N o .126
Sport
Cricket
In the 2018 Oxford v Cambridge cricket
match, Oxford was captained by DA
Escott (Coll, 10-15), who scored 175
in the first innings and took 4 wickets.
Oxford won.
Golf
RN Dobbs reports on another Kennyite
golf day of around 1955 vintage, hosted
and well organised by D Durnford-Slater.
Others present were RA Wellesley-
Smith, J Vintcent and GR Freshfield.
Rowing
Tobias Schroeder (Coll, 12-17) and
James Temple (C, 09-14), rowed in the
U23 World Championships.
Having been given the British Rowing
‘Rising Star’ award (young volunteer
coach of the year), HR Durward (E,
12-17) appeared on the front cover of
Rowing and Regatta magazine.
T he T rusty S ervant
Old Wykehamist Sporting Societies
OWCC
Rupert Morton (B, 96-01) records: OWCC
had a mixed season, with an exit in the
first round of the Cricketer Cup, in the
face of an opposition number 3 (who
smashed a very good hundred against
us), and a slightly underwhelming
return of 2 wins, 2 draws and 10 losses.
Within these results were a handful of
last-over losses, in which had the events
transpired in a slightly different way the
final scorecard could have looked a lot
different!
As is being seen across all similar old
boys’ cricket clubs, asking for people
to give up such a long period on the
few days free per week is taking a
toll on participation rates. We have
experimented with flexible formats
(20:20 against the Butterflies last year)
and the committee is already making
plans to potentially produce a slightly
shorter fixture list and more proactive
communication with the membership,
which we expect to give some impetus to
the society.
We welcome some new members to the
committee in Mike Hargroves and Guy
Pascoe (who has done a wonderful job
creating and maintaining a ‘legends’
team, for the more vintage player). If
you are looking to get re-involved in the
club or would like to show your support
by keeping up to date with the season
as it progresses please do get in touch
to ensure you are included on the new
listing.
OWFC
The Old Wykehamist Football Club is
competing at its highest level of amateur
football since the 1970s. In 2017, the
club gained promotion to the Premier
Division of the Arthurian League,
the only five-tier old boys’ league
that requires every player to be a true
alumnus. Players from across generations
form a tightknit squad, from Dave
Prichard (I, 00-05) and goalkeeper Al
23
Wheal (K, 96-01), to a solid contingent
from the classes of 2009-2011, and also
a young crop of talented players such as
Hugo Sever (I, 08-13) and Mike Hodnett
(C, 08-13).
The OWs, or the ‘Dubs’ to their fans,
won the Division 1 title, and then last
season enjoyed the highest-placed finish
in the ten-team Premier Division of
any newly-promoted side this decade
(4th). A run of six straight wins in the
new year saw us complete a double
over the Old Etonians (2-1 and 4-1)
as well as Old Salopians and Old
Marlburians, while unbeaten in both
games against traditional heavyweights
Old Carthusians, who themselves did not
lose a game.
Crucial to the success is a devastating
forward line led by James Essex (I, 06-
11), now the club’s leading goal scorer
of the modern era (as far as statistics
stretch) after scoring respectively 24,
20 and then, in the Premier Division,
19 goals. Sam Donald, captain of the
Oxford Blues in 2013, complements
James from the left, also notching
double figures in goals in each of the last
three seasons. The David Silva of the
Arthurian League, Mike Hodnett, whom
Donald calls ‘probably the best player
I’ve ever played with’, joined Essex in the
league’s ‘All-Stars’ Representative Team
that plays against other amateur leagues.
Two famous College sportsmen, Pete
Fuller (Coll, 04-09) and Rupert Mercer
(Coll, 04-09), led the backline.
Few games lack topsy-turvy drama at a
pristine home ground at a David Lloyd
sports club in Acton, with a run in the
Arthur Dunn Cup now high on the
club’s agenda. The club is always looking
for new players with a variety of levels to
be enjoyed.
OWGS
The annual challenge for the Sinister
Pot took place on 8 th June at Sandford
Springs Golf Club. The winners were the
Dexter (right-handed) team for the first