Match recap: the return of the President’s cricket match

Image of cricket captains with Wolfson College President

The President’s XI Captain, Nick Wareham, gives a rundown of what went down on a sunny day in June.

Captain’s report

by Nick Wareham

On a beautiful June afternoon, we finally got to play for the President’s Cup after a four-year hiatus.

The last match was in 2019, with COVID closing out consecutive matches in 2020 and 2021, and inclement weather preventing the match-up in 2022.

This was the 21st President's Cup match. The series started in 1999, and the student teams have won 13 times, while the President's teams have chalked up seven victories.

With a sense of expectation, the President’s team – a mix of alumni, staff and fellows – arrived shortly before the start time, only to find the Student’s team warming up and practising; a sure sign of what was to come.

Winning the toss, Aiden Woodcock elected to bat and the students piled on the runs despite some acrobatic fielding by the President’s team, particularly by Fellow Noel Rutter.

The runs kept coming from Ben Mills, Ty Wills and Player of the Match Om Dave, and it was only in the penultimate over of the innings that a wicket finally fell.

Chasing 177, the President’s XI put up a valiant fight with Isuru Devendra scoring a classy 31. However, top scorer by far was “extras”, boosted by a penalty of 40 runs awarded by umpires Kevin Greenbank and Colin Greenhalgh for the Student’s inadvertently fielding 12 players for 8 overs.

In presenting the trophy to Aiden Woodcock, the President noted that, with her final academic year in post approaching, 2024 would the final opportunity for her to put out a side to reclaim the trophy and end her presidency levelling the tally of wins to loses at 2 each.

Player of the match: Om Dave.

Scores. Students’ XI 177 for 1 off 20 overs (O Dave 46 not out, Ben Mills 50 not out). President’s XI 158 for 8 off 20 overs (Isuru Devendra 31).

Teams

Wolfson Students’ XI: Aiden Woodcock (Captain), Marcus Baker, Om Dave, Ed Lyons, Jake Werth, Christin Stehlik, Ben Mills, Ty Wills, Nathan Westhead, Lars Schaff, Ed Street.

President’s XI: Nick Wareham (Captain), Ray Butler, Pradipta Biswas, Isuru Devendra, Karen Pearce, Karan Dossa, Imran Aslam, Chris Lawrence, Noel Rutter, Pradeep Nathan, Waseem Iqbal.

Umpires: Kevin Greenbank, Colin Greenhalgh.