Frogs frustrate at the death

Old Cranleighans 219 (Bugge 50, Watkinson 44, Ashton 36) drew with Frogs 159 for 9 (Watkinson 5-31, Preece 2-34)
On a hot day on Jubilee, the OCs won the toss and batted - with a mixture of experience and youth in the side it was decided that the experience of Will Howard and Sam Langmead would show the way to go. Five minutes after the start both were back in the pavilion, Howard having survived one ball before missing a straight one and Langmead cleaned up for 3 from 9 balls. At 9 -2 a recovery got under way with a steady if sometimes painstaking partnership forged between club president David Bugge and OC new boy Charlie Clarence –Smith against some tight if not particularly threatening bowling from the Frogs.

Progress was very slow until Tom Crump gave the innings some momentum when Clarence Smith was bowled for 30 (from 58 balls) and took the bowlers on with some classy looking strokes. He too was bowled for 29 (off 34 balls) and at 95 for 4 after 34 overs Watkinson and Bugge decided it was time to shift gears. A stand of 75 in 13 overs switched the balance, some sharp singles rotating the strike with the left hand- right hand partnership disrupting the bowlers’ lines and lengths. Still the job was not done as Bugge feathered one the ball after completing his well deserved and dogged 50 (off 140 balls) and a few balls later Watkinson departed for 44 (off 45 balls) adjudged to have nicked one down the leg side and looking very upset by the umpire’s decision. It was left to Ashton to elevate the score from 170 for 6 to a defendable one and his 36 off 24 balls meant the OCs could have declared, but two wickets in what would have been the final over took the decision out of the captain’s hands. It was a defendable if not impressive score on what has become over the summer less of an easy wicket to bat on.

New boys Callum Preece and Clarence-Smith were given the new ball and Preece, in particular, bowled with pace and control and was rewarded with a wicket in the first over trapping Rees in front for 0. Clarence Smith got in the act as well with a sharp catch from wicketkeeper Ashton, and a further LBW from Preece meant that the Frogs were teetering at 30 for 3. 'Spin twins' Goudie and Howard (not a spinner and surely there is no one in the world who looks identical) had little luck as the pitch wasn’t turning much but both bowled reasonably tightly. With the unorthodox Aldridge and Peel at the crease the Frogs gained momentum against Jupp’s reverse swing and Watkinson’s now medium pace. However at 63 for 4 Watkinson dismissed Aldridge with a bouncer hooked to short fine-leg and the floodgates opened with Jupp picking up Peel and Watkinson poaching four more in three overs to reduce the Frogs to 97 for9 in the 31st over.

That appeared to be that but 27 overs later the unlikeliest of draws had unravelled with the Marshall father and son combination battling for a well earned draw. Th3e younger Marshall gave a couple of hard chances and one easy one on his way to 15 not out of 86 balls while father Marshall completed a chanceless 39 off 80 balls. Many different bowling permutations were tried but with the wicket slow and lifeless assured Marshalls weathered the storm and the OCCCs were left to wonder how this one got away as a frustrating hour and a half unfolded that left the OCs deflated and the Frogs elated.

The wrong trousers

Harrow Wanderers 135 lost to Old Cranleighans 136 for 4 by six wickets
A Harrow side, young, keen but soaking wet behind the ears provided no trouble for an OC side captained by Rick Johnson in what was a significant mismatch. From the moment that it became apparent that the opposition had about six pairs of white trousers between the ten of them, it was obvious that OCs should bat if they won the toss. Johnson, who had negotiated first the later start and then a 40-over-per-side game so that he could get away for dinner, fielded.


Chaos struck with the first ball where the Harrow opener inexplicably called through his partner for a suicidal single when the ball had gone straight to Rob Merry at midwicket. 0-1 with the captain and probably best bat back in the hutch. Number 3 came out with a mongoose bat and some lofty aspirations. James Bennet dropped him first ball off Ed Henderson in the gully and buried his face in the ground as he was reminded of his eagerness to field in that position. Merry then dropped the same batsman before Johnson decided against making any attempt to go for an eminently catchable chance as the batsman hit his way to a lusty fifty and, for the sake of the game, it was lucky he did.

Henderson picked up a couple of cheap wickets before the Houston brothers got into the act. Ian, bowling with a round arm and plenty of variation, bamboozled all of the Harrow men.

Bowled out for 135, Michael Chetwode and Henry Watkinson, neither of whom bowled on account of their being permitted to opening the batting, set about achieving the target. Well, one of them did. Chetwode departed first ball trying to hit a loopy spinner into Notcutts. Watkinson and Andy Houston then took OC's home with minimal fuss.

Success at cricket week

Old Cranleighans 252 for 8 dec lost to Woodpeckers 253 for 7 by three wickets
After the Woodpeckers, a wandering team whose roots lie the the Fleet Street press but are now based in and around the Alma pub in Wandsworth, stepped in to replace the Eton Ramblers at the last minute, there was just one talking point ... Alan Cope.

At Eds Copleston's wedding the night before, Ed Henderson had received a message from the opposition captain pleading for the OC's to provide one cricketer, one capable of opening the bowling no less. He heard that Cope was keen to play and lined him up. On the morning the of the match Henderson tried hard to persuade one of his less important players, notably Henry Watkinson, to switch sides but without success. Meanwhile the opposition kept in his ear that they needed a good cricketer to make a game of it and that Cope was probably the man.

It didn't look like it was going to be a costly decision as all four times Cope induced an edge from Jumbo Jupp, Morgan Fletcher and Tom Garland, they were put down. Jupp went on to compile a good looking 129 with others chipping in so that the OC's were able to declare at the halfway point.

Elliot Hannah bowled a good new ball spell removing one opener whilst Henderson at the other end had the other opener dropped at point and he went on to make 50. Cope entered the fray at 4 and set about putting together a fine 91 including a six into the pavilion of Henderson. A difficult chance was dropped by Starling which, had it been taken, would have changed the outcome of the match as a late flurry of wickets revealing a weak tail showed. In the end, Cope had done enough and the Woodpeckers scraped home with an over to spare and Henderson learnt a lesson he will not be allowed to forget.

Old Milfieldians 120 all out lost to Old Cranleighans 121 for 6
A relatively weak OM side was bowled out in a clinical performace on a scorching day by a typically miserly 4-22 from Mike Chetwode and a clever display of leg spin from Seren Waters (5-25). There were a few scares in the reply as the experienced top order of Brown, Colgate, Watkinson, Copleston S and Worthy mustered little between them against some good bowling. Fortunately with Matt Crump (27*) and Waters (38*)still to come at 7 and 8 there was little chance of a genuine upset and they saw us home.

Old Georgians 122 lost to Old Cranleighans by 5 wkts
Report to follow once we have the full scorecard.

Grasshoppers 262 for 4 dec lost to Old Cranleighans 264 for 6 by four wickets
This was an extraordinary match and must rank as one of the great OC wins in recent years made even more impressive by the inexperienced side and the match winning contributions of debutants and recent leavers.

The Grasshoppers batted for an antisocial 65 overs and in the course of that innings, their Australian number 3 was dropped by Jock Vickers in the 30's. Whether the statement was volunteered by Jock or if the words were shoved into his mouth, an arrangement was made on the pitch that Jock would stump up £1 for every run the Aussie went on to make from there. He ended on 152* leaving Jock with a debt of £120 to the Tim Evans trust. On appeal, after the game this was reduced to £60 taking into consideration the mitigating circumstances that a) Jock is no Jony Rhodes and b) he needs to start saving to look after his forthcoming baby.

To make the events all the more unusual, Mike Chetwode, who has been showing considerable prowess in the catering department alongside Louise, bowled 21 overs without taking a wicket. Debutant Alex Szepietowski bowled nicely and grabbed a couple.

At 22-2 after Vickers and Damien Hill and been and gone, we seemed to be facing an uphill battle especially as we would only get 47 overs back. However, Rob Merry, in the form of his life hit 62 but it was numbers 7 and 8, Morgan Fletcher (73*) and Alex Szepietowski (61*) who turned the game on its head with outstanding, mature knocks to win a great game.

Old Carthusians 202 all out lost to Old Cranleighans 207 for 5 by five wickets
A slow wicket at Charterhouse called for bowlers of the ilk of Mark Ealham, Scott Styris and Chris Harris to bowl full and straight and the OC's found that in Andy Houston (3-21) and Rob Jones (2-23) whilst at the other end, Pullborough left arm spinner Struan Cameron (3-37) bowled beautifully. Cameron could have had 7 wickets were it not for missed catches and stumpings but he carried on plugging away and understood that he needed to take the fielders out of the equation.

In reply, Max Barson was bowled first ball and quickly follwed by Vickers (who had earlier caught a catch) and Will Langmead who hit one to mid on. At the other end Gates was batting stylishly and the onlookers began to wonder if we were going to see the kind of match winning innings from him that he has promised since 2002. He got us a good way there but ran himself out on 49 going for his glorious 50th. Cope (36) was going well at the other end making up for a wayward spell with the ball, until he was stumped off the only ball that the Charterhouse spinner 'had spun all year'.

Charlie Clarence-Smith (62*) then took up the attack batting powerfully and selectively, assisted by the calm Rob Jones (43*) to win us the game in a composed all round performance.