Paul's records will fall - Copleston

In February, Simon Copleston brought a (temporary) close on his OCCC career. In 125 matches since 1991 he has scored 3729 runs at 37.29, including five hundreds. Only two people – Nigel Paul and Iain Wilkie – have scored more runs, and both remain in his sights. We asked him to look back on his time with the club.

What was your first memory of OC cricket - can you remember your first game?
The first game of OC cricket that I played was against Esher in 1991. I remember feeling slightly nervous (David Bugge was captaining; he kept moving me around the field as I adopted my usual approach of standing in a slightly different place for every ball). I scored 41 and opened the batting with the great Richard Radbourne. I think we put on a hundred for the first wicket but amusingly I was on 14 when Richard was dismissed in the 90s.

What were your first impressions of the club?
Friendly, amusing and, most importantly, some good cricket. Straight away I was looking forward to the next season.

What has been your favourite innings?
I've got lots of great memories from my OC career, several of them stick in my mind. My first ever century was for the OCs (featured match - v Lancing Rovers in 1992). We chased 300 and won. I enjoyed the 140 against Eton Ramblers last year.

What is your most vivid (non cricketing) memory?
There are so many: Rick's spit roast barbeques. All of the tours generally. It’s been 12 years of fun.

And what was the match that sticks out most in your memory?
Again, there are several: Chasing 300 against Lancing Rovers, the first Brewer's Cup victory, beating the Antigua Under-19s at the Recreation Ground.

Which opponents did you enjoy playing against the most?
Over the years we have always been hosted well at Esher, the OCs have close connections with that club. Also, the games against Fettesian-Lorretonians were enjoyable (especially the fire eater who performed afterwards).

Who is the best OC cricketer you have played with?
Mike Chetwode, by a whisker from Henry Watkinson and Richard Gutteridge. His accuracy as a bowler is superb, accompanied by a good understanding of the game - he is also an excellent captain.

And who is the best player that got away?
It’s a shame that Gutteridge didnt play more.

Who is better - Simon or Eds!
Eds has the talent. I have the commitment and the staying power. So I get it - as the stats clearly show.

The suggestions that you were a slow player bothered you when you were younger. Do they still?
No. I opened the batting; at times I was slow. At times I still am slow. But I think I've also shown some versatility over the years. My hundred against the Frogs (batting at No. 4) was the second fastest hundred ever for the club.

How has the OCCC changed since you started playing?
Obviously the fixture list has changed a bit; perhaps the social side has increased more with the tours. Now there are some good younger players coming through, but the spirit remains the same and (despite Mac's views) I don’t think that the quality of cricket has dropped. You only need to look at our Brewer's Cup performances to see that we have an excellent pool of cricketers.

What do you think the future holds for the OCCC?
I hope that the younger players will come through and take over. Excluding myself, there are some excellent young players coming through, including some quite crazy characters who have the capacity to keep the OCCC healthy strong and fun for many years yet.

Have we seen the last of you … after all, Nigel Paul's record aggregate is still within reach?
Absolutely not. There are 57 cricket clubs in Abu Dhabi and cricket is the most popular sport (will the Middle East be a future OC tour destination?). I will therefore, be able to play cricket for 12 months per year, and when I return annually for cricket week, I will be expecting to score well. Also, as the temperature tops 45 degrees at the height of the summer, I'll be expecting to spend a good part of each summer in England. Paul will go down.