Dropped catches galore as season creaks into life

OCCC 186 for 8 (Watkin 59) drew with Old Wykehamists 230 for 5

It’s a special week. We have not one but two match reports. The first from Michael Chetwode, the second from Will Howard. Apparently they were at the same match. Enjoy.

Another season, same confusion

At least we got a game in which looked impossible according to the forecast three days before. We had four debutants – two from the school 1st XI and two who have spent a bit of time Down Under. This was no bad thing as three of the four were to make the major contributions to what was a fairly abject display in the field and with the bat. Of the schoolboys, Kartik Suresh opened the bowling, took three good wickets, and batted sensibly for a draw when others may have succumbed. George Thomas bowled some teasing offspin and opened the batting to good effect with Ben Wakin who ended up top scoring with 59. Indeed, from 42 for 0 in the sixth over we rather dawdled to 107 for 1 in the 25th but still should have strolled the chase. The OWs had other ideas and with two wily spinners, strangled the run rate to the extent that the next 25 overs produced only 79 for 7 and we were left hanging on for a draw.

Earlier, the OWs had won the toss and elected to bat. In a chilly wind and on a slow pitch, the innings never really came to life. OWs moved along at three and a half an over for the majority of the 54 overs with 40 runs off the final five taking them to 230-7. It could have been different had we not shelled ten catches which must be some sort of record. When it came to our innings, the OWs attempted to repay some of our largesse, donating seven drops of their own including a couple of comedy efforts – an attempt at a caught and bowled with the help of an Adam’s apple and a headed six at deep square-leg.

All in all a fairly forgettable game compounded for one senior pro when he was asked by young Suresh whether he was bowling out swing or off spin. Oh, how the Chairman laughed….

And now Will …

In a week where the Sunday game seemed in doubt from the offset, OCCC were left to rue missed chances, including a staggering 13 catches and missed run outs. Blustery conditions led to Charlie Clarence-Smith, fresh from the Twickenham Sevens and Clapham Grand bowling the first over, up the hill and into the wind. Despite the early balls barely reaching the other end, he soon settled into the rhythm meant that Khartik Suresh, on debut, was able to tear in down the hill and unsettle the batsman.

Following the heavy losses of previous years, the Old Wykehamists were fielding a strong team this year in preparation for their Cricketer Cup campaign. Lofted drives and pouncing on anything short meant that OCCC could have been in damage limitation mode from a very early stage, but wickets came at the right time for the club. A good bowling performance all round helped keep the runs down.

Another catch goes begging ...

Wonky Verdon making his long awaited return looked incredibly sharp at short extra cover, with a diving Gerald Waterfall patrolling at gully. It was Wonky who started the rot with the first of the dropped catches. The OW's captain James Irvine-Fortescue took a liking to a length ball from Watkinson, which he drove strongly to the left hand of Verdon. The ball won and Verdon was left needing magic spray for the rest of the day. A few overs later the same Watkinson/Verdon partnership came up trumps, and the catch was parried and caught on the second, third or fourth attempt. Cranleigh on top.

Damien Hill bowled one over.

Some disastrous catching attempts by pretty much every OC in attendance meant that the OW's scraped up to 230 for 5 off 54 overs, when a total of 150, or even 120 looked possible at one stage.

Another debutant, George Thomas opened the innings with Ben (a Cranleigh CC Aussie on loan), and at tea OCCC were in a very commanding position of 80 for 0. Both batsmen looked composed against the strong bowling attack, with some exquisite driving of the cricket ball.

Some quick wickets followed shortly after the break and the club found themselves in danger. Next came the lethal combination at 6 and 7, of Waterfall and Langmead. Waterfall got into his stride after 12 months of not picking up a bat and Langmead batted as if he was back at the Sarasota 6s. Dealing some heavy blows, to both the chin, off a caught a bowled chance, and to the top of the head, with a ball falling inside the rope, carefully headed over it by the fielder, the game swung back in favour of the OCCC.

The offspinner returned, Langmead’s eyes lit up, and he was stumped by half the pitch. Waterfall looked lost without his companion, and OCCC were back in the dangerzone. In the end, the last 5 overs were batted out by Upper Sixth man Suresh and Watkinson. Chetwoode anxiously waiting at 11, proudly exclaiming that he hadn’t scored a run in 2013 (despite batting 6 times), was not needed and the club ended 30 runs short.

On a day where we never looked like getting a game, we had close to 110 overs, with no rain delays, and a fantastic game of cricket. Perhaps another 5/10 overs and we might have snuck over the line.

Mumbai Big Macs, hating cricket and dinner with Melissa

OCCC captain Ed Henderson starts a series of interviews with the great and the good by chatting with Tristan Rosenfeldt, whose career peaked at 14 when he made his debut for Cranleigh's 1st XI. he held down his place for all five years at the school despite not making a fifty of taking a five-for ...

Always dapper, at Headley in 2012
Rosenfeldt played the entire day in a
DJ as part of a charity bet

Tristan, by my calculations this will be your 11th season of OC cricket. You're playing in the season opener at Esher. Are you still as enthusiastic about cricket as ever?

I love cricket...but I HATE being on a cricket pitch. I'm a rubbish fielder, I can't catch or dive, I'm scared of facing anything quicker than Williamson and my body doesn't allow me to physically bowl a ball any more...saying that though, and I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned it before, but I'd like to take this opportunity to highlight that I have scored the "best-looking OC ton ever" according to Graeme Brown...

 I wouldn't say I've ever been enthusiastic about dusting off the whites for a new season but there's something about OC cricket - like a deeply unattractive, drunk girl in a club at 2am - that means I'm continually drawn to it. The club is in a wonderful state at the moment and I'm enjoying becoming one of the older members, I consider myself a father-figure to the likes of Scriven, Rollings and Howard. Plus, being led on to the field by you takes me back to my Upper 5th days, a far more innocent a time, when there was no chance of you snaring a lady as lovely as Holly!

  Goodness you have dealt with about 10 of my questions in one excessive answer. Of course I was going to mention the solitary ton... in the rained off game. Is it beyond belief that you could score another? 

If I were a betting man, I wouldn't hesitate to put a few quid on me not scoring 100 runs by the end of the decade ... in fact, fancy a race Hendo? Me to 100 total runs, you to get 20 wickets, first one to the target wins? Regarding my 117 on 9th July 2006, I still very much consider it a match-winning ton, that rain just happened to get in the way of.

  I think you sell yourself short. You can still caress a ball through the covers like Inzaman-ul-Haq. I would like to see you say 'right, I'm taking cricket week off work, I am going to beat Damien Hill's (yup really) record of runs in a cricket week. Skipper I'll open up against that quick from Milfield who clattered Rob Merry on the melon twice'. Keen?

Not interested in the slightest! There's absolutely no part of me that's up for the "challenge"...I guess that's a 1990's Cranleigh education for you.

  You performed the role of fixtures secretary with distinction for seven years. Your successor Michael Roper is showing encouraging early signs. What are the important character traits for the role and does a successor to Michael jump out at you?

The role of Fixtures Secretary is very much like standing behind the stumps - it's boring but you have to be alert constantly. You never get praised for anything good you do, you just get criticism when something goes wrong. Plus it's a job that nobody else can be bothered to do! So being a 'keeper of some distinction, I think Ropes is a wonderful successor!

Tell me one or two of your favourite memories from OC tours you have been on.

Well I'd rather not divulge the details of the Cape Town night when Rob Merry hijacked my fines session with a bottle of Bushmills... There's a few that immediately spring to mind though: - Alan Cope's wonderful 100 in Goa (the maiden OC hundred abroad I believe?) - Celebrating Mike Payne's 70th Birthday in a Mumbai nightclub - Damo "losing" his passport on the platform of Chandigarh train station - Trying to ring your room in Chandigarh one night only for you to repeatedly tell me in an Indian accent that you were Mr Shah and trying to sleep. I was furious with reception for giving me the wrong number each time! - Eds Copleston disgracing the nation by vomiting on the Newlands pavilion steps

But I have to say, my favourite touring memory also involves Copleston E. You were there too. He'd just finished batting in a hot and humid Mumbai. His hangover, combined with his exertions, led to cramp kicking in and him reeling on the floor, taking in as many sugary soft drinks and sweets as we could get our hands on. Then our local fixer 'Sachin' brought a solution to the table - getting a girl to sit on his face! While not the best idea medically, it was one of the funniest, well timed moments I have ever witnessed! Eds had finally had enough of the third world afterwards, and I love how he just turned his back on the tour and checked in to The Oberoi, in a desperate hunt for proper room service!

Great answer. He was on his back like an upturned woodlouse and had people bending back individual fingers and toes. He was in panic stricken agony, we were in hysteric, giggling delight. Mike Payne's response... "Sachin I don't think that's particularly helpful". This was the same day you had to squat over a hole in the middle of the busiest roundabout in India with a handkerchief sized bit of tarpaulin covering you up! 

Not my finest hour, but there was no way I could continuing fielding for even one over more with the noises coming out of my body after three weeks in India.

Who would you most and least like to room with on a tour?

Most like to room with on tour would have to be Tom Merry, as he's as disinterested in playing cricket as I am. I think I'd struggle to share with Jonny and Alice Gates, I couldn't put up with their nocturnal behaviour! Who's the best room-mate you've had on tour and why? Who would be your ultimate OCCC tourist, can be anybody, dead or alive?

Really it is meant to be me asking the questions. Lot of good roomies – Random, T.Mez but certainly not you after you lost control of your bodily functions before getting to the loo in Lusaka. That will teach you to go off on a solo night mission in search of a Wimpey in a third world capital city … so 20 needed off an over, which OC bowler do you face?

Front line bowler? Or does Gatesy and his bucket-load of cheap OC wickets count?

He'll tell you he's a bowler so I'll accept that answer. You could leave the first couple of balls and still cruise it. You're hosting an OCCC dinner party and have to invite one over 40, one under 25, one WAG and a wild card... who are they?

Excellent dinner party question. I'll go for Watkinson (he must be over 40 by now!?) as I've always thought he's quietly approved of any of my previous bad behaviour! Is Rob Jones under 25? (No he isn't). His impressions of Z-List celebrities and ex-Cranleigh teachers still, 15 or so years later, are still one of the few things in life to make me laugh out loud! Wild card would have to be my Cricketing-mentor Clem Williams and there's only one WAG I'd want at that dinner party, Melissa Johnson! What a night that would be! Anyone else you think would add more to that table???

He always harboured captaincy ambitions
- and a footballing mentality - as shown
when asked to lead at Esher in 2007

Listen, I'm asking the questions. Which OC player would you most like to sit in a deck chair with a cool glass of pop in your hand and watch bat for a session on Jubilee?

Great question! It would be between two: Alan Cope. For me he's the most talented player at the club and when he's playing well, the runs come so easily all round the wicket ... and Will Howard. Always susceptible to the genuinely quick stuff but when he gets on top of the bowling, he can be so aggressive and destructible and shows a complete disregard for his opponents...which I love! Seren would be very close too as he's just pure class! I've not seen enough of Scriven x 2 or Cowdrey yet to include them, but I'm looking forward to playing with them over the next few years and no doubt scoring tons of runs! I also look forward to you finally having a regular slot towards the top of the order. I think the whole club would love to see an Ed Henderson ton before your body finally gives up!

At the winter dinner you agreed to face an over from Meaks for the Tim Evans charity. A lot of money has been pledged. Some peoples pledges are linked to the number of body blows you suffer. When is this going to happen?

I will honour the agreement and face an over from Meaks at a time and place convenient for him and his summer schedule with Surrey (and hopefully England). I think as a club we're all a huge supporter of the Tim Evans charity...but I will be doing everything I can to not to get hit during the over even if that does affect the money raised! Saying that, I'll be trying to get bat on ball and give a far better showing than Piers Morgan did against Brett Lee at the MCG in the winter. How about those that are donating based on how many times I get hit, commit that same amount for every time I hit the ball?

In front of square, yes certainly! Ok some quickfire answers now because you're taking up too much space. Name you most like to see on the team sheet in a game you're playing in?

Gates or Henderson...means I can get a free lift there and back from London.

Best dressed OC

Tough as members of the OCCC have zero sense of style. I'll go for Hobbs as he rocks those OCCC tailored golf shorts

Do you still harbour club captaincy aspirations?

It's cost me thousands of pounds in therapy but I've let the club captaincy desire go. I trust it's in your safe hands now Henderson.

Will you be married in five years time?

I hope not, marriage is for mugs! Unless my planned trips to Vegas get a little out of hand...

McDonalds, BK or the Lusaka branch of Wimpey?

McDonalds, Mumbai...

Test side for 1st Test at Lord's v Sri Lanka

1. Cook 2. Robson 3. Bell 4. Pietersen 5. Root 6. Bopara 7. Prior 8. Broad (Capt.) 9. Meaker 10. Finn 11.Anderson

Ok do it without KP who clearly can't play

No. That's my XI. It's ridiculous that KP has been axed. Typical of English sport not being able to handle/manage mavericks!

Thank you Tristan Rosenfeldt

Working up a sweat in India in 2007