A superb 116 not out from Ed Young was in vain as Wiltshire CCC were knocked out of the NCCA Trophy by Oxfordshire. Match report by Roy Honeybone.
The quarter-final match on June 7 at Warminster Cricket Club saw Oxfordshire win by seven wickets.
Wiltshire were put into bat, and their top order crumbled under the pressure of Oxfordshire's opening bowlers, with only 22 runs on the board for the loss of three wickets.
Hayden Roussouw took 4 for 27, and Tom Davis chipped in with 2 for 22, leaving Wiltshire struggling at 95 for 5 in the 28th over.
However, Wiltshire's skipper, Ed Young, stood firm against the onslaught.
He found support in Will Naish (33) and Alfie Johnson (38) to help steady the ship.
Young's resilient performance saw him score more than half of Wiltshire's total and hit eight fours and five sixes.
His century was brought up in the 49th over with a powerful six, and he left the field to a standing ovation, with some Oxfordshire players acknowledging his effort with a handshake.
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Young's unbeaten 116 took Wiltshire to a final score of 216 for 9.
The Oxfordshire chase was in stark contrast to Wiltshire's innings.
They reached their 50 in just eight overs without losing a single wicket, while Wiltshire had taken 19 overs to reach the same score.
Evan Cowley was the first to fall after scoring 37, but his explosive start set the tone for their innings.
The introduction of spin saw the fall of two more wickets—Luke Maslen, caught behind off Alfie Johnson's bowling, and Julian Laird, caught and bowled by Joe King.
However, these dismissals did little to halt Oxfordshire's progress.
Freddie Smith was relentless in punishing Wiltshire's bowlers.
He remained not out on 79, hitting seven fours and four sixes.
He was joined by Hayden Rousseau, who was not out on 59, and together they took Oxfordshire to victory in the 36th over, Rousseau's boundary taking their total to 218 for 3.
The spirit of the game was praised by both teams, with Wiltshire's supporters acknowledging the quality of Oxfordshire's victory and wishing them every success in the semi-final.
Wiltshire will now return to T20 action against Dorset at Wimborne Cricket Club on June 21, hoping for better fortune.
The day, however, belonged to Oxfordshire, who outclassed Wiltshire in all departments, with the exception of their skipper Ed Young.
His performance was superb, but unfortunately, it was not enough to take his team over the line.
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