Cricketer Cup over early for another year

OCCC 134 (Crump T 50) lost to St Edwards Martyrs 138 for 6 by four wickets
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Henry Watkinson strikes to reduce the Martyrs to 88 for 6

For the second successive year our Cricketer Cup campaign fell at the first hurdle, and with only one win in the four seasons since we reached the final, our form in the competition is now becoming a worry. On paper the draw away to St Edwards Martyrs was a favourable one as they had managed only three wins in the previous seven years.  But in the end we were always struggling after our frontline batsmen – with the exception of the obdurate Tom Crump – failed to fire and although our bowlers did well to bring us back into contention, we were always 30 or so runs light.

We arrived in Oxford to find we were using a pitch played on the day before as the one intended was not fit.  The result was a slow track which allied to the stodgy outfield meant runs were always going to be at a premium.

We lost the toss and were stuck in.  Had we won it, we would probably have batted anyway, the thinking being the pitch showed every sign it would deteriorate as the day went rather than improve. As it was it remained obdurately consistent.

For the first half hour all seemed well as Tom Crump and Seren Waters put on 31. The conditions required graft but both appeared quite up to the challenge.  But Waters’ dismissal was followed by that of Alan Cope for 3, Matt Crump first ball and Rob Jones for 7.   Of them all, only Crump could claim the bowlers got him out.  From then on we were always struggling.

Tom Crump on his way to his fifty

Tom Crump needed someone to provide a spark while he held down his end, but only Max Barson’s breezy 23 not out looked the part.  Once Abeed Janmohamed would have relished the challenge but he doesn’t play enough cricket these days and he came and went.  Ollie Davis showed enough in his stay to suggest he is a good future prospect.

Crump fell straight after bringing up his fifty – the one poor decision of the day, leg-before when stuck high on the thigh and well enough forward – and we eventually were bowled out for 134 in the final over.

We knew overs were incidental and we had to bowl St Edwards out to win, so a split catch at short extra cover in the first over was a blow.   But Barson, in his most impressive spell for the club, and Paddy Harman struck early to leave them 8 for 2.

What followed was an absorbing two hours where neither side was quite on top, and the balance of the game swayed with each five or ten runs.   Graham Webb had a very rare off day; Seren Waters was a tight as ever but did not really look like taking a wicket; Matt Crump took two wickets but struggled to put successive balls in the same place and benefitted more than most from the umpires’ extraordinarily generous interpretation of the wide regulations; while Henry Watkinson bowled well but was strangely underused.

At 88 for 6 the game was ours for the taking  but in the end our fielding was not quite as sharp at St Edwards had been and our bowling was not as tight.  In our innings it was hard to recall a bad ball or even a slight misfield; the same could not be said for us.  The seventh wicket added 50 – by some way the highest stand of the day – to finally settle the match and after such a tight battle the end came quickly.

We have a generally young side and the potential of bolstering it from those currently performing so well at Cranleigh in the next few years is heartening.  But more than anything we need our more than able batsmen to start producing the goods when it matters.

A lofted drive just evades Matt Crump as the game slips away

A black tie and blacker clouds

Headley 236 for 9 (Rollings 3-35, Knapp 2-55, Chase 2-58) drew with Old Cranleighans 102 for 3 (Chase 36*)
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Tristan Rosenfeldt's back tie day comes to an end

Despite drizzle which brought an early end and consigned a match which was evenly balanced to a draw, the OC Veterans had an enjoyable day out at Headley.

Boosted by two or three younger players - including one who played throughout in a DJ – our pre-match concerns about the weakness of our bowling attack were eased by the evergreen Peter Rollings. His son opens the attack for the School and the trim Rollings senior borrowed his trousers for the day and turned back the clock with a virtuoso display which came to an abrupt end when he pulled up lame after being smacked into the woods. By then he had removed the top three in the Headley order and showed enough pace to cause more than a few hurried strokes

He was replaced by David Knapp in his first outing since 1985 and he proceeded to take two wickets – both bowled – in as many balls. Sadly either side of those pearls there was quite a bit of swill, but he more than made up for that with puppyish fielding in the deep.

Damian Hill – our one fully-firing young gun – had opened with Rollings but failed to take a wicket and was replaced by Mike Chase. Chasey had an eventful day when he finally turned up. His first act was to take a stunning catch at first slip despite the best efforts of a flapping Rob Merry to put him off. His last was an equally impressive running over-the-shoulder catch off Steve Bailey. In between he bowled.

He came on as Mitch Pickering arrived in the middle. Two years ago young Pickering smashed our bowling – mainly Henry Watkinson’s actually – for a 33-ball hundred. His main, almost singular, stroke is a brutally effective smite over midwicket, so armed with this information a plan was hatched for Chase to bowl moonballs outside off stump. Five times the ball went high, five times Pickering swished and missed by a mile. Once Merry whipped off the bails but the ball had such little pace that Pickering had time to fall over and still scramble back. The sixth ball was the killer. A little less flight, the guile of half a century. Pickering limply chipped back to Chase. Who dropped it.

To the undisguised amusement of Pickering's team-mates in the pavilion this battle continued for several overs. Once or twice the ball went AWOL in the woods. When presented with a replacement after a Knapp  beamer had been heaved halfway to Dorking, Chasey told the umpire it was unacceptable and marched into the pavilion before re-emerging with two of his own which were more to his liking. He later – unsuccessfully - tried to gain exemption from his match fee claiming he had provided the spare balls. He did gain two deserved late wickets to keep him smiling.

At the other end Bailey took a wicket with his second ball and finished his first over with 1 for 1. Three balls later, when the declaration came, he had 1 for 12. He also took a skied hit from Pickering which was in the air forever. His desperate call of “yours” only resulted in those OCs within hearing range to move ever so subtly away from him.

Nigel Radbourne took a wicket in his first over, while the welcome return of his brother Richard, who positively thrived on jogging to long leg at both ends, ended with a loud twang from his upper leg which confined him to first slip for the rest of the innings.

Set 237 and with plenty of time to get them, we opened with Hill and Tristan Rosenfeldt. As part of his Twenty Twelve Century of Challenges Headley had kindly agreed to allow Rosenfeldt to play the entire day in his DJ. With rainclouds gathering, he had to open for full comedy effect. He played one or two nice over-the-top strokes before Headley’s opening bowler found his Achilles heel – the fast straight one.

Hill looked rusty, but Merry started breezily before chipping to cover, angry at not only his shot but also because not one person on the opposition had thought to suggest he looked too young to be a veteran. Bailey came and went, bowled while still gasping for air after Hill had lapped him running a three.

Chase strode to the middle as the drizzle started and unleashed a series of cracking drives, encouraging Hill to finally find second gear himself. But the ball started getting greasy and two inadvertent beamers caused the players to head off. The decision proved sensible as within 15 minutes the heavens had opened.

A good day out – as always at Headley – and a pitch which was a real credit to the groundsman given all the rain in the days before. It was also good to see our old friend Richard Pollitt down to support his son – playing for Headley - and his contemporaries. Our best wishes go out to him.

A fine bunch

Youngsters shine as Watkinson opts out

OCCC 302 for 4 (Davies 130, Cross 116*) drew with Grasshoppers 156 for 2


On a rather miserable looking Jubilee with a day of constant light drizzle we did battle with the Grasshoppers. Skipper Matt Crump won a crucial toss given that he only had five players at the due start time – the remainder were gingerly making their way back from Jonny Gates’s wedding - and to everyone’s relief elected to bat. Will Howard as per his usual bizarre behaviour turned up with no kit only his wedding suit from the night before.

We  soon put the rather poor Grasshoppers attack to the sword with the two youngsters Ollie Davies and Ollie Cross striking centuries with ease, Davies clocking up his maiden OC ton before lunch. Davies, the more classical looking player, appeared very assured at the crease while Cross used his strength to muscle the ball to the boundary in what was a very impressive partnership by the youngsters.  We  finally declaring on a mammoth 304 for 3 off 45 overs.

Henry Watkinson and Ru Hume took the new rock, with Watkinson taking the first wicket with one that ‘came back in’ to remove the opener LBW.  He was then dispatch to the boundary by the Grasshopper No. 3 and soon decided that with the light drizzle, Charlotte arriving and the batsman getting on top that his back felt a bit stiff so decided to get in his hairdresser’s car and drive back up to London and leave the rest of the team fielding in the rain. Not what you expect from a former captain.

The Grasshoppers moved onto 156 for 2 before the drizzle got heavier and the players left the field to general relief of everyone.  Other than Henry who was by then back at home having his crumpets and tea.   Matt Crump