Report by Ollie Mordaunt (2017, H)
The inaugural H Social OR cricket match took place on Sunday 19 July, as two sides came together on a sun-scorched Bigside after months of planning.
There was a real sense of excitement at being back at Radley, with the chance to play one more time (or, for many, for the very first time) on Bigside.
GHSM won the toss and elected to bowl, and it was immediately clear that both teams were carrying a little rust after a lack of match practice. GHSM’s opening attack, led by GHSM himself alongside Will Brookes-Ward (2015, H) and Adam Hargreaves (2011, H), made an excellent start. Backed up by sharp fielding in the covers and outstanding wicketkeeping from Will Burdett (2019 G), they reduced the opposition to 21-5, leaving the batting side with a huge task to recover.
The innings was rebuilt superbly by Archie Barlow (2014, J), whose unbeaten 50 anchored the recovery. Valuable contributions from Arthur Andrewes (2017, H) (48*), Archie Crole (2017, H) (45) and Will Mordaunt (2017, A) (38*) lifted the total to a competitive 220 from 30 overs.
Following a BBQ lunch, generously provided by the Mays, the chase began in much the same fashion as the first innings, with Edward Farrell (2017, H) and Archie Crole claiming three early wickets, once again putting the batting side under pressure.
That said, the middle order responded brilliantly. Rory Tomlin (2019, F) and Silas Hendy both finished unbeaten on 50, while Will Burdett looked set to join them before being run out for 49 by a superb direct hit from Arthur Andrewes at deep mid-wicket. Strong lower-order partnerships, combined with a couple of dropped chances, saw the target reached in just 25 overs, with contributions from Ludo Grant (2015, H), Henry Boulton (2018, H) and George Brooks-Ward helping to seal the victory.
More important than the result, though, was the opportunity to spend a day back at Radley and catch up with old friends from across different year groups. It was a fantastic occasion and, hopefully, the first of many H Social OR fixtures.
A huge thank you to RadSoc and all the College staff for their support in organising such a successful event, and to George and Emi-Lou May for providing a fantastic lunch.
If you’d like to get involved in OR sports, take a look at the Clubs and Societies page and get in touch with us: radsoc@radley.org.uk.
