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Cummings family revel in Airey Cup generation game

31 Aug 2023

HORSPATH 3rd's stunning triumph in the Airey Cup final was also notable for four generations of the Cummings family having now tasted success in the competition.
Josh Cummings was in the starting XI which posted a resounding eight-wicket win over Banbury 3rd at Didcot's Boundary Park on Bank Holiday Monday.
His dad, Andy, may have been limited to a cameo fielding appearance as 12th man after injuring a finger on his bowling hand in the semi-final victory over Oxenford, which ended his season, but as part of the squad was happy to be an Airey Cup winner.
The father-and-son combination were adding to a proud family tradition with Andy's dad and Josh's grandfather, David, a member of the Horspath sides, which won the Oxfordshire Cricket Association trophy on more than one occasion in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
However, the family's Airey Cup connection stretches back even further to the earliest years of the OCA competition in the 1890s.
For that was when David's grandfather, William Kimber - Andy's great grandfather and Josh's great-great grandfather - won the historic trophy with Victoria.
They triumphed in 1892 and 1893, beating Oxford City both times, winning on the second occasion by an innings and 113 runs when the trophy would have been competed for over more than one day.
The cup is now played for by Cherwell League Tier 3 and 4 sides and Josh, who returned figures of 0-33 after opening the bowling, said: "It is really good as my elders have won it.
"It's good that my dad has finally won it and hopefully there will be many more to come. I really enjoyed today."
After seeing Josh and Andy with the cup, David said: "It makes me realise just how old I am. I'm in my 92nd year. I have William Kimber's bat, which is 100 and something years old now."
Andy added: "It is more Josh than me, but we have now won if for four generations. It seals it for me. He took a good catch and bowled tidily at four an over.
"I said at the start of the season to (captain) Ryan (Hicks) it is a trophy we can win if the players make themselves available. We have and that is what we have done. It is good for third team players.
"Just for me it is like a pinnacle at the end of my career. I had every intention of retiring. This Saturday would have been my last game, but I'm so disappointed over the injury that it's not how I wanted to go out.
"I wanted to go out with staying up and winning the Airey Cup, so I'm thinking one more year if everything is all right.
"I came on for one over which was absolutely perfect for me. Even though it's not the big thing it was in the OCA days with all the trophies it was good, and I'm really pleased for the boys. I just got injured in the semi-final. If it had been my other hand, I would have played through the pain."
Andy was also delighted to see the side included brothers Alfie and Charlie Turner plus Ryan Hicks and Dan Todd, all products of Horspath's youth set-up, which he has played a role in.
"It makes it all worthwhile and to have Alfie and Charlie, who I have coached through the age groups a little bit and the youth system with Ryan Hicks and Dan Todd, to see them coming through it is good for the club," he said.
"They all want to play, and they go out socially. They are a good bunch of lads."
It wasn't just the Cummings's who have turned success in the Airey Cup into a generation game as Hicks was following in his dad Paul's footsteps by winning the competition.
Paul was a member of the Garsington side, which lifted the trophy three years in a row from 1999-2001, and Ryan said: "He told me plenty of times to be fair. He was winding me up all week about it, saying, 'you have got to do it because I have won it three times!"
"That is what I thought about in the morning, so to actually do that and to make him proud meant quite a lot to me.
"I said to the boys how much it meant around the club with people like Max (Eason) and Ginge (Andy Cummings) to have the trophy and how much it meant to me, so it was quality to get it."
It also completed a cup double for the Hicks family after Paul was a member of the Horspath 4th side, which lifted the Steve Dixon Memorial Cup with a ten-wicket win over Bledlow Ridge 2nd at Fringford a week earlier.
Reflecting on his side's triumph, Ryan added: "I was quietly confident. I didn't tell anyone that. I would say that was the best we have fielded all season and we bowled pretty well. They started quite strongly, but I would have backed us to chase 200."
Hicks played a key role with his direct hit run out of opener Tom Bartlett triggering a Banbury collapse before he pitched in with 2-25, while Jason Cardy excelled with 3-12 from his eight overs to ensure the north Oxfordshire side were held to 154-9.
Charlie Turner then took centre stage by smashing seven sixes in his 80 off 38 balls to set Horspath on the way to a spectacular victory at 155-2 with 17 overs to spare.
The captain added: "I saw him do it last Sunday (in the Oxfordshire Under 19 Cup final) and then he took 22 off the first over on Saturday, so I was hoping he hadn't used it all up.
"He is in quality form, and I just said go out and if it comes off you win the game - it's a risk worth taking."