Capello ruins a day out in East Horsley

East Horsley 238 for 6 beat Old Cranleighans 237 for 7 (Howard 74, Shapland 50, Hume 44, Chetwode 38) by one run

The annual match against East Horsley was all rather peculiar. What should have been a sleepy afternoon’s cricket in glorious late-June sunshine turned out to be a disjointed limited-over slog. Like much this weekend, it was all Fabio Capello’s fault.

Had his overpaid fools been even half good then England would have been knocked out of the World Cup 24 hours earlier and nobody would have cared less about the Germans playing the USA. As it was, East Horsley only managed to raise an XI with assurances the cricket would halt for the football. This, and the consequential need to play a 30-over match, we found out on arrival. Mike Chetwode and Steve Isaac had their first minor fit of the day, not being particularly into either football or limited-overs cricket.

Chetwode takes up the story. “After getting over the shock, Johnny Gates won the toss (I've no idea who won the toss but let's blame him) and elected to field first on the hottest day of the year. Chetwode and Isaac had another fit. Eight overs later, our opening attack with a combined age of 92 retired having kept the young guns of East Horsley down to something approaching nine an over. Ed Henderson and Ru Hume then took up the attack and kept the rate reasonably in check at the same time as picking up regular wickets (two each, I believe). Gates finally bought himself on and managed to drop his usual dolly. This time it was off his own bowling. A final total of 238 off thirty overs left us with quite a lot to do.”

Despite the eagerness to watch the World Cup, Chetwode had won a minor victory. “I told Gates (and anyone else within earshot) that once we'd started, we weren't going to stop until we'd bowled the thirty overs so, 1:30 to about 3:30 then back out at about 4:20 (after a couple of Jerries had sunk the good ship I suggested there wasn't much point in watching anymore and I wanted to get back to watch Top Gear).”

In 1995 we had made a similar arrangement to allow us to watch the Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and Jonah Lomu. Another one-sided affair, and another mutually agreed earlier return to cricket as interest in events in South Africa dissipated.


“Five goals later (should have been six, apparently) and we headed back out with about 20 minutes of the poofball to go. Nathan Ross, in his farewell appearance before returning to Australia, didn't last long but Hume and Mark Shapland pushed the scoring along. Hume was caught behind trying to smote another boundary but Shapland and Will Howard upped the scoring rate.

“Howard went to a very good fifty and fours and sixes were interspersed with conversation about Shappers' sex life. The umpire wanted to know more. Enough said here, though. Shapland got to a maiden OC fifty playing very straight and then ran out of steam. Once Howard, Shapland and Rob Merry (another one off to Australia within the week) went in quick succession, we needed fifty odd off four overs. Merry T was starting to open his shoulders and, along with Chetwode got the target down to ten off the last over. A six off the second ball got the target down to four off four but Chetwode was bowled trying to hit the winning boundary. Three were needed for a win off the last ball, and Tom Merry was run out going for the second which gave East Horsley a win by one run.

“A very good day only spoilt by some of the young oppo believing that England had a hope of beating Germany and wanting to watch. That'll teach them!”

Rick Johnson elected to Hall of Fame

Rick Johnson has been elected to the OCCC Hall of Fame in recognition of his huge contribution to the club. He becomes the 11th inductee.

“The Hall of Fame is a good idea and I am flattered to have been elected,” the stout Johnson said. “I hope I can continue to offer something back to OCCC as it has given me more pleasure than Melissa.”

“Rick has been instrumental in taking the club to a new level, starting with the first tour to Antigua in 1997,” said Martin Williamson. “His sheer energy and enthusiasm is infectious, if on occasion utterly misguided, and he is much of the reason the OCCC is regarded with envy by almost all old boys’ sides.”

After a chequered career at Cranleigh both on and off the pitch, Johnson made his OCCC debut in 1991 and in 89 matches has scored more than 2000 runs at 34, including two hundreds. Had he actually enjoyed playing cricket his record would have been far better. His batting style remains uncompromising, relying on a good eye and the absence of a third man, and on his day he can be entertaining to watch.

For a time he also kept wicket before physical difficulties (he couldn’t bend down) forced him to re-evaluate his role.

But his real contribution has been off the pitch – somewhere he much prefers to be rather than actually playing – where he has been the lynchpin behind many OC tours, was the driving force of the Jubilee pavilion refurbishment, and has orchestrated more loss-making BBQs than any man in history.

In more recent years he had a spell as a Cranleigh governor and is currently involved in a number of ambitious projects. In his free time he has taken over Cranleigh CC and still finds time to occasionally fly for BA.

Cope and Waters make history

A little piece of Cranleigh history will be made on Friday June 25 when two Old Cranleighans - Alan Cope and Seren Waters - line up against each other for Loughborough University and Durham University respectively in the MCC Universities Championship final at Lord’s.

Both captained Cranleigh School 1st XI and have scored hundreds for the OCCC. Alan, in his final year at Loughborough, is the current captain of his university side. Durham topped the table with 83 points, remaining unbeaten in their five matches, while Loughborough pipped Leeds/Bradford to come second, 30 points behind, thus qualifying for the final.

Hammered to defeat at Headley

Old Cranleighans 241 for 6 dec (Ross 112*, Langmead 72) lost to Headley 245 for 1 (M Pickering 124*, Paver 83*) by nine wickets
Click here for match photos



One of our heaviest defeats in many years came in the usually gentle match at Headley. We brought down a young veterans side, mainly made up of occasional cricketers, and were completely outplayed by a young Headley team who were bolstered by Ashtead’s overseas pro, a dour Australian who had smacked an unbeaten 91 against Weybridge the day before. A good batsman without doubt, but hardly of the general standard of this fixture. In fairness, we have been overly strong in years gone by, so what goes around comes around.

That the match made it into the last hour – just – was thanks to Nathan Ross, our own tame Australian playing his penultimate match before heading back home after a seven-year flying visit. Almost alone he helped us to 131 for 5 – the next highest contribution was 17 from Johnny Gates – before he found a partner in Sam Langmead. Langers might resemble Justin Lee Collins since he returned from rowing the Atlantic with a beard and flowing locks, but his innings was a delight. He made 72 off 39 balls with eight sixes (his 50 coming off 30 balls) and almost overshadowed Ross’s maiden OC hundred which came in 131 minutes off 140 deliveries. The pair added 103 in 45 minutes and Henry Watkinson declared with us on 241 for 6.

To say Headley made light of the chase would be understating events by some margin. Pickering senior and junior got them off to a brisk start, but when the older opener drove over the top of a Gates’ floater the carnage started.

Watkinson immediately decided to bring himself on to show we meant business. Mitch Pickering plays a very simple game very effectively, with a very small repertoire of shots he plays with violence. In five balls he heaved Watkinson into the Surrey countryside four times, scoring 28 in all, and leaving the OC legend muttering about what he would have done to the batsman “if I was ten years younger”.

Viv Paver – the aforementioned Aussie - then joined in the slaughter as a succession of bowlers were treated with equal contempt. Gates maintained his reputation of not having the safest hands in the deep of a couple of tough chances, but even had he proved the form-book wrong it would only have delayed the inevitable. Pickering reached what we were told was a deserved maiden hundred as the match only just made it into the last 20 overs.

Despite the mauling it was a lovely sunny afternoon and few would have wanted to be elsewhere, other perhaps than David Bugge who arrived late after being stuck in traffic for two hours and then had to retire hurt soon after he started batting after tweaking a muscle. It was good to see a few OCs of various vintages pop down to offer advice from the boundary.

World Cup forces changes to Eton match

The match against Eton Ramblers on Sunday, July 11 will start an hour early at 10.30am to allow those interested in Spain and Brazil to watch the World Cup final which starts at 7.30pm. In another sign of falling standards the match will be a 45-over contest.

Tristan Rosenfeldt, the fixtures secretary, said: “Eton requested this as they have had problems raising a side when the fixture coincided with the Wimbledon fixture [the idiot means Wimbledon tennis], and it was agreed with Eds that this may be a problem for us when putting together a side, particularly if (and fingers crossed) England get to the final.”

Old Etonians have strong football links, having been in eight FA Cup finals, winning the competition twice. In 1882 they were the last truly amateur side to win the Cup, and in 1879 three of the England side which beat Wales were OEs.

The move to tinker with the timings is not without precedent. In 1995 the afternoon game at Headley started a hour early and the mid-innings break was agreed so it would allow both teams to watch the Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and New Zealand during the break. However, England were so outclassed that at half-time both teams agreed to head back out and resume the cricket rather than sit through the second half.

Another Cricketer Cup defeat by Malvernians

Old Malvernians 160 (Webb 5-25) beat Old Cranleighans 66 for 6 (T Crump 17*) by 13 runs (revised target)

Our Cricketer Cup campaign ended at the first hurdle away from home, going down to Malvern, the side who beat us the 2008 final, in a rain-affected tie. For the second year running, we had the bad luck to be drawn against one of the favourites in the early stages.

After a three-hour hike across the Midlands, Abeed Janmohamed, appointed captain after Eds Copleston was deported to the USA, lost the toss and for the first hour and a half we struggled, with Mark Hardinges’ county experience to the fore as his 60 steered Malvern to 102 for 3.

The innings was then turned on its head by 49-year-old Graham Webb who took 5 for 25 in his 10 overs, showing what a class act he remains. With Seren Waters (2 for 30) chipping in with his legspin, the value of quality spin was again underlined. Malvern struggled to 160, a very gettable score.

As the day went on the conditions grew more overcast, confirming what a good toss it was to win. To their credit, Malvern’s bowlers exploited increasing swing and Hardinges found a nagging line just back of a length.

We were almost immediately in trouble as we lost Matt Crump and Seren Waters, bowled off his thigh pad, to slide to 3 for 2. We were always struggling – Will Howard, who had kept excellently and pulled off three stumpings, was stupidly run-out for 12, Alan Cope made 9 and then Janmohamed again failed on the big occasion with 0.

By this time it was clear the forecast rain was going to hit, and despite the tumbling wickets we remained in the hunt with Tom Crump (17*) steadying the innings. But at 5pm with us on 66 for 6 in the 27th over the umpires took the players off, and by 6.15pm it was clear we weren’t going to get back on by the 6.30 cut-off.

Cricketer Cup side announced

After much deliberation we have settled on the following XI to represent the Old Cranleighans in Round One of the Cricketer Cup v Old Malvernians on Sunday June 13 away at Malvern

Venue: Malvern College
Start Time: 1130
Meet: 1030 latest

Abeed Janmohamed – Captain
Will Howard – Wicketkeeper
Seren Waters
Matthew Crump
James Halton
Alan Cope
Tom Crump
Max Barson
Elliott Hannah
Henry Watkinson
Graham Webb

Scorer – Heather Dean

According to the Malvern College website it takes three hours from Cranleigh. Please leave enough time to get there

Directions:
http://www.malcol.net/visiting/

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Address for Sat Nav: Malvern College College Road Malvern Worcestershire WR14 3DF

OCs complete gruelling memorial ride

Rob Merry reports on how he and nine other friends climbed the peaks of Scafell Pike, Snowdon and Pen y Fan, as well as cycling between them, in memory of their close friend Tom Wheeler who sadly passed away in 2005 aged 22.

Click here for the full story