SpecialEffect Allstars FC Take on Oxford United Legends

Our Gav and Charlotte

On 14 April an Oxford Utd Legends football team will be taking on celebrity-strewn SpecialEffect Allstars squad to raise money for Charlotte and SpecialEffect. 

It's going to be a fantastic day. We hope you can join us! Find out more at http://bit.ly/ZXDBjA

I've been told the Tigers' very own star, Robbie Nicholson, will be playing so do come along to support him and the SpecialEffect Allstars.

If you're reading this and don't know what SpecialEffect is, follow this link and see for yourself an example of the fantastic work they do on YouTube at http://bit.ly/ZgePKD

TIGER IN THE SPOTLIGHT: ROBBIE NICHOLSON

Our Robbie

After a long break, the time has come to pick up where I left off and continue paying tribute to the Tigers who joined the Ambush throughout the 2012 cricket season.  And who better to start with than our very own star Tiger, Robbie Nicholson.

Robbie is a fantastic chap. As well as studying hard at university (we hope he's studying hard - he seems to have a great time as well, judging from his FB pictures!) he's a superb golfer, footballer and cricketer. And he's a SpecialEffect Ambassador. We love having him in the Ambush and we're proud he's taken our charity to his heart.

Robbie's appetite for cricket seems to be endless. He captains Combe 1st XI on Saturdays and was one of just two ever-presents in the Ambush through last season. Thanks Robbie.

So let's take a look at this extraordinary young Tigers' 2012 season ...

Well, Robbie's Tigers career didn't get off to a great start with the bat as he managed to get himself out without scoring against Witney Rugby Club at Carterton in May. Having got that one out of this system, he went on to terrify and destroy opposition bowling figures through the rest of the season. Clocking up 27 fours and 22 sixes across the next five innings' he finished his Tigers' season with an unbelievable average of 97.33.

Robbie on his way to 70 against London Badgers

But that was only half the story.

Robbie is also a quick, aggressive and accurate bowler as his final bowling figures of 19-1-57-5 clearly demonstrate. Before you reach for your calculators, that's an economy rate of 3.00 and an average of 11.40 per wicket.

While Robbie's 73 not out against Southfield Superstars was undoubtedly his best innings of the season, the 8-0-17-4 with the ball against London Badgers was the crowning glory of his 2012 Tigers' bowling.

 Robbie drives as he heads towards 73 not out against Southfield Superstars

If you're looking at Robbie's 2012 season bowling record and wondering why he didn't bowl against The Dream Team, that's because he volunteered to go wicket-keeper. And guess what? That's right, he managed to get himself two stumpings. Yep, he's a great wicket fielder and four catches and three run outs are proof he's no slouch in the field either.

Robbie, you're a star buddy and we're proud to play alongside you in the Ambush.

Tiger. We salute you! 

SpecialEffect Tigers v Oxfam CC Match Confirmation

 No team photo of Oxfam so here's one of their Stalwarts disguised as a Tiger.

Chris Ellis, we salute you!

Opponents: Oxfam CC
Date: Sunday 4th August 2013
Venue: To Be Confirmed (Almost Charlbury or Combe CC though)

As the two year conflict in Syria continues to rage on, coverage of the people forced to flee their homes seems to be gathering momentum in our media. Over three million people currently in temporary shelter and 8,000 more refugees a day are putting a strain on the aid agencies working out there.
 
One of those aid agencies are our mates at Oxfam. And tonight's match confirmation is the cricketing arm of Oxfam.

 Ben Rainford

Oxfam, SpecialEffect Tigers and founder of The Dream Team CC

That's right, on Sunday 4th August the Oxfam boys are going turn their thoughts (just for a few hours mind) away from the refugee camps of Lebanon and Jordan and towards the green cricket fields of West Oxfordshire where the most hostile behaviour they'll come up against is Robbie Nicholson or Steve Brackley bowling the odd short-pitched ball.

Get Sunday 4th August in your diaries Tigers ... Oxfam gave us a good hiding in 2011 so we want a full Ambush for this one.
 
































 

SpecialEffect Tigers v Stuffed Beavers Match Confirmation

Monsieur's 'Morto' Morton (gauche) et Nige Gurney (sur la droit)

Yes, we're on for a Bastille Day showdown as our mate Nige' Gurney, skipper of the Stuffed Beavers, has confirmed this years' fixture against the Tigers as 14th July.

The match is likely to take the form of two 20/20 fixtures. One before tea, the other after. We'll firm that format up nearer the time.

So, if you fancy celebrating not being French on France's most celebrated day (uh?) come and have a game of something quintessentially English. 

And no, the format definitely won't be French cricket.

Match Against Witney RFC Confirmed

Witney RFC celebrate a 2012 win by ... what are you doing Simon?

Right Tigers, I've been chatting to our mate Robbie Mills and we've got our first weeknight fixture since 2010 against Witney RFC on 21st June. Its a T20 fixture and we're aiming to get the West Witney CC ground for this one seeing as its Friday night and we can have a pint or two afterwards. 

I know I said I'd not arrange weeknight fixtures again but Witney RFC have requested a Friday night game and considering how they stepped in last season when one of our opposition withdrew, I reckon we owe them a favour.

Anyone who played against Witney RFC will know what a good bunch of lads they are. You'll also know from our two defeats last season that we'll be in for a tough old game.

Get it in your diaries Tigers. Friday 21st June at West Witney CC (tbc).

MATCH AGAINST BADGERS CONFIRMED

 
The Tigers annual fixture against our mates, London Badgers, has been confirmed for Sunday 12th May 2013. I'll confirm which ground the match will be played at as soon as I find out.

We've always had great games against the Badgers, not least the 2012 match, memorable for the batting performances of Tigers' Robbie Nicholson and Badgers' Ash Hubbard. 

Get it in your diaries Tigers. Warmer days are ahead of us ... aren't they???

JULIE FLOYD

Julie Floyd

20th April 1968 - 26th December 2012

It probably hasn't escaped your notice that the SpecialEffect Tigers blog hasn't been updated for a couple of months.

This is due to the fact that my beautiful wife, Julie, died suddenly and unexpectedly on 26th December 2012. To be honest, its been as much as I can do just to try and keep going with the things I have to do, let alone update the blog. 

But here we are again, so lets start by taking a few moments to pay tribute to a wonderful wife and a huge fan of SpecialEffect.

Jools was never a fan of cricket. They didn't play it a lot in Kilmarnock where she grew up. And if anyone did, they probably didn't play it twice. No, Jools always referred to cricket as 'posh rounders' and would constantly pull my leg about scoring a chicken (as opposed to my usual score, a duck).

But she did encourage me to play and loved the fact that I took on responsibility for running the SpecialEffect Tigers Cricket Club. And if you wondered who made the tea for Tigers' games outside of Charlbury, that was my Jools.

I'm not going to go into anything more personal here but I give thanks for the twenty-four years I had with Jools and I know any of you Tigers who knew her will miss her in your own way too.