Eton strike late as week opens with a tie

Eton Ramblers 229 for 9 (Westaway 74, Ewoode 62, Chetwode 3-62) tied with OCCC 229 (Kent 68, Johnston 49, Verdon 31, Richards 5-10) 
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Eton celebrate the last wicket

For the second time in a week we contrived to throw away a game against Eton Ramblers which appeared to be in the bag. Last Sunday we lost the Cricketer Cup tie. At least this week we salvaged a tie.

Eton won the toss and batted, racing along at almost five an over before lunch in a morning session which finished with them on 176 for 5 off 37 overs. Foster, fresh from the School’s 2nd XI, and Jamie Harrison bowled well with the new ball, and once they had done their bit Eds Copleston, captaining for the absentee Will Howard, brought on Michael Chetwode and Sutha and then sat back for the rest of the day and let them bowl out the innings. Sutha had been drafted in from Cranleigh CC at the last minute after Howard called him from Sweden to advise him he only had ten players and no ball.

Callum Kent

After lunch the pair toiled away and Eton slowed slightly, weighed down by an excellent meal. The innings ended with the fall of the ninth wicket, their No.11 Fox unable to bat as a result of a broken hand sustained catching Matt Crump the previous week. Still, he gamely fielded with his right (good) hand and arm swathed in a massive bandage.

Euan Johnston and Rob Verdon started much as Eton had done, with a flurry of boundaries, but after a brief wobble, Callum Kent and Charlie Gilbert, another making his debut after a season in the 2nd XI, guided us to 141 for 3. The fielding was growing ragged and it appeared the game was going our way. Kent and Suhta took us to 196 for 5 - Kent surviving a vociferous appeal for caught behind and a horrible drop at square-leg – when Eton tossed the ball to Richards.

With his second delivery he had Kent caught behind. “Surely not even we can **** this up,” Copleston was heard to mutter. A wrong one as it happened. In his next over he took a second wicket, and then two more in his third over to leave us needing eight with one wicket remaining. At this point Chetwode strode out. He was angry enough at having to change again, and positively livid at actually having to bat. He guided Richards through third man for four, and in the next over a scrambled leg-bye brought us within two of Eton’s total. Foster then pushed Richards through the covers to tie the scores but three balls later Richards had him caught behind. Cue wild celebrations from Eton, who clearly felt they had got out of jail, as they had.  A disappointing result for the OCCC but a cracking finale for the neutrals.

Mark Shapland edges to slip