Updated: May 14, 2024 07:51 AM
Jamar Stovel (File photograph)
Jamar Stovel hit the ground running on his league debut for Oxford Cricket Club in England at the weekend.
The Bermudian seamer claimed two for 34 after being brought into the attack as fourth change in his side’s nine-run win over Gerrards Cross Cricket Club in their Home Counties Premier League season opener at Oxford University Press Sports Ground on Saturday.
Stovel exploited a deteriorating track and picked up his first wicket of the season when Ross Fyfe played on before clinging to a return catch from lower-order batter Patrick Smith for his second in a closely fought 50-overs affair.
The 20-year-old, who made his debut in Cup Match for St George’s in 2021, was pleased with the result and his bowling performance, especially charging in from a full run-up for the first time this year.
“It’s always good to start off the season with a win, especially with me performing as well with the ball,” Stovel told The Royal Gazette.
“I was pretty much working on bowling from a full run-up in training on Thursday.
“I hadn’t really tried it in training so I didn’t want to try it in a game, but I tried on Thursday and found my rhythm and just brought it into Saturday and everything clicked and felt smooth. I only had one no-ball as well, so I just felt good.”
Stovel, who plays domestically for Warwick Workmen’s, struggled to find the right length at the beginning of his spell but eventually got into his groove.
“I started off a bit iffy, so my lengths were a bit off, but I started finding my rhythm and ended up taking a couple of wickets,” Stovel said.
“It was definitely favourable conditions and one of the hottest days of the year so far, so it was good conditions to play in.
“The pitch was pretty good. It was mainly a hard deck so after a while it started cracking up a bit, and I was able to get movement off the seam.
“I came in later to bowl so I couldn’t really use much movement in the air. I was just mainly trying to hit my lengths and get movement off the seam because the pitch was a bit cracked.”
Stovel, who also took a catch off the bowling of Julian Laird, helped to dismiss Gerrard’s Cross for 215 in 49.2 overs in reply to Oxford’s 224 for eight after the hosts had won the toss and elected to bat.
Middle-order batter Jack Hobbs was Oxford’s top scorer with 77 from 66 balls, which included 11 fours and a six, while last man Stovel did not bat.
First-change George Tait was the pick of the home side’s bowling with three for 51 while Dylan Swanepoel (two for 31) and Laird (two for 47) also claimed two wickets each in the visitors’ innings.
Stovel, a student at Oxford Brookes University, joined Oxford CC from Home Counties Premier League rivals Oxford Downs CC during the off-season.