All-round Waters guides us into final

OCCC 210 for 2 (Waters 100*, Scriven J 69) beat Charterhouse Friars 207 for 8 (Rollings 3-41, Waters 2-21) by eight wickets
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Seren Waters returns after his fifth
hundred for the club

An outstanding unbeaten hundred from Seren Waters helped guide us to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Charterhouse Friars in the semi-final of the Cricketer Cup, putting us in our second successive final. It was a clinical performance against a side who seven weeks early had thumped us in a cup warm-up match by 141 runs.

An hour into the game and few would have predicted the margin of the result. Charterhouse won the toss and batted on a pitch which offered little to the bowlers, although, initially, we gifted the batsmen a bounty of extras.

Aside from one wicket – the dangerous James Hamblin loosely driving Will Rollings into the covers for 11 – we looked out of sorts. When Tom Crump put down a routine slip catch off the veteran Mike Chetwode it seemed it was not to be our day, and as Charterhouse brought up their hundred in the 21st over a big total appeared likely.

But then the slow bowlers strangled the innings. Waters, who had been mauled in the quarter-final, was superb, dismissing Hooper (48) and Pike (38) in successive overs, and then aided by Scriven he choked the middle order so that only 60 runs came from their 20-over pairing. From 101 for 1, Charterhouse were floundering at 161 for 6 from 40 overs.

Mike Chetwode enjoyed his return to Cup action

Inevitably, the mounting pressure brought wickets. Adolphus slipped as he was sent back after calling for an unlikely single and failed to beat Waters’ bullet-like throw, and then we held a succession of catches in the deep as batsmen hit out. Our groundfielding was exceptional, even by our high standards, and Matt Crump marshalled his bowlers and set his fields with precision.

Rollings picked up three wickets in three spells, Crump, after a wayward first burst with the new ball, was far more controlled at the death, and Chetwode was as naggingly accurate as ever. A few late blows took Charterhouse past 200 but that always seemed 50 or 60 below par.

They needed early wickets to put pressure on us. Instead, they were ground down by an opening stand of 152 between Waters (100*) and Scriven (69). In an unusual role reversal, Waters took on the aggressor role as Scriven, after an early flurry of fours, played a more subdued and considered innings. The fifty came up inside ten overs, and while our spinners had put the brakes on the innings, Charterhouse’s were unable to do much more than slow down the run-rate.

By the time Scriven fell in the 31st over the game was all but done and dusted. Duncan Allen, on his Cricketer Cup debut, followed soon after for 8, but Waters, pushing singles almost at will, and Cope saw us home.

The only late drama came when it seemed Waters might be deprived of a deserved hundred, but Cope slowed and defended with an uncustomary diligence against tired bowlers, allowing Waters to hoist the winning boundary over mid-on and bring up his century.

Wickets tumbled as Charterhouse's innings choked,
Mike Burgess completing this run-out

A large crowd witnessed our fourth straight home win against a strong side, and, the first hour aside, the completeness of our performance cannot be overemphasised. And so it is back to Wimbledon on August 17 for our third final where we will meet Bradfield, who beat Stowe in the other semi-final.

A final word about Chetwode. To describe him as a stalwart would be to understate his contribution to the club over more than three decades. His wife and daughter even made the lunch as he creaked round the field.  As he flagged at the start, he first played on Jubilee more than a decade before any of his team-mates were born; his presence raised the average age of the side by a full five years. As ever, he gave his all, inspired the youngsters and is unlikely to be able to get out of bed for the next few days.

Who needs @SMeaker18 when you have this lad... #OCvsOC pic.twitter.com/nL9zpe14VT
— Old Cranleighan CC (@OCranleighanCC) July 27, 2014

Muppets and clowns see off the Frogs

OCCC 182 for 7 beat Frogs 180 by three wickets

After much frantic searching for players from the skipper during the week – not helped by a certain Jonny Gates deciding that his polo pony was a better option than an afternoon on the Lowers – an eclectic mix of OCs and Cranleigh overseas players turned up for the Frogs game.

From pretty early on, the spartan crowd could probably tell that minds were on more pressing matters over the road, a wayward opening spell from James Harrison and a more accurate one from Ed Henderson reinforced that view, with only one wicket falling in that opening spell – a wide long hop from Harrison being bunted to point.

Debutant Will Jay provided far more control and was unfortunate not to pick up a wicket in what was a promising showing, Hendo shouting his appreciation with ’10,000 more of those please’ at various points.

Mystery spinner Eds Copleston was next into the attack and provided to be the OCs secret weapon, with his one over spells providing a constant source of wickets – three in all with a horrendous missed stumping from Rob Merry to go alongside. To say he had all the time in the world to effect the dismissal would be an understatement, and unfortunately this was symptomatic of an untidy OCs performance in the field, save for a direct hit at the end from the aforementioned Merry. There was one particularly comical episode when a full seven OC players touched the ball in a single act of fielding – missfield, chase, wayward throw, dive to prevent overthrows, shy at stumps, rebound, overthrow, chase, pickup and underarm to bowler.

The Frogs were able in the end to run up a total of 181 in their 40 overs, the effort helped somewhat by the decision to go for five men in the slip cordon in order to provide for a less one-sided game and hope to keep the Aussies interested. Further wickets were taken by Ian Houston, Chris Nolan and Sam Langmead, with the Frogs’ skipper scoring a half-century to aid their cause.

A belligerent 40 from OC/Aussie Nick Walker got us to a flyer in reply, and he found an able deputy in the 6ft 6in opening bat Mike Robinson-Moltke ("Muppet") who was content to play second fiddle initially, but then take charge once Walker was dismissed, offering a few impressive strokes of his own.

This was to bring Merry once again to the action, and, despite much rubbishing from Copleston about the form he had shown in cricket week, he proceeded to caress the ball around the Lowers (alright, midwicket) before holing out at long-on for a well-made 39. Muppet had by this point made an impressive 50, and the OCs seemed to be cruising along.

However, the almost inevitable OC collapse was just around the corner, with Muppet, Copleston, Langmead and Harrison all falling (the latter three cheaply) before the finish line was reached, with a full 10 overs to spare, Houston and Ben Wakim being the not out batsmen.

A reasonable showing all round, with the major disappointment being that far too little of the Cricketer Cup action was seen by those playing. James Harrison

OCs win a quarter-final classic

OCCC 246 for 8 (Meaker 74, Burgess 64, Waters 28, Jones 26*) beat Old Cheltonians 244 for 8 (C Sandbach 57, Ringrose 50, Meaker 2-30) by two runs
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A vital run-out in the final over

There are times we are reminded why cricket can be such a great game, and the Cricketer Cup quarter-final against Old Cheltonians was one of those days. That we won – by two runs with the match in the balance until the very end – helped, but throughout an epic contest ebbed and flowed with no side ever quite managing to pull away, although for most of the day Cheltenham looked the more likely to.

Michael Burgess on his way to 64

A torrential downpour half-an-hour before the scheduled start meant a delay of 75 minutes as the groundstaff, aided by some high tech equipment, worked furiously to mop up a very wet Jubilee. The toss was always important and although Matt Crump won it, he surprised most by opting to bat, a decision partly explained by concerns over the run-ups for the quick bowlers. With Stuart Meaker in the ranks for his first cup game since the 2008 final, that was understandable.

Cheltenham’s pre-match preparations showed their intent, and their opening bowlers bowled with sustained accuracy meaning Jack Scriven and Seren Waters were unable to give the innings the usual strong start. Scriven showed a glimpse of his destructive power with a lofted six over long-on, but was soon after caught at slip off a lovely delivery which did enough to find the edge.

Waters, after a slow start, seemed to be finding his touch when he was bowled for 28 off a loose shot. With the sun out and the conditions humid, the bowlers were in the ascendency and runs at a premium. Tom Crump fenced at one he might have left and was caught behind, and when Alan Cope followed in identical fashion we were wobbling on 66 for 4 from 21 overs.

Having a strong middle order was now vital and Meaker and Michael Burgess stopped the rot and slowly started to rebuild, milking singles and twos with such skill that Cheltenham’s previously outstanding fielding started to fray.

Their fifth-wicket stand of 126 off 23 overs took us to the brink of 200 and the tail wagged enough for us to post 246 for 8, a score on par with most of those seen during the cricket week. Rob Jones’ cameo at the end, including a sweet six into the pavilion, kept the momentum up as late wickets fell.

We needed an early breakthrough and although Meaker rattled both openers with his pace – and gave Chris Sandbach a few bruises into the bargain - the openers weathered the early storm, only to lose their first wicket with the hard work done.

Our groundfielding, which was so vital in the final overs, kept a check on the run-rate, and when Will Rollings replaced Meaker he proved just as hard to get away. Both Rollings and Crump can deliver more than their fair share of extras but not on this occasion. Rollings’ six –over spell yielded only 18 runs, Crump, in a five-over burst up the hill, 16.

While Cheltenham had wickets in hand, the feeling was they had their noses in front. We did not help our cause with three dropped catches – two hard, one less so –but Bruno Broughton broke through aided by Alan Cope’s catch to put us back in the hunt at 67 for 2.

Another obdurate stand followed and again, just as we started to look as if we were running out of ideas, Sandbach (57) aimed a loose shot at the parsimonious Scriven and Tom Crump, who had an outstanding day in the field, held a low catch at backward point.

Once more we were unable to follow up on the breakthrough. Ringrose (50) was playing a well-paced anchor innings, but the danger came at the other end where Mills set about Waters in a 33-ball 49 which threatened to settle the game. Twice in three deliveries he smashed Waters into the car-park hedge but crucially was bowled off the next ball trying for a third. In 11 overs they had added 72 and at 191 for 4, with 56 needed from nine overs, Cheltenham had their noses in front.

Seren Waters makes a crucial breakthrough

We knew their later batsmen had not been tested in previous matches and Crump used all his charm to persuade Meaker to return for a second burst, knowing his pace would rattle them. With his first ball Ringrose loosely drove to Tom Crump in the covers and the anchor was gone.

But yet again Cheltenham dug deep, weathered the storm, and started to close on the target. Soames (31) expertly kept the score ticking over – he scored off every one of the last 16 balls he faced – and 24 off three overs became 15 off two as Crump and Rollings sustained the pressure.

The penultimate over from Matt Crump was crucial. Accurate and supported by tight fielding, it created pressure which told when a drive to long on was fired back to the far end by Paddy Harman where Soames was left well short.

Cheltenham needed eight from the last over from Rollings. The shadows were lengthening and few games on Jubilee had finished as late, but few in a good-sized crowd had left. A two and a single left the target five from four, but with wickets in hand that was in effect four from four – if tied, wickets lost would have meant Cheltenham won.

The third ball was driven to long-on and Broughton’s pin-point throw to the bowler’s end as the batsmen came back for the second produced a second run-out.

Thornley (15) was on strike and lofted a drive to long-on where Jones, an oasis of calm as all on the boundary held their breath, made a tough catch out of the sun look easy. Five from two.

A single off the penultimate delivery left Cheltenham needing a boundary. Crump, understandably, took an age to set the field, Rollings kept his line, beat the bat, and few cared that Cheltenham ran a bye to the keeper.

It was a dramatic end to a pulsating day’s cricket. A young Cheltenham side, who will be serious contenders in the coming years, were left rueing what could have been, but in the end our experience, depth of batting, tight fielding and spirit saw us home.

 The semi-final, on Jubilee on July 27, is against a Charterhouse side who thumped us in a warm-up match last month and who have impressed in the cup so far. Another excellent day is in store.

Watkinson, Weddings and happy Foresters

OCCC 247 for 7 (Ross 80, Chase 63) lost to Free Foresters 249 for 3 by seven wickets
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An inelegant moment from the usually elegant Nathan Ross

The Free Foresters came into our cricket week on the Thursday to replace the long standing Old Carthusians fixture. They have an impressive fixture list and were already runing another game on the same day so the fact they put out such a strong side was a credit to them as a club. Whether in fact they were that strong or whether they simply had an Australian grade cricketer who bowled 20 overs of good legspin and then smashed a very quick century we will never know.

Henry Watkinson's last match as a bachelor found him preoccupied with seating plans and speeches (he has promised all who attend the wedding a 45-minute gem of a speech from him) but he concentrated enough to get the gist of what was happening in the middle.  OC's batted first and did not find scoring easy before lunch. The 53-year-old Mike Chase - late as ever - proved he can still bat and scored a much needed 63. At lunch we were 120 for 4 and somewhat below par. Nathan 'Random' Ross then took centre stage and composed a beautiful 80 assisted by some intelligent hitting by Karthik Suresh to enable Watkinson to look up and declare on 247 for 7.

The Foresters put on a hundred for the first wicket although how one of the openers was still there at tea is one of the great mysteries. He played and missed 31 times to Ed Henderson (this observation from the writer of this report, E Henderson) who had him dropped twice for good measure. At the other end Karthik Suresh was rattling up official warnings (beamers, running on pitch etc) but cleverly not offending three times in any one category.

George Thomas and Watkinson bowled well but the Foresters ultimately chased our target three wickets down with three overs to spare.

A tame draw despite Scriven's onslaught

OCCC 306 for 8 (Scriven 117, Ross 73) drew with Grasshoppers 243 for 7
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Another six flies over the pavilion

The game against the Grasshoppers petered out into a tame draw after what was always going to be a stiff target became a nigh-on impossible one after the visitors lost wickets regularly through their chase and opted to play out time.

A rather bizarre interpretation of the weather forecast by Eds Copleston meant he set the finish to be 5pm plus 20 overs. Needless to say, the closing overs were played out in glorious sunshine, and the extra half hour might have kept the Grasshoppers interested. Grasshoppers won the toss and put us in on a pitch which has offered little but heartache to bowlers all week.

Nonetheless, we lost three early wickets before jack Scriven joined Nathan Ross, back on Jubilee for the first time in five years. The pair added 176 for the fourth wicket in 89 minutes, Scriven cutting lose in a quite savage onslaught of 117 from 89 deliveries, his second hundred of the season. Four times he sent the ball sailing into the field behind the pavilion, and in ten balls after he reached fifty he smashed 30 runs. Ross was almost a bystander during the carnage, although he too joined in the fun after lunch.

Scriven and Ross eventually fell to tame dismissals, Duncan Allen bowled reverse sweeping and then Copleston, having told all and sundry he needed ten to overtake his brother on the all-time run list, spooned a catch when he had made 9. Morgan Fletcher gave a reminder to the Cranleigh CC selectors with a chirpy 19 not out.

Set 307 to win in what turned out to be 52 overs (we received 47) Copleston attacked with only one man in front of square – at short leg – and Will Rollings made an early breakthrough. But wickets were hard to come by, although Fletcher struck with successive deliveries and then saw the hat-trick ball loop over the slips, and Grasshoppers gradually lost interest.

Hardman held the innings together with a patient 79, and Pickard clubbed an agricultural 38, mostly over the pavilion, but Grasshoppers lacked the depth to seriously challenge. Copleston came took two late wickets and also conceded a basketful of runs, giving the final scorecard a more balanced appearance than was deserved.

Scriven struts his stuff to no avail

OCCC 240 for 5 (Davies 52, Langmead W 50) drew with Old Georgians 107 for 2

The pre-match warm-up took its toll

After a heavy Monday Night Guildford there were several OC's staggering dizzily around the Old Georgians pavilion before the start. Thank goodness we won the toss and were able to bat. This gave the team the time and space to really question Jack Scriven about what he got up to on the dance floor. Whatever it was resulted in an instruction to all Casino bouncers to evict anyone in an striped blazer. Scriven was only part way through his account when the rain arrived and we had an enforced delay with the score on 30-0.

Early lunch was taken after which our batsmen proceeded with ease and at a good pace. Ollie Davies notched up fifty. Graeme Brown didn't but batted nicely all the same. Will Langmead brutalised the ball for not much more than half an hour plundering sixes at will. He hit fifty and then got out and it was much the same for Jack Scriven. In between them Sam Langmead holed out first ball. Eddie G Copleston scampered and irritated the opposition for his 47* before captain Henderson decided it was time to declare on 240-5.

The first seven overs of the OG innings was carnage to a degree rarely seen on a field of cricket. From ball one came an onslaught usually reserved for the last portion of a T20 international with Chris Gayle and Shahid Afridi at the crease. Poor Jamie Richards bore the brunt as the OG opener simply tried, and succeeded, in smashing everything. It didn't help that he was dropped twice but at 90-0 after 7 overs the captain was feeling uncomfortable. Fortunately Scriven and Harvey Jackson wrestled back some control and both openers departed.

When lighting struck overhead the OG's were 107-2 and the match was nicely set up but a torrential downpour ensued and that was the end of proceedings.

Cope's tactical genuis somehow comes up trumps

OCCC 251 for 7 (Allen 54, Langmead 41, Copleston E 38, Crump T 31*) beat Old Millfieldians 250 for 9 (Bettsy 117, Jackson 2-60, Thomas 2-63) by three wickets
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Tom Crump hits the winning runs

The overs certainly rattled by in a frenetic morning session – 39 in a little under two overs by lunch – as Cope leant heavily on the two bowlers with the shortest runs, 18-year-old George Thomas (2 for 63) and the little-bit-older Michael Chetwode (1 for 51). Chetwode was left to bowl a 20-over spell in the heat and, despite scowls, loved it, especially when a whooping Cope convinced the umpire he had the OMs’ No. 3 caught behind when the unfortunate batsman had simply taken a chunk out of the pitch.

As the afternoon started it occurred to most people (other than Cope, by showing signs of sobering up) that the OMs were quite happy making steady progress. Bettsy, an Australian pro for London who would be unlikely to be able to find Millfield if handed a large print map of Somerset, batted well for his 117 and as the overs passed the 60 mark and the indignant spluttering of the recently retired Headmaster could be heard from under Clare’s Oak (“nobody bats for 60 overs … this is preposterous”) the OMS launched a final hurrah and declared. Another of the previous week’s leavers, Harvey Jackson, took two deserved wickets in the final flurry.

As Cope basked in the glory of a strategy well executed, our reply was given a rollicking start by Duncan Allen, notching 54 to add to his previous day’s hundred before being stumped, and Will Langmead who smashed a remarkable 16-ball 41. The remaining batsmen all contributed with going on to make fifties. Eds Copleston a scurrying 38, Jackson 21, Thomas 28, Cope 31 and then Tom Crump saw us home with an unbeaten run-a-ball 31. We had faced 40 overs and delivered 62.3 but we could have had few complaints had we fallen short.

Paddy Harman takes a catch at short leg 

Duncan Allen puts Etonians to the sword

OCCC 245 for 5 (Allen 129, Crump M 52, Merry 25) beat Eton Ramblers 243 (Kennedy 99, Broughton 4-85) by five wickets
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Duncan Allen thumps a six into the scoreboard
on his way to his hundred

The cricket week, now in its 93rd year, started with a convincing win over Eton Ramblers thanks to a belligerent hundred from Duncan Allen which contained some of the biggest back-foot sixes seen for many a year. His second-wicket stand of 161 with Matt Crump took only 81 minutes and ensured the game was done and dusted with more than 12 overs remaining.

Karthik Suresh, one of this year’s leavers, took two early wickets as Eton chose to bat, but then Langton (86) and Kennedy (99) moved largely untroubled through the session until Bruno Broughton, bowling his slow left-arm with much more accuracy than he had against the School three days earlier, struck twice as Eton lunched on 156 for 4. They key wicket, that of Langton, was mired in controversy as most bystanders, impartial and otherwise, thought Jonny Gates had taken the catch on the bounce. But the ball remaining in Gatesy’s hands is are enough for him to claim anything, and he remained unmoved.

After the break Kennedy held the innings together as the sinewy Eds Copleston rotated his attack with aplomb. Gates turned bowler to hold a stinging return, Broughton grabbed another two, and the innings ended as Kennedy failed to beat Karthik’s pinging return from the deep as he went for the run to bring up his hundred.

A target of 244 was made to look child’s play by Allen, previously of the Kenyan national side and now summering as a pro in Yorkshire. He attacked from the off, took chances and they came off, and only gave one chance when dropped in his sixties. His hundred came up in 89 minutes off 100 deliveries. Crump provided good support, enjoying a rare chance to bat up the order, before being stumped as he went walkabout.

Allen’s run-a-ball 129 ended when given lbw, a decision that owed more to the ugliness of the stroke than whether it would hit the stumps. Rob Merry, after starting as if unable to see the ball, hit some lovely drives before perishing to the day’s oddest dismissal. His loft over midwicket was lost in the sun by the fielder in the deep who saw nothing until struck by the ball in the chest. As he fell backwards the ball lodged on his thigh from where he retrieved it.

Copleston and Gates saw us home, but not before Gates had almost been lapped by Copleston as they ran three to the deep.

Welch helps School to end on a high

Cranleigh School 209 for 7 (Austin 53, Jackson 40, Richards 3-27) beat OCCC 208 (Corbishley 62, Scriven 46, Thomas 5-63, Trower 3-29) by three wickets
Scorecard
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James Corbishley hits out

The School 1st XI finished their term – and in some cases their Cranleigh careers - with a three-wicket win over a young OC side, a result made to look closer than it was by a late clatter of wickets when the game was as good as done.

Jack Scriven won the toss on a hot day and batted, a decision which looked sound given the weather and also that the School had endured two long sessions in the field the previous afternoon in the drawn game against Charterhouse. Peter Westcott wasted no time, thrashing 26 of the first 31 runs, and then James Trower (22) and Scriven (46) took us to 71 for 1 before the wheels came off as the offspin of George Thomas (5 for 63) gnawed through the middle order, aided by some interesting shot selection.

By lunch we were 122 for 6, which should have been seven had Morgan Fletcher not stood his ground to a slip catch, explaining he was “not walking when the bowler was in the 4th form when I was in the Upper VIth”. It made little difference, as Fletcher fell straight after lunch and at 144 for 9 an early finish seemed likely.

Harvey Jackson 

But James Corbishley found an unlikely ally in Luke Chitty, who alternated lunging defensive pokes with mighty swipes out the ground. The field grew ragged and both batsmen scored with increasing ease. The stand was ended by Stuart Welch who, not able to get into the heads of his players, chose to target Scriven with constant suggestions he had batted on too long. Worn down by the constant chirping in his ear, Scriven duly signalled for reckless slogging and that was that. Welch allowed himself a wry smile.

The School batting looked largely untroubled, and Freddie Austin, making his debut and one of three Lower Vth players in the side, made a promising fifty before getting out to a shot Welsh was still muttering about days later. Harvey Jackson, the engaging captain, made the match safe with a brisk 28-ball 40 but from 176 for 3 wickets tumbled – three to Jack Richards – and although the School never seemed likely to throw the game away, the shrewdness of their coach was key.

This is a happy and young School XI and one which will be one of the strongest Cranleigh has ever put out in the next two or three years. Exciting times for Cranleigh and Old Cranleighan cricket.

Freddie Austin on his way to 53 on debut