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.