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.