Sports Report 3rd May

The Summer Term sports season kicked off this week with fixtures for several of Shiplake’s cricket and tennis teams. Having returned from the Easter break later than many other schools, the players only had a few days to prepare for the matches. Ultimately, this rustiness proved costly as positive results were hard to come by.

Cricket:

1st XI:

The Shiplake College 1st XI cricket season got underway with a match at home to Cokethorpe School. Shiplake batted first after losing the toss on a wet, green and very slow wicket. Suddenly, the recent preparations on the fast bouncy tracks of Antigua started to look forlorn.

Six members of the side were making their 1st XI debuts, and the young developmental side never really recovered from losing several quick wickets at the start of the innings. At one stage Shiplake were 30 for 5 but resistance from the determined Reiss Simpson (31 not out) helped post a below-par 73 for 9 from the allotted 25 overs. Losing key wickets at key times severely hampered the run rate.

The sun had come out and the moisture had been taken out of the pitch which made batting easier after tea. Cokethorpe started brightly but Harry Ibbitson and Tom McCooke almost removed their openers. The bowlers created four good chances that on another day would have been taken and it would have been a different game. Ruaridh Scott removed their dangerous opener thanks to a fine catch from Harry Ibbitson and Alex Bradley executed a fine run out. However Cokethorpe eased home for an 8 wicket victory which was a tough one to take for Shiplake. Next week, the boys take on Claires Court.

U15A:

Shiplake U15A batted first against Cokethorpe on a wet wicket and struggled to deal with variable bounce. Despite contributions from Will Gresswell (17) and Matthew Dalrymple (11), the team struggled to 85 all out. Given how challenging batting had proved, it was difficult to know how competitive a total this was. After tea, Henry Atkinson and Christian Miller opened the bowling and after bowling tight lines, the opposition were just 18-0 from 6 overs. Sadly, the team was unable to maintain the pressure, and despite a wicket for Matthew Dalrymple, the visiting team reached the target of 86 to win by 9 wickets.

U14A:

Jack Turnbull got the U14A’s season off to an impressive start by stroking away the first ball of the match, across Cokethorpe’s lush outfield, for 4 runs. He and Freddie Bowcock, the captain, gave Shiplake a good start and crisp shots from Joe Tucker suggested that the team could put together an impressive total. Wickets fell and it was down to Lewis Bishop (13) and Ben Westbrook Burr (16) to maintain the momentum. 117 for 8 on a slow, low wicket with the ball swinging in the humid conditions was a good total.

Shiplake were optimistic that their quartet of pace bowlers – Bowcock, Brown, Tucker and Turnbull would prove plenty of challenges for the Cokethorpe batsmen. Unfortunately they struggled to find their length, bowled some costly wides and Cokethorpe scored 44 from the first 7 overs. It was left to superb spells from the spinners to slow the scoring rate and bring Shiplake back into the game. Westbrook Burr bowled his 4 overs for just 7 runs. Ollie Simpson was a little more expensive, conceding 12, but he took 2 valuable wickets. Cokethorpe eventually reached the winning target with 1 over and 4 wickets to spare.

Tennis:

The Shiplake 1st VI got their season off to a promising start with a 3-3 draw at home to local rival Reading Bluecoat. Wet weather this week meant the Astroturf courts were a little unpredictable, but the Shiplake players adjusted well to achieve some impressive results. They will certainly be hoping to bring their ‘A’ game to the courts next week as they take on the Oratory school.

The 2nd and 3rd VI’s made the short trip to Pangbourne College for their first fixtures of the term. Despite a lack of practice, with many players not having picked up a racket since late last summer, Shiplake put in some very creditable displays. Both fixtures ended in 5-4 defeats, with the 3rd VI scoreline particularly impressive given that the squad was made up of pupils from Year 9 and 10.

Rowing:

On a blustery and cold Sunday two boys from Shiplake, Harry Hogan and Henry Cathorne, travelled up to the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham for the latest round of GB rowing trials. For the trials Harry paired with a boy from the local Reading Blue Coat School and Henry with his old rowing partner from Doncaster Rowing Club. The boys first race was a 1900m time trial down the course from which they placed 28th and 32nd respectively. This put them in the E/F semi-finals for the side by side racing in the afternoon.

In the semi-final Harry came second progressing through to the E final in which he cam 3rd and Henry came 5th in his semi final and then withdrew from the F final due to injury. The boys conducted themselves exceptionally well in a day with tough conditions more reminiscent of the north sea than a 2km rowing lake. The boys will now focus all their efforts on training in the first eight ready for the national schools regatta coming up on the 24th May.