A sobering loss to Bradfield

OCCC 178 (J Scriven 88, gates 52) lost to Bradfield Waifs 179 for 1 by nine wickets

This was a sobering loss for the OCs, the type of which we are not accustomed to fortunately. Winning the toss and batting on a good wicket, parched outfield and one very short boundary, we had to be looking at a score over 250. 178 was a poor effort with the exception of Jack Scriven (88) and Jonny Gates (52).

Scriven opened with the ever youthful and wry Simon Copleston (0). James Trower (0) made his debut but departed lbw as the Bradfield openers plugged away, one of them certainly, swinging the ball nicely. Will Rollings (3) pulled a slow long hop to mid on to leave us teetering at 26-3 with Gates still not in Cranleigh as he was flummoxed by local road closures.

Morgan Fletcher (12) struggled immediately but took the Bradfield opener for twelve from one over, all through third man, but then succumbed. Meanwhile Scriven was playing with a degree of restraint that the situation required but ever now and then smashed a six into the undergrowth around the pavilion.

Charlie Clarence-Smith and his friend Will Mellor, both having arrived from some obscure festival with glitter on their faces, also didn't really contribute. Finally Gates gave Scriven some company and batted very nicely despite being hungover. All out for 178 was a pretty abject performance.

Luke Chitty ran in and troubled the Bradfield openers. Unfortunately at the other end Ed Prince was rather tucked into with a flurry of driven boundaries. Rollings got the one wicket and bowled with pace but the wicket was too good against batsmen capable and willing to play shots.

Bradfield were a nice bunch of chaps though so the fixture at least was a success.

Ed Henderson