Chetwode, Hogs and a missing Field
OCCC 244 for 6 (Crump M 142) beat Hampshire Hogs 154 (Chetwode 7-51) by 90 runs
Ed Henderson
There can't have been many more extraordinary matches in OC
cricketing history. Things are never straight forward at the Hampshire Hogs.
The whole experience always tends to be a bit eccentric. However this time the
oddities were all on the pitch. If last year's 270-run chase was something to
behold, this OC victory was even more unlikely.
The pitch was harder than could have been expected given the weather which gave captain Henderson the excuse he needed to bat when he won the toss. No captain should win the toss and field at the Hogs and expect to bowl fewer than 65 overs.
At 11.24am the captain wasn't concerned that he had just seven men. It's a minor concern when batting first. Even at 11.45am when we had nine men and Jumbo Jupp was returning to the pavilion having been comprehensively run out by Gates, we were sure that the 10th man, Rory Field, who was due to bring a cricket playing friend would pitch up. However, let not the saga of Rory Field allow us to gloss over the calamitous start that Gates gave us. Having hit one close to the middle of the bat he clearly felt entitled to a run and duly proceeded to sell Jupp down the river as the point fielder collected the ball that had arrived at a comfortable pace into his hand and tossed it to the wicketkeeper to complete the fomalities. In the words of the younger members of the team, Jumbo had been 'barbecued'.
The pitch was slow and made scoring not overly straightforward but not difficult either against an average attack. Spreadsheet Merry, Gates and Will Langmead all played a nice shot or two but none could get much past 10. At 40 for 3, still with nine men, the captain made his 32nd call to Rory Field's phone and again there was no answer. On the pitch Matt Crump was at least going nicely and was searching for someone to stay with him. That man wasn't Vickers - far more interested in telling the fielders how he had been sick in a layby en route, such a big session he'd had the night before – Vickers swung and missed one. Neither was the man to stick around Jay Harman who was bowled shortly thereafter.
Henderson joined Crump at 94 for 6 with just Chetwode in the hutch. Every car that pulled in to the car park gave the away side that Field and his friend would arrive to lengthen the batting line up even if it looked at that stage it would just delay the inevitable. At lunch the two were still there with the score 130 for 6. At 3.40pm the pair were still together and Henderson found himself in the improbable position of needing to declare. Crump (142) played a masterful innings mixing patience with quality attacking strokes. He and Henderson (40*) both benefited from some poor catching but they won the cat and mouse battle against defensive fields and slow but straight bowling. The 7th wicket partnership of 150 put the OC's back in the game although, at the changeover, there was still no Rory Field.
The Hogs kindly lent us a fielder (because our Fielder hadn't showed up) and no doubt wished they hadn't when a lad called Humphrey ('Rory Field' to us) caught one of his own men at point off a rank Henderson long hop. Having bowler two prior beamers, Henderson was lucky to still be permitted to bowl. Chetwode meanwhile was bowling exactly as one needed to on that wicket and began taking wickets at regular intervals. The most memorable was a fierce bottom edge from the batsman which cannonned into Merry's shoe and popped up to a surprised and somewhat sheepish Vickers at slip. Merry, sensing that the umpires may have been confused about what had happened, hit the deck clutching his foot and wailing in agony - it was enough to make up the umpires' minds.
At tea there was still no Rory Field but with the Hogs 50 for 3, the OC's sniffed an opportunity. After the break Chetwode simply did what he does and chipped away to end with 7 for 51 of 17 overs. Saqlain Crump at the other end grabbed a couple of wickets to cap his display. The Hogs, all out for 154, will have found some consolation in their £275 match fee (not ideal between nine men).
If anyone sees Rory Field please direct him to Hampshire Hoggs CC, Warnford.
The pitch was harder than could have been expected given the weather which gave captain Henderson the excuse he needed to bat when he won the toss. No captain should win the toss and field at the Hogs and expect to bowl fewer than 65 overs.
At 11.24am the captain wasn't concerned that he had just seven men. It's a minor concern when batting first. Even at 11.45am when we had nine men and Jumbo Jupp was returning to the pavilion having been comprehensively run out by Gates, we were sure that the 10th man, Rory Field, who was due to bring a cricket playing friend would pitch up. However, let not the saga of Rory Field allow us to gloss over the calamitous start that Gates gave us. Having hit one close to the middle of the bat he clearly felt entitled to a run and duly proceeded to sell Jupp down the river as the point fielder collected the ball that had arrived at a comfortable pace into his hand and tossed it to the wicketkeeper to complete the fomalities. In the words of the younger members of the team, Jumbo had been 'barbecued'.
The pitch was slow and made scoring not overly straightforward but not difficult either against an average attack. Spreadsheet Merry, Gates and Will Langmead all played a nice shot or two but none could get much past 10. At 40 for 3, still with nine men, the captain made his 32nd call to Rory Field's phone and again there was no answer. On the pitch Matt Crump was at least going nicely and was searching for someone to stay with him. That man wasn't Vickers - far more interested in telling the fielders how he had been sick in a layby en route, such a big session he'd had the night before – Vickers swung and missed one. Neither was the man to stick around Jay Harman who was bowled shortly thereafter.
Henderson joined Crump at 94 for 6 with just Chetwode in the hutch. Every car that pulled in to the car park gave the away side that Field and his friend would arrive to lengthen the batting line up even if it looked at that stage it would just delay the inevitable. At lunch the two were still there with the score 130 for 6. At 3.40pm the pair were still together and Henderson found himself in the improbable position of needing to declare. Crump (142) played a masterful innings mixing patience with quality attacking strokes. He and Henderson (40*) both benefited from some poor catching but they won the cat and mouse battle against defensive fields and slow but straight bowling. The 7th wicket partnership of 150 put the OC's back in the game although, at the changeover, there was still no Rory Field.
The Hogs kindly lent us a fielder (because our Fielder hadn't showed up) and no doubt wished they hadn't when a lad called Humphrey ('Rory Field' to us) caught one of his own men at point off a rank Henderson long hop. Having bowler two prior beamers, Henderson was lucky to still be permitted to bowl. Chetwode meanwhile was bowling exactly as one needed to on that wicket and began taking wickets at regular intervals. The most memorable was a fierce bottom edge from the batsman which cannonned into Merry's shoe and popped up to a surprised and somewhat sheepish Vickers at slip. Merry, sensing that the umpires may have been confused about what had happened, hit the deck clutching his foot and wailing in agony - it was enough to make up the umpires' minds.
At tea there was still no Rory Field but with the Hogs 50 for 3, the OC's sniffed an opportunity. After the break Chetwode simply did what he does and chipped away to end with 7 for 51 of 17 overs. Saqlain Crump at the other end grabbed a couple of wickets to cap his display. The Hogs, all out for 154, will have found some consolation in their £275 match fee (not ideal between nine men).
If anyone sees Rory Field please direct him to Hampshire Hoggs CC, Warnford.
Ed Henderson
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22:27
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