Watkinson scoops cricket week awards

Batsman of the week Close run thing with no hundred but four nineties. Simon Copleston edged the award courtesy of the pleasure he gave on the first Saturday when he ran himself out on 99. He also hit a six on the Wednesday in a rare attacking innings and made another ninety on the Friday.

Bowler of the week The evergreen Michael Chetwode took wickets at vital times and even unleashed his full run-up for the first time since McDermott was handsome. His workload was eased by good spells from several bowlers young enough to be his sons – Lewis Clarke, Dom Lewis, Alex Craven and Tim Payne to name four. Jock Vickers late burst with genuine turn - bowling Chinamen - wasn’t witnessed by enough people to be eligible.

Innings of the week Chetwode again for his eight-ball 17* at Charterhouse. Came in with 17 needed and the last pair at the wicket and hit 4,6,6 off their hapless left-armer. “I'd have gone on to 100 if I had the time,” the modest one later said.

Shot of the week Peter Hobbs’s hook against Tonbridge in a run chase – he top-edged into the back of his head, was knocked out, and when he finally got to his feet was told that he had been caught via cranium at gulley. Peter Rollings’s remarkable forehand smash for four warrants a mention.

Bowling performance of the week Henry Watkinson’s three-wicket burst to effectively end the match against Suttonians wins this, but his brother Sam’s two balls which “pinned” Richard Seeckts up there for amusement value.

Catch of the week: Alex Craven’s slip catch against Suttonians and Lewis Clark’s running overbalanced effort at Charterhouse up there. But joint winners are Graeme Brown’s excellent diving catch against Suttonians and Steve Bailey’s one-handed snatch at first slip against Celeriacs – the latter resulted in the batsman taking a full minute to leave the pitch as he couldn’t believe “that little round bloke” had caught it.

Drop of the week And there were plenty to chose from. But for crowd-pleasing amusement, Henry’s spill against Grasshoppers wins. The ball before he had lambasted Michael Chase for dropping a skyer. The batsman repeated the shot, the ball went high towards Watkinson standing in the deep 20 yards from Chase … and there was a glorious inevitability as Watkinson and ball hit turf at the same time. Bailey wins the most-drops prize.

Angry Man of the Week Again, as always with the OCCC, plenty of candidates. Chetwode demanded that an umpire be removed after he had the temerity to turn down an lbw shout (the same umpire had ask Chetters how to signal a leg bye the over before); Chase snarled at Watkinson, Watkinson back at Chase with increasing feeling on the Monday; but the award goes to a newcomer, Harry Jupp, who showed he has what it takes with a prolonged rant (lasting a few days) after (incorrectly) being given lbw by Chetwode on the Monday.

Spectator of the Week Close contest between Philip Angel, Viv Cox and Rick Johnson. Whereas Cox was a good cricketer for the OC’s before the war, and Angel supplies beer, and a moving target for big-hitting batsman, Johnson was just useless, even by his standards. He took seven days off work and he never actually made it onto the field. Slept through two games. When he was awake he phutted round on his motorbike, knocked it over, and it sustained £500 worth of damage with 15 miles on the clock.

Vodafone Technology Award Watkinson again. On the first Saturday he rang the umpire’s mobile from the pavilion balcony and instructed the official to tell opening batsman Simon Copleston to get a move on or get out.

Rick Johnson: can anyone explain the point?
Mid-Life Crisis Award Tough competition. Simon Copleston for his purchase of the kind of car your father would drive and think cool – a “babe magnet” according to SCGC? Johnson for his Ducatti nightmare, not only buying it, but breaking it, and being too scared to go over 50mph even when it was working? Copleston by a short nose.

Wreck of the week Hobbs. Lifetime holder. Was a shambling has-been after one match, his KO against Tonbridge provoked widespread mirth, and his inability to drive his mid-life crisis sportscar in a straight line caused certain embarrassment.

Honorable Mentions Eds Copleston for parading a pet rabbit called Playboy during the Brewers Cup match (“It’s named after me”). Henry Watkinson for upsetting the first scorer the club has had in 20 years by sending her off to score on the Lowers. Gareth Starling for dumping a girl on the Thursday night only to re-pull her 24 hours later.

Week ends on a winning note

Despite gloomy weather forecasts and the late cry-off of Eton (for the second year running) the 2004 week was a great success, and particularly because we fielded more youngsters than ever before. On some days we had as many as six recent leavers, and all appeared to enjoy their first taste of OC cricket.

We started with the first defeat of the season at the hands of Sam Watkinson’s XI, never quite scoring enough runs despite Simon Copleston’s patient 99 – he ran himself out going for his hundred. The match was played in gloomy weather and suffered from three rain breaks. Eton’s cancellation on the Sunday was academic as it turned out as the groundsman decided the pitch was unfit early in the morning.

On the Monday we drew with Grasshoppers, facing 43 overs against the 63 we bowled at them. It was an unsatisfactory match, with Grasshoppers batting too long and OCs never mounting anything resembling a serious challenge. When the next day, on the one truly sunny one of the week, Georgians’ manager and umpire turned up, but not the side, things appeared to be in freefall.

The next morning we trooped down to Kent to play Tonbridge. Sadly while we were doing that, they were on the way to Cranleigh. Thanks to the wonders of mobile technology, the game was hastily rearranged at Cranleigh and we managed to scrape a two-wicket win.

The most dramatic finish of the week came at Charterhouse where we bowled them out for 117, then slumped to 101 for 9 before a four and two sixes in an over from Michael Chetwode guided us to victory.

On the Friday, Simon Copleston was again dismissed in the nineties against Celeriacs – as was Andy Houston in only his second game in as many years – and five-wickets from Chetwode, including the final one with three balls remaining – gave us three wins in three. Sadly, the Oldies failed to maintain the momentum as they slid to a four-wicket defeat by Surrey Cryptics.

The week ended on a high as we crushed Old Suttonians to book a place in the Brewers Cup semi-final, with Will Howard (94) and Abeed Janmohamed (65*) guiding us to 292 for 6 before three early wickets from Henry Watkinson ended match as a contest. On the Lowers, our second side went down to a 44-run defeat at the hands of Radley Rangers.

Full credit should go to Henry Watkinson for superb organisation and the occasional toy-throwing, Bryony Everett for excellent catering, and the young guns led by Gareth Starling and Johnny Gates who injected life (and in some cases volume) into proceedings. To all those who came down to watch and support, thank you. And to the discovery of the Red Lion in Shamley Green (£65 for a double, including excellent breakfast) as an alternative to East House ‘beds’ and accompanying chiming clock, for ensuring that Messrs Williamson, Chetwode and Seeckts will all be back in 12 months – is that a good thing?