Copleston aims to end 14 years of US hurt

Once more into the breach ...

As the USA prepares to decide whether to give Barack Obama another chance, in New York another slick PR machine is preparing for one more attempt to bring home silverware in what could be his last opportunity to salvage a reputation disintegrating faster than Lance Armstrong’s.

Eds Copleston (who in fairness actually has silverware aplenty after refusing to hand back any trophy he has ever won, starting with his Best Painting Cup from his first year at the Prep) has led the OCs down to Florida ever since Henry Watkinson decided that a decade of failure was enough for any man.

The club first ventured to Sarasota in 1998 and since then has failed to make it to the final despite being the pre-tournament favourites on several occasions.  The reason for the poor record is clear. Drinking in general and the Saturday-night festival dinner in particular.

The slickest preparation and the best cricketers have all crashed and burned at that event. History has shown the biggest guns have tended to make the least impact, from Mike Gatting’s humiliating duck in 2001 to Alan Cope’s wretched showing last year.

This year Copleston, who has spent months planning, has asked his squad to arrive in the USA six days early and to assemble in New York for what he calls “acclimatisation”. This has been tried before. In 2000 Watkinson decided a few days on the Florida beaches would be a perfect way to prepare. The result was Steve Bailey being pecked to shreds by a seagull and a dozen players arriving at the Holiday Inn in need of rehab.

In 2001 Bailey led the side (well, two teams for the one and only time actually) with the opposite plan of attack, landing in Florida hours before the tournament. The result was the name. Early promise, Saturday dinner, Sunday illness and an incident involving a speedboat and a bridge which is still classified as an unsolved crime.  Sufficed to say Bailey and Tom Trevett have not been back since.

This time Copleston promises a hitherto unseen level of commitment. “The squad has a mixture of talent and experience,” he said from his Manhattan apartment.  “Rick Johnson assumes the managerial role again and veteran Henry Watkinson has been included in what many consider the strongest OCCC touring side in recent memory.

“Tom Crump makes his Sarasota debut and bother Matt has been recalled after being controversially dropped in 2011. Rob Merry makes his second appearance and experienced campaigners Will Howard and Sam Langmead return to Sarasota for the third year.

“It has been a few years since the OCCC raised some silverware (I’m not blaming Hendo entirely for that) but we’ll look to get through the group stages and then when you make finals day it will come down to how focused we can be. It’s an extremely tough trip this, both on and off the field but I think we have the right blend of talent to keep the OCCC dream alive.”

Independent observers believe the outcome will be no different to previous trips.

Click here for a gallery of shame from previous Sarasota trips

This November Eds will be running the NYC Marathon to raise money for BuildOn. Click here to support him.

Eds Copleston has been working hard to try to work out where it all went wrong in 2011

Roger Bullen a Cranleigh stalwart

Roger Bullen, a stalwart of Cranleigh cricket for generations, has died aged 89. He was a highly capable batsman and when he finished playing became an umpire and stood in many OC matches until the 1990s.

Bullen served on the Arctic convoys during the Second World War. He was part of a post-war Cranleigh side who were among the best in the area, with an enviable fixture list on Sundays, which included the likes of Bob Attwell, Peter Adams, Nigel Paul, John Griffiths and Dudley Couper.

With television still in its in-fancy and cars comparatively rare, cricket on the Green was a major attraction. Cranleigh were also a formidable force in the Flora Doris Cup, winning it seven times between 1947 - a year after it started - and 1960, spectators often several deep on the boundary.

Bullen, who was made an honorary life member by the club for his services, was generous with his time, as John McDermott recalled: "Roger would umpire for the club and for us in Old Cranleighans week and did the school's matches as well. He was part of a wonderful team as a player and the Cranleigh team in those days was incredibly strong. It was a wonderful club to grow up into and Roger was one of those responsible for that.

"He was a cricket man through and through. He did a lot for the club and was very much a man of Cranleigh."

Richard Pollitt

Richard Pollitt batting against the Old Ardinians in 1990

It is with great sadness we have to report that Richard 'Bunny' Pollitt lost his long battle with lung cancer on September 22. He was 51.

Richard, although clearly unwell, turned up to see his son Kieran play for Headley against the OCCC in June and chatted at length with a number of contemporaries in the old-timers OC XI.

Richard Akers, who was at Cranleigh with Richard, writes: “Richard was diagnosed in the autumn of 2010 and was given just a few months to live. He was incredibly fit and a very proficient long distance runner, sadly and ironically something that helped to mask the symptoms and contribute to the late diagnosis.

“At school, Richard had a thirst for knowledge, particularly in the sciences, and a passion for sport. He combined these interests through cricket where his enjoyment through playing was matched by his love of statistics. He headed the bowling averages for the school. As a member of the MCC, he enjoyed his visits to Lords, the last of which was for the one day international against Australia in June which England won by 15 runs.

“Richard's depth of interest in sport led him to Fives where at school he was part of a West House team which was unbeaten whilst he was playing. Under the wise guidance of Geoffrey Bolt we were occasionally transported back to the 19th century to play against Eton or Highgate! Before his death, Richard also recalled the incredible enthusiasm of Housemaster, Tim Gregson for all sports and generally for the well-being of those in his care.

“After leaving school, Richard studied Maths with statistics, metallurgy, and chemistry at Newcastle University and after a number of different careers, including one in the City as a broker, he settled down to work for Pfizer, the giant pharmaceutical firm. Richard leaves a wife Heather and son Kieran and his numerous friends from Cranleigh and elsewhere who will remember him as a loyal friend and a naturally and delightfully unconventional enthusiast.”

Richard made his debut for the OCCC in 1977 while still at School and played 30 matches, his last appearance coming in 2005. He scored 304 runs at 27.64 and took 20 wickets at 33.20.