School fall to Crump and Cope

Old Cranleighans 281 for 6 (43.5 overs: Crump T 91*, Cope 90, Crump M 41) beat Cranleigh School 280 for 9 (45 overs: Allen 89, Davies 34, Austin 30, Cowdrey 3-33) by four wickets
Click here for match photos

We gained revenge for the OC Day Twenty20 the previous Sunday with a four-wicket win over the School on the hottest day of the year. It was again a close-fought 45-over encounter which went to the penultimate over, and in the end six hard days of cricket in increasing heat took its toll on the boys who wilted in the closing overs.

We again fielded a young side, albeit not quite as youthful as the recent leavers team on Sunday. The temperature was in the 90s, Jubilee as brown and arid as it has been for a number of years, and the pitch pluperfect as compared to its using perfection.


In the end the difference was a fourth-wicket stand of 171 between Tom Crump and Alan Cope which brought us back into a match which was drifting when they came together and took us to the brink of victory. Cope was at his clinical best in scoring 90, grinding down the fielding side with well-placed and well-run singles; Crump, who made a fifty on Sunday, added 91 not out to his haul and really looked a class act.

The stand was so well paced that throughout the run rate always hovered around 7.5 an over. It was also a club record for the fifth wicket,surpassing the 160 between Peter Black (114) and Jack Francis (83*) in the same fixture on the same ground 71 years earlier.

The fielding of the School was outstanding but a few errors near the end proved expensive. Even though Cope perished to a rare misjudged shot and Chris Preece followed in the following over, James Harrison put matters beyond doubt with a nicked a leg-side four and a cover drive as the shadows rolled across the outfield.


The School, who came into the game on the back of good wins over MCC and Charterhouse, found little to trouble them in the OC attack other than Matt Crump. The top six batsmen all made starts but only the ever-dependable Duncan Allen went on to make a big score, his innings ended by a silly run-out when he was in sight of a hundred.

Will Langmead only made 26 but it was enough to ensure he finished the season with more runs for the 1st XI in a year than anyone had before. In all, he made 947 runs at 67.64 with two hundreds, a remarkable return given he started the summer without a 1st XI fifty to his name.

In reply, we lost Ashton to a superb leaping catch by the keeper off the fifth ball and then Matt Crump has his box shattered, to widespread concern/amusement. James Halton (24) and Crump then pushed along at four an over, but as the run-rate began to climb both fell, Halton to a leg-before his snail-like exit showed his displeasure at the decision, Crump to a catch at deep midwicket. At 88 for 3, we seemed there for the taking, but then came Cope and the other Crump.

Preece remains sedate as School win Twenty20 tie

Cranleigh School 158 for 5 (18.4 overs: Langmead 69*, Cross 64) beat Old Cranleighans 157 for 5 (20 overs: Crump T 53, Cope 46)

After the absence of a decade or more and years of constant pestering and sucking up by Rick Johnson, the headmaster finally allowed Speech Day and OC Day to merge once more. The results proved the decision was the right one with sport, art and music exhibitions showing Cranleigh’s true colours although the only dampner the suspected match-fixing rumours involving Chris Preece. More on that later...

After winning the toss, Matt Crump did the customary thing on an occasion such as this and batted first. The OCCC team had a youthful look to it with the oldest player being 23 mixed in with a few school- leavers.

Tom Crump and Will Jordan opened up the innings and Crump especially made it an explosive start. After three overs we were 41 for 0, Crump on 38 and Jordan 1. School coach Stu Welch’s instructions to his bowlers to bowl short at Crump was one out of the Johnson school of captaincy as a succession of deliveries disappeared over square leg. Crump managed 58 before being stumped but the decisive moment of the game came a few overs before when Jordan was out, again stumped and this saw the arrival to the crease of Preece.

Preece, who had controversially turned his back on his local club to ply his trade for Normandy, walked to the crease with much optimism but this soon changed as he decided to block some maidens. There was soon some heckling from the stands (mainly from ex-OC captain and Preece’s new boss Henry Watkinson) but he ignored the comments and continued to block. The innings struggled for momentum despite Alan Cope playing a cameo of 46 with his customary strutting between the wickets and our 157 for 5 - Preece 26 not out off 65 balls – was well below what had appeared on the cards. This is where rumours around the ground begun about whether Preece had received a brown envelope from the school coach before the game although nothing has been proven thus far...

We were at least 20 runs short of par but with a pace attack of Pritchard, Matt Crump and Cope there was always hope. We removed Austin to the 7th ball of the innings being bowled by a rare straight one from Crump. Then the school showed their class with new-found “gun” Will Langmead, brother of OC stalwart Sam, playing a match-winning innings of 69 not out and he was ably supported by Cross who also reached his half century before being dismissed by Cope. The school won by six wickets with eight balls to spare, a margin which would have been greater but for some late successes for the bowlers.

“This should take nothing away from the school who batted and fielding brilliantly to claim a third win in a row against us,” Matt Crump said afterwards. “But without rather a lot of interference from New York about team selection and general backseat driving the result could have been different.

“Friday sees the return of the traditional longer form of the game between the two sides with the younger OCs defying calls from the wanabee OCCC dictator in New York to take it upon themselves to win this fixture to balance the power between the two sides.”

Initial reports suggest Friday could see the return of Seren Waters (allegedly banned by Welsh as he is “too good”, surely a first) James Halton and Paddy Harman. Matt Crump refused to comment on speculation but was eager to confirm Preece was unlikely to feature in the match.

Double defeat by the School

Cranleigh School 242 (Allan 76, Cowdrey 40, Austin 46*, Langmead 42, Harman 3-64) beat Old Cranleighans 178 (Cope 51, Davies 4-44) by 64 runs

For the second year running, we fielded a side of recent leavers in this annual game, although the intended captain, Seren Waters, was absent on international duty with Kenya.
This was the final match of the School’s year and, again in a break with tradition which we hope will continue, the start of the OC week.

Duncan Allan, who had been the mainstay of the School’s innings in the T20 game five days earlier, again provided the anchor with 76, although this time he received good support. Paddy Harman was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 64.

Cope, in only his third innings of the summer, got us off to a flier and while he was in full flow the School were on the back foot. But he miscued when on 51 and it with time running out it was generally expected we would shut up shop, as per absentee captain Eds Copleston’s instructions. But something got lost in translation, the batsmen kept hitting out, and we were well beaten with almost ten overs remaining.

Cranleigh School 138 for 9 (Allan 42) beat Old Cranleighans 129 for 6 by nine runs

History was made on Speech Day when we played our first Twenty20 encounter against the School, an experiment that was well received by all concerned and one that is likely to be repeated in the years to come.

Neither side had much experience in the format, most batsmen seeming to believe slogging was the required tactic. Allan provided the backbone of the School’s innings but at a slow run-rate. In the end, however, it was the difference between the sides.

OCs take on School inTwenty20 contest

It might not be to the liking of purists, but the OC-School match on Speech Day in 2009 will be a Twenty20 contest with both sides likely to be in coloured kit. To mutterings of “over my dead body” from the club’s leading wicket-taker, the move was approved at the AGM and was warmly received by those members of the School XI present. Given the dismal performances at the Sarasota Sixes, practice will be needed by the OCs.

The more traditional all-day game will still be played a week later, the last match of the School’s short end-of-term festival on the Friday before the OC cricket week. With plans for a veterans match against Hambledon on the Saturday being looked at, it will extend the week to ten days.

McDermott bows out in style

The Annual General Meeting of the OCCC attracted a record turnout, lured by the generous provision of wine by the Headmaster, the excellent surroundings of the School and a superb dinner to honour the retiring president, John McDermott.

The AGM in the reading room was a lively affair in which the following was agreed (the full minutes will be available as a download soon).

Eds Copleston replaces Henry Watkinson as captain and David Bugge replaces McDermott as president. The rest of the committee remains unaltered.

The club will withdraw from the Cricket World Trophy as it was almost unanimously agreed that participating in two cup competitions was commiting us to too many matches which clash with the club games which have to remain the essence of the OCCC. As part of a much longer debate, it was generally agreed that while 2008 had been a great success in terms of the Cricketer Cup, the other games had fallen by the wayside and in 2009 a priority was to make sure that the balance was restored.

The only change to the 209 fixtures was that Kings Canterbury Old Boys, who failed to honour their cricket week fixture, would be replaced. The match against the School on Speech Day would be a Twenty20 game with the more traditional all-day fixture starting the cricket week on the first Friday after the end of term.

As thoughts turn to the 2009 season, our chairman addressed the AGM on the subject of teas. "We've had some OC girls in the past who've been prepared to do it for cash during the summer," he warbled.


A super dinner in Hall then followed during which Watkinson made presentations to Rick Johnson, Martin Williamson, Heather Dean and McDermott; McDermott then followed with a typically acerbic and amusing speech, and, realising that as outgoing president this was his last chance to settle scores, then made a second speech after the main course.

Roper seals a win for the School

Cranleigh School 233 for 6 (Waters 77, Hannah 68*) beat Old Cranleighans 232 for 2 (Halton 97*, Meaker 89) by four wickets

Rarely has there been a better advertisement for Cranleigh – and Old Cranleighan - cricket than the game on Speech Day. Played out on a superb track in sunshine, the OC side were all under 21 and the 40-over match was highly competitive but played throughout in the right spirit. And as for the finish …

Stuart Meaker opted to play against a School side he was very much part of until last year, and while his Surrey contract is as a bowler, he underlined his ability with the bat in a sparkling innings of 89 off 93 balls. The pick of his strokes was an audacious reverse sweep for six, and after a slow start – the score was 66 for 1 after 17 overs – the innings really came alive.

Meaker and James Halton, cautious at first, laid into the bowling, the last 15 overs producing 127 runs. Halton found gaps with precision, and although the School fielded excellently, they were unable to stem the flow.

Meaker was run-out when seemingly set for a hundred, and then Halton was denied his at the death when he hit the penultimate delivery to long-on only for his calls for a second to get him back on strike to be declined by Jonny Haynes. He finished unbeaten on 97.

The feeling was the School needed a big innings from Seren Waters to have a chance. Waters, with almost 700 runs to his name, certainly started confidently, unleashing some lovely glances and drives, as well as three towering pulls for six when the bowlers dropped short. He had moments of luck as well, twice inside edging past his leg stump.

The openings stand was worth 50 in seven overs, with Preece matching his captain with some lovely shots before gloving a pull and Mike Roper held a good, low leg-side catch. The innings then wobbled with three cheap wickets, Haynes taking a breathtaking one-handed catch in the covers, the highlight of some sublime fielding.

Waters remained but he was undone by a grenade from the unusual legspin of Tom Crump, whose fourth ball he slapped straight to Bradley Gilchrist at short cover. As he headed off, most believed the school’s hopes went with him.

But Hannah and Allen defied the odds in a sixth-wicket stand of 75 in 44 minutes, taking singles steadily to add to the pressure. But with the finishing line in sight, Meaker, bowling of half a dozen paces but still at speed, had Allan leg-before for 30.

Twenty-two were needed off the last two overs, and ten off the last. Jordan hit two off the first was followed by a wicket as Meaker bowled him. Phil Roper took a single and then Hannah did the same. With six needed off two, Roper played the most audacious shot, going down on one knee and slog sweeping Meaker over the pavilion. The cheers could be heard on the Lowers.

This was what OC against School matches should be like but haven’t been for almost 30 years. We had a full-strength side on the Lowers but this XI would rate among one of our stronger XIs and it has to be hoped that a number of those who played will go on to become OC regulars. One last thing that stood out was the universally outstanding fielding and throwing, a testament to the work put in by Stuart Welsh.

Cricketer Cup and School sides named

The following side has been picked to play against Old Cliftonians in the second round of the Cricketer Cup on the Lowers on Sunday June 29.

Henry Watkinson (capt), Eds Copleston, Will Howard, Abeed Janmohamed, Graham Webb, Michael Chetwode, Alex Craven, Matt Crump, Alan Cope, Sam Langmead, Jumbo Jupp, AN Other.

The following will represent the club against the School on Jubilee in a 40-over-a-side match on Sunday June 29.

Tom Crump, James Halton, James Jupp, Mike Roper, Stuart Meaker, Jonny Haynes, Dave Bolton, Max Hobson, Adam Jolly, Bradley Gilchrist, Nick Prichard.

England cricketers to debate at Cranleigh

England cricketers past and present will form a distinguished panel at a forthcoming MCC Spirit of Cricket event, sponsored by Artemis Investment Management and being held at Cranleigh School, Surrey, on Monday 21st April.

Former Test captain Chris Cowdrey will host an evening of lively debate and will be joined by England spin bowler Monty Panesar, Middlesex captain Ed Smith and the National Selector, Geoff Miller, in discussing the spirit of cricket and issues affecting the game today.

The MCC Spirit of Cricket evening at Cranleigh is a spin-off of the hugely popular annual Cowdrey Lecture (first delivered by Richie Benaud in 2001) - an event that has quickly established itself as an important date in the cricket calendar.

The invited audience will be comprised of young school and club cricketers and their coaches. In what promises to be an entertaining evening, the host, Chris Cowdrey, said:

"I'm proud of my father's achievement, along with Ted Dexter, of setting out a vision for the spirit of cricket. It was terrific for this to become part of the Laws of Cricket but the challenge now is to make this relevant to cricketers of the future. Cranleigh School has set us the challenge of having a fun evening which also gets to grips with some of the big questions facing the game today. At such a busy time of the cricketing year, we are extremely grateful to Monty, Ed and Geoff for giving up their time to debate these issues with us, and to Artemis Investment Management for sponsoring the event."

MCC Secretary & Chief Executive, Keith Bradshaw, said: "MCC retains a passionate commitment to promoting the spirit of cricket. The Cowdrey Lecture serves an important function in discussing the cricketing issues of the day and the evening at Cranleigh School promises to be an exciting extension of this. I am particularly pleased that the event will be held in the early season and will be attended by a young audience. With such an impressive panel, I'm sure that the topics raised will inspire each young cricketer as they approach the beginning of their own cricket season."

Managing Director of Artemis Fund Managers, Dick Turpin, said: "Artemis is delighted to support such an important venture. The Spirit of Cricket must play a central part in the future of the game worldwide".

Guy Waller, Headmaster of Cranleigh School, said: "We are thrilled to be hosting this event. Those of us involved in Schools' cricket like to think that we play the game in the best possible spirit but it is never something to be complacent about. "

Another undefeated season for the school

Cranleigh enjoyed a second successive undefeated season, with victories including Epsom, Winchester, St Paul’s, Wellington, St John’s Leatherhead and St Peter’s Adelaide. James Halton held the batting together and captain Seren Waters led by example with both bat and ball. Stuart Meaker’s pace was too much for many opposition batsmen, taking 28 wickets at 13.92.

School return from Kenya tour

In the first two weeks of the Easter holidays, 15 Cranleighans (Under-16 and Under-17s) accompanied by Peter Kemp, Stuart Welch and Graham Cooper set off for a cricket tour to Kenya.

Click here for a brief report on the Cranleigh School website.

Pavilion returns to its proper use

The news that many former cricketers of the School had been waiting for came with the announcement that the Cranleigh School Sports Club (CSSS) have vacated the Jubilee pavilion.

While this does not guarantee that the building will return to being what it was and what it was intended to be, namely a full-time cricket pavilion, it does mean that the main obstacle to it being so appears to have been removed.

The OCCC and many within the School were disappointed when the building was handed over to the CSSS in 1988 leaving Cranleigh as one of the few major public schools without a dedicated cricket pavilion. Visitors to most other schools will be aware of the heritage and history contained in their own pavilions; there is nowhere at Cranleigh with any archives or photographs on display.

The future plans are still very much up in the air given that the barely six weeks elapsed between the decision to end the CSSS's tenure and their vacating the premises. A number of proposals are thought to be on the table, ranging from closing the building outside School games to maintaining a part-time bar on the first floor. Whether the OCCC will be able to use it during our annual week remains unknown.

The OCCC will be asking for permission to use the facilities, in return for which we would be offering to help restore the inside of the building to something more akin to a traditional cricket pavilion.

The building was erected in 1924 by Old Cranleighans as a memorial to all Cranleighans who fell in the Great War - one of the reasons for the unhappiness with the way it was subsequently used. The Jubilee field itself, comprising the Jubilee and Clare's Oak, was also donated to the School by the OCs in 1913 to mark the golden jubilee of the opening of the School in 1865 (yes, two years early but maths was never a strength of Cranleighans).