they doubled the score to 94 when Dan Neale had Dodd caught behind for 44. Olton whittled their way through Studley's middle order but Brandon Miller stood firm and played some glorious shots. Babar Khan proved too difficut for many as he took six wickets for 42. At the start of the final over Miller was not out 100 but nine wickets were down and he declined to attempt to get the 22 runs needed for Studley to win and so the game petered out in a draw with Studely 204-9 and Brandon Miller unbeaten on 104.

After an extremely wet week, it was pleasing to get under way promptly and skipper Marc Webb had no hesitation about putting Eastnor into bat after winning the toss. The decision seemed very justified as Jamie Hawkins took two early wickets as Eastnor started poorly at 14-2. However, Shahid Ahmed and Atiq ur Rehman rebuilt the innings with a partnership of 80 for the third wicket when Shahid was run out for 31. Chadhani and Atiq took the score to 125-4 but from there on in it was all Olton as Babar Khan weaved his magic spells and with the final three wickets all falling at 141 Eastnor were all out for 141.

Khalid, Adeel and Atiq all bowled extremely well at the start of Olton's innings and progress was very slow to 45-3 in the 25th over. However Gary Hawkins 52 and Marc Webb 33 took the score to 128-4 when Gary's good innings which included six fours and two sixes came to an end. Simpson and Gately saw the side home easily with five overs to spare for Olton to remain thrid just behind leaders Whitchurch and Bridgnorth.

The first eleven travelled to Newport in Shropshire for the first time and returned to winning form after struggling in the last few games.

Newport batted first and began steadily but Nathan Myers struck twice with the scores at 34 and 42 to dismiss the Paul and Robert Furniss. This brought Bhatia to the wicket and he was to remain unbeaten for 90 runs. Olton however whittled away at the other end with Babar Khan and James Neale taking 3 and 2 wickets respectively and Liam Gately taking four catches behind the stumps. Newport's innings closed on 177-9.

An opening stand of 44 saw Olton get under way but three quick wickets saw Olton collapse to 57-3. Skipper Marc Webb joined Gary Hawkins and crafted out a match winning stand of 77 to take the total to 134 when Marc was dismissed for 35. Gary Hawkins led the side home with an unbeaten 73 as Olton won by 4 wickets and with 10 balls to spare.

Winning the toss on a rain threatened afternoon Olton put Eastnor in to bat. It was Eastnor who got off to a quick start with Chadhani smashing 21 off 11 balls before Nathan Myers, who returns to the 1 team, got him LBW. Following this wicket Olton were able to slow the run rate somewhat, but were made to work hard to take wickets on a track that suited batting once again. It was Babar Khan and James Neale who finished off the innings, which was delayed by only one shower, with Olton finally bowling Eastnor out on the last ball of the innings for 196.

In Olton's innings, James Neale and Michael Ceillam continued their rich form as they got Olton off to a super start with an opening partnership of 67 before Ceillam was caught out on 24. With another downpour having effected Olton's innings, the over's were reduced to 51 over's. However James Neale and new batsman Brad Davis hurried on, weary of the dark clouds overhead, and knocked off the runs in the 40 over, with James Neale making 95 not out, and Brad Davis 50 not out, Brads 3 consecutive league 50.