Sports Report 6 May 2025

The cricket season is in full swing and today's Sports Report is reflective of this! We also catch up with the Boat Club where we had three pupils competing internationally at the Munich Regatta with medals won by all.

Cricket

1st XI vs Bloxham 

A superb display of hitting from H Terrington with five 4s and five 6s set up a 150 plus score. He was supported in a near 100-run partnership with Z McConkey who hit 36 off 41 balls. And there were useful runs at the death from J Hinton (17 off 10).  

What followed was a dismantling of Bloxham’s top order! Both were openers sent back for ducks and there were two excellent run outs and many quality catches. Where had this Shiplake team emerged from? J Hinton with three wickets, L Crerar with three and G Blumfield with one. At 52-7 the game looked done. However, 20 wides later and a lapse in focus, we eased Bloxham back into the game. Eventually a flurry of wickets fell in the 90s leaving Shiplake winners by 56 runs. D O'Brien picking up a deserved wicket in his spell.  

2nd XI vs Bloxham 

Against all advice and the fact that we are demonstrably a stronger bowling unit, the 2nd XI skipper won the toss and opted to bat. And when the opening bowler started well, I feared the worst. He was quick, and he liked a short ball. What happened, though, was one of those things that will live long in the memory. Eleven of his first twelve balls were faced by A Godfrey who took on a number of hostile deliveries, most of which missed the protective equipment she was wearing, but she didn't flinch, and she didn't surrender. I set her the job of seeing off the openers. And she did. 

Unfortunately, she received scant support from the other end, as wickets fell to good, straight bowling. J Scotchbrook dazzled briefly before top edging, and when A Godfrey finally fell, it seemed that we would struggle to make 50; indeed, at one stage, we were 48 for 7. Therefore, we were indebted to S Gibson, who played some glorious shots on his way to a run-a-ball 33. He was ably supported in his endeavours by T Stalder and I Woolfrey. In the end, we saw out the 20 overs, scoring 84 for 9. 

An early wicket for J Scotchbrook notwithstanding, Bloxham were cruising towards the total. O Perkins restored some control with an impressive four over spell, but things looked forlorn. But then, up stepped S Gibson to produce splendid figures of 3-17 from his four overs of leg spin. 

Our total was always going to prove tough to defend, but the fact we took Bloxham to the 17th over reflected a really spirited showing in the field. 

U15A vs Bloxham 

Shiplake won toss and batted but didn’t really recover from the stranglehold of some tight bowling exerted. Despite the middle order hitting some lusty blows, and captain J Andrews top scoring, all were out for 74. In the field, highlights were the accuracy of J Andrews and J Ellison’s cool head. Two Shiplake bowlers were carrying injuries so the team are hopeful their next game will bring better luck. Bloxham won by 8 wickets. 

U14A vs Bloxham 

The long trip to Bloxham was worth it just to watch the outstanding opening partnership of A Gern-Goss and L Waldegrave. A wonderfully worked 41 from the former showed patience and maturity, supported by what I suspect will be the performance of the year with the bat, a beautiful L Waldegrave 112 in which he sent the 23rd over for 30 runs (three fours and three sixes). Helped along by some extras, a target of 185 in 25 overs was set with no fall of wicket. 

Bloxham came to the crease with both sides knowing there was potential for a real match if the home sides batsmen could get it right. L Moss decided that he wasn’t about to let that happen, taking down two batsmen in the opening three overs to make it 14 for 2. After that, things got a little expensive as the Bloxham batters settled. 77-3 at the 11th. 101-4 at the 14th. 159-5 at the 21st after bringing L Moss back to settle the scoring down.  

A tight game, but the extras kept rolling in for the Shiplake bowlers and ultimately this proved costly. 15 wides and 8 no balls showed a lack of consistency with the ball in hand. This all led to Bloxham chasing the total with give balls to spare. A great game, but the boys come away with a better understanding of what bowling a quality over has to look like against a decent side. 

Rowing 

At the Munich Regatta, we were delighted to have three pupils competing for Team GB. Well done to Amelia Westbrook who won Gold in the pair and the coxless four, and to Isaac Dean and Ed Galer who both won Silver in the coxless 4 and Gold in the eight. 

Closer to home, we had crews competing at the Marlow Spring Regatta and Wallingford Regatta. At Marlow, our J14 A 8x and J14 4x both won their events, the J16 4x and J16 4+ won their event, and the J15 4x came 2nd in their final. Well done in particular to the winning crews as it was their first win in a rowing race. 

At Wallingford, the J18 coxless four won their event, the J18 girls’ 8+ came third, the J18 girls’ coxless four came third, and the J16 4+ came 5th. 

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