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
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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.