Meaker wins England call-up

In August, Stuart Meaker played two Tests and three ODIs for England Under-19s against Pakistan. In the September issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly, Jenny Thompson spoke to him.

Why he’s special
Originally from Durban, he moved to England aged 12 with his mother and sisters and Cranleigh School immediately offered him a sports scholarship for cricket and rugby, both of which he played at junior provincial level. He is strong at hockey, water polo and athletics, too. But cricket is his major sport and he has come through Surrey and national age groups to be an England Under-19 fast bowler. He also plays for Surrey 2nds. Like another tall, blond Stuart (Broad) he has a good action and is quick (around 80mph) and aggressive. He can swing it both ways and his batting is improving.

England or South Africa?
“It’s a tricky question. My grandparents are sort-of Rhodesian but they’re relatively English. They had their roots there but we were never strongly South African. We were of Dutch origin. I still love my home country but England has become my home.”

Rugby or cricket?
“My main sport was rugby. I could have played for Surrey youth and I played provincial stuff but I wasn’t ever going to compete to be a professional, I’m too small. I stopped growing at 6ft. It’s unfair. But then again the speed comes from the chest and arm; I’m quite a skiddy bowler.”

He bowls like Brett Lee ...
“I wish I could bowl as fast as him. I’m not too far off him looks-wise, anyway.”

... but has also been compared to Allan Donald …
“Really? He’s my hero. Growing up I watched him on TV. I used to love how aggressive he was. I almost used to model my action on his.”

… and there’s similar aggression
“Certainly, if I’m fired up for a game, I’ll try to get stuck into the batsmen, have a few words and unsettle them. If it’s a close game, I’ll get more fired up. I used to have a housemaster who was in the military, Mick Haddock, and his favourite motto was ‘Never give up’. It’s been drummed into me. If people around you are giving their all, that’s what you’ve have to do.”

What he says about himself
I need to work on my action – getting the pace and control together.

What they say about him
Stuart Welch - Cranleigh School coach
“He’s a fantastic prospect and has all the attributes to play first-class cricket. We’ve been working on trying to get him to stand up more and swing it away consistently. He’s raw. At times he just wants to run in and bowl as quick as he can. Batting, he has a talent, he just needs to play against better players. But he’s worked hard to become a No.6 or 7. He doesn’t get flustered, he’s a tough nut. The tactical side lets him down at times but he can learn that. What you can’t teach is bowling 80mph and striking the ball well. He’s as talented as Rikki Clarke, whom I’ve also coached: whether he goes on is down to how much he wants it.”

Mark Butcher - Surrey captain
“He came away on our pre-season tour to India and he impressed everyone with his athleticism and his attitude.”

Rory Hamilton-Brown - England U-19 and Surrey junior team-mate
“His season has gone up and up and up and the England call is richly deserved.”

Home tie against Lancing in 2008 Cricket Cup

The draw for the 2008 Cricket Cup took place at the weekend and we have another home tie, against Lancing Rovers on Sunday, June 15. If we win this we will host the winners of the match between Winchester and Clifton.

We have a long history of matches against Lancing, first playing them in 1926. They were an integral part of the cricket week from the early 1960s though to the mid 1990s, and were traditionally one of our hardest opposition. Our win over them in 1984 on the final day of the week, which completed our nine-our-of-nine whitewash, was out first in more than a decade.

Rosenfeldt's night of shame

Tristan Rosenfeldt’s already precarious bid for the OCCC captaincy was all but ended in 48 hours last week. On Friday, he was forced to cancel a match against Cryptics when he only managed to get seven players … a good achievement when Henry Watkinson had given him eight four days earlier.

But Rosenfeldt’s antics on the Saturday were beyond description. Attending a fairly up-market marquee party, Rosenfeldt, in party mode while on gardening leave, proved when everyone who went to India already knew, that he cannot hold his drink. He started dressed, but before long was topless on the dance floor, inviting any unsuspecting passing female to “have a grab” and insisting “when you’ve had fat, you never go back”.

Things took a turn for the worse when, after an hour or more of this, he bumped into the same person for a third time. For some reason this partygoer took exception to Rosenfeldt’s incoherence and thumped him and the big man went down like Frank Bruno. He recovered, but by now things were heating up. He aimed a retaliatory swing, missed, and his attacker did likewise and also missed … but, unfortunately, connected with the jaw of a passing girl.

Suffice to say a melee ensued and the brawling heap, for by this stage Rosenfeldt’s friends had waded in, were all ejected, but not before Rosenfeldt completed his evening of shame by throwing up on the host’s lawn.

McGregor leads us to Cricket World Trophy victory

Five cup finals in six seasons is impressive, and our excellent record extended to four victories with a convincing nine-wicket win over Old Grovians, the holders, on Jubilee. To three Brewers Cup victories we can now add one in the Cricket World Trophy. Chasing 193 to win, Ed McGregor smashed an unbeaten 114, adding 160 for the second wicket with Matt Crump as we romped home with 13 overs to spare.

Click here for the full match report