With the weather better than previously forecast, Russell won the toss and elected to bat first due to four members of the team being in transit having not been aware that Bodicote was a long trek into deepest Oxfordshire.

The innings started steadily but was jarred by the loss of Russell in the sixth over. Again runs accumulated steadily until the loss of Syed then Garry in the same over. Alex Sear, on league debut for the club, joined Ben at the crease and together had a stand of 51, taking the score to 98, two runs short of a batting point, with six wickets remaining. Unfortunately we then lost three wickets for three runs in the following two overs. We had secured one batting point but a second looked ominously out of reach. James Chantry joined Ian Easton, who was on one not out, and together they had a 19 run stand, with Ian scoring 14 runs by hitting two 4s and a mighty six (his first). Sadly the last two wickets fell for the addition of just two further runs leaving us 122 all out, three short of that second batting point.

After tea, the Bodicote openers headed to the middle and immediately demonstrated their intent to win.  Russell used five bowlers, including himself, but they could not get to grips with the pitch and the batsmen reaped the rewards, completing the run chase in 18.5 overs without the loss of a wicket, winning by ten wickets and leaving Castlethorpe with just their solitary batting point.

Next week is an even further journey than this week, to Radway in Warwickshire.  Let's hope we travel better for that match.

Match report by Sharron Jones

Castlethorpe won the toss and elected to field first, hoping that the rain forecast from 12pm would not arrive before the conclusion of the match.

Croughton's first wicket fell with the score on eight but the batsmen held firm for 41 runs before the fall of the next wicket, seeing off the opening bowlers, Ali and Syed. Once the second wicket fell, to Russell in his first over, he and Garry saw off the remainder of nine man Croughton for the addition of just 28 more runs with the innings lasting just 15.3 overs.

Castlethorpe went out to bat immediately under increasingly darkening skies. In the first over, both Garry and Russell lost their wickets.  In the fourth over, Syed lost his wicket and as Adesh joined Ali in the middle the steady drizzle gained momentum and at the end of the fourth over, the players left the pitch with tea declared early.

After almost two hours of waiting for the rain to stop and the pitch to dry, the rain eased to spitting, the pitch was inspected and a start time of 17:35 was agreed. Castlethorpe were on 30-3 and keen for a chance to get the remaining 48 runs for victory. Unfortunately the forecast weather arrived as players took to the pitch and the match had to be abandoned with both sides taking 10 points plus their bonus points.

Match report by Sharron Jones

A slightly depleted Sunday XI made the trip to Bugbrooke's exotically-named Doc White Cricket Ground to find an eleventh player waiting for them in the form of Tony Malone, the home side's twelfth man.

Batting first, Castlethorpe's total of 188 was largely driven by a captain's innings of 68 from Jack Johnson, who had support from Ben Nightingale and late addition Russell Jones. However, the Castlethorpe total would have been far less were it not for a spirited last-wicket partnership from James Chantry and Ian Easton, who hit a career-best 22.

With runs on the board to defend, Castlethorpe would have fancied their chances had they not run into an in-form James Letts, who thrashed seven sixes on his way to a very fast 103. By that point, the game was already as good as over.

Match report by Martin Jones

At the start of the day, Castlethorpe were in 6th place in Division 1 on 112 points and Greens Norton were in 2nd on 172 having won their last four matches or more. We arrived under heavy skies with intermittent drizzle, lost the toss and were put in to bat.

Runs were hard to come by for the top order and we reached drinks with the score on 74 for four. Castlethorpe took control of the innings from the 25th over when Atif and Basher accelerated the scoring, compiling a 72 run partnership in fourteen overs. When Atif was bowled for 83, he was replaced by Ali. It was only his second match of the season but that was not evident as he hit a fifteen-ball 31 not out, including a 20 run tenth wicket partnership with Aaron. Castlethorpe had hit 188 runs in their 40 overs.

Greens Norton's reply started badly when the last ball of the first over dismissed their opener. For them too, runs were hard to come by, in spite of the increased sunshine and fast outfield. Castlethorpe's bowling and fielding standards were high. Russell used five bowlers with Syed and Ali bowling six each to open. Sam then bowled for seven overs, with Atif bowling his ten overs through. It was Garry coming in as bowler number of five who took out the middle order plus another wicket to return figures of 7-1-20-5, with Syed returning to the attack to take the tenth wicket to leave Greens Norton 71 runs short of Castlethorpe's total. It was a cracking win and an all round good team performance securing our mid-table position

​Match report by Sharron Jones

Thanks to all those who played in and supported our charity match in aid of The Walnuts School. In total, £219 was raised for the School.

Particular thanks must go to Ian, who was the driving force behind the event. Not only did he suggest it, plan it and captain one of the teams, but he also did all the shopping for event, all the advertising and covered the costs in order that more money should go to charity.

In the cricket, Ben Nightingale's 59 was the main contribution to a Castlethorpe innings that made steady progress to 152 for three at the end of their twenty overs. In reply, Ian's Team MK put up an excellent fight, with Jack Johnson (31) and Russell Jones (65) getting them to within touching distance. However, Jamie Crawford's late wickets of Russell Jones and Will Marsh ensured a Castlethorpe victory by eight runs.

Match report by Martin Jones

Due to a few travel, medical and work issues, we arrived at Greens Norton to defend the Division One Cup with just ten players, won the toss and elected to bat.

The Castlethorpe innings was animated by an excellent innings from Atif Mushtaq, who launched five sixes on his way to an unbeaten  61 from 39 balls. Unfortunately, he found little support as Ben Nightingale was the next-highest scorer (extras excluded) with twelve, and Castlethorpe limped to 121 all out.

The Greens Norton innings started badly with the loss of a wicket in the first over and their second in the seventh over with 46 runs on the board.  However, Greens Norton's stand out player Matt Yuill partnered with his wicket keeper to crush the Castlethorpe bowling and secure victory for the home team in the fourteenth over. It was a disappointing result for the reigning champions but on the day nothing was stopping Greens Norton, or more specifically Matt Yuill.

​Match report by Sharron Jones

For all who are unaware, Ian Easton is organising a charity cricket match this coming Sunday. Full details are in his poster:

As June comes to a close (and July also gets going a little bit) it's time for another Fantasy League update:

As you might imagine, the Six-A-Side was a hugely influential round which saw Sharron's Second XI overtake The Beer Monsters by scoring a massive 739 points - second only to Keeping Up With The Joneses who recorded 802.

The Woodentops have retained their astonishing last place. The wooden spoon is barely even a contest at this point.

However, there is some significant competition for the Most Valuable Player category. Syed Naqvi (798 points) retains second place, but now trails Atif Mushtaq (829 points). Third place is Garry Singh Maan (700 points) who might have been higher had he not had to work on the Six-A-Side day. Martin Jones (392 points) had also made up some ground in his first five Castlethorpe match days, but will now miss the coming weeks with an injury.

Given that Castlethorpe could only find ten players for Sunday's match, the situation was never going to be improved by the non-arrival of ten per cent of our team.

After losing the toss and being told to field first, captain Martin Jones made his debut as a wicket-keeper while Stuart Crow and Keith Finson opened the bowling. There was then a bizarre period of sustained luck for both opening batsmen as aerial shots landed close to Will Marsh at mid-wicket in almost every direction, but none landed in his hands until 41 runs had already been scored. Stuart was particularly unfortunate, eventually finishing his eight overs with none for 31.

First change bowler Will Marsh took some time to find his length, with one shorter ball in the twelfth over both breaking and dislocating Martin's right ring finger. By drinks, Argles and Harrison had built a large partnership, so Keith took the gloves while Martin tried to halt their progress by having a bowl. He bowled six overs, two for seventeen and Castlethorpe managed to keep Buckingham down to 222, far less than looked likely at one point.

Unfortunately, 222 was a long way out of reach: despite twenty at the top of the order from Martin and an aggressive 32 from Keith at number four, Castlethorpe were still bowled out for 80, losing by 142 runs; a chastening day at the office for the home side.

There were positives, though: Ollie Thompson took a wicket and made double figures on his club debut, and Aaron Day took three excellent catches.

Match report by Martin Jones

Silverstone have been having a very good season, not losing a match since their season-opener at Thrupp Close. The return fixture took place on a hard wicket under cloudless skies, and captain Russell Jones found himself at the centre of a mob of Thrupp players telling him "bat!"

He won the toss and pleased the masses by choosing to bat, a task that Castlethorpe did unusually well at. At different stages of the innings, first Martin Jones (22), then Russell Jones (39), then Garry Singh Maan (82) all batted aggressively, never allowing Silverstone to get on top. A late flurry of wickets did see Castlethorpe bowled out with fifteen balls left, but not before amassing 216 runs.

In reply, early wickets made sure at an early stage that Silverstone would not get close to the Castlethorpe total. Atif Mushtaq reaped the benefits of some excellent pressure bowling from Syed Naqvi to claim four for 32, before Martin Jones replaced him to claim three for 14 from the same end. Garry Singh Maan and James Chantry each claimed a wicket to end an innings in which only two Silverstone batsmen (and extras) made it to double-figures.

So Castlethorpe have done the double over top-of-the-table. Hopefully this goes a long way to our survival in Division One.

Match report by Martin Jones