Double defeat by the School

Cranleigh School 242 (Allan 76, Cowdrey 40, Austin 46*, Langmead 42, Harman 3-64) beat Old Cranleighans 178 (Cope 51, Davies 4-44) by 64 runs

For the second year running, we fielded a side of recent leavers in this annual game, although the intended captain, Seren Waters, was absent on international duty with Kenya.
This was the final match of the School’s year and, again in a break with tradition which we hope will continue, the start of the OC week.

Duncan Allan, who had been the mainstay of the School’s innings in the T20 game five days earlier, again provided the anchor with 76, although this time he received good support. Paddy Harman was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 64.

Cope, in only his third innings of the summer, got us off to a flier and while he was in full flow the School were on the back foot. But he miscued when on 51 and it with time running out it was generally expected we would shut up shop, as per absentee captain Eds Copleston’s instructions. But something got lost in translation, the batsmen kept hitting out, and we were well beaten with almost ten overs remaining.

Cranleigh School 138 for 9 (Allan 42) beat Old Cranleighans 129 for 6 by nine runs

History was made on Speech Day when we played our first Twenty20 encounter against the School, an experiment that was well received by all concerned and one that is likely to be repeated in the years to come.

Neither side had much experience in the format, most batsmen seeming to believe slogging was the required tactic. Allan provided the backbone of the School’s innings but at a slow run-rate. In the end, however, it was the difference between the sides.