Sleepy enjoyment resumes at Headley

Old Cranleighans 242 for 6 dec (Chetwode 72, Russell 46, Wilkie 41*) drew with Headley 240 for 6
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A lovely sleepy summer’s afternoon and a perfect antidote to the abomination resulting from poor captaincy 12 months earlier, the game going down to the last ball. Village cricket as it should be played.

The OC hierarchy banished the captain of 2008 to Singapore and picked a side who would offer some va-va-voom. Michael Chetwode, drafted in after his Frogs game was cancelled hours before, volunteered to open with returning legend Peter Russell, and the pair added 110 in 11 overs. Russell, slightly tubbier but still a magnificently tanned sight for the ladies, oozed class after a rusty start. Chetwode also oozed something, but enough of that. He sliced, heaved and smote to great effect, aided by four dropped catches, and produced the shot of the day, a delightful eight iron which left a large dent in Rick Johnson’s car door.

Sadly, no sooner had Chetwode’s thoughts started to flick back to his only career hundred, made on this same ground, than he played on for 72. Russell then started to open up with some beautiful drives and pulls before he suffered the same fate.

Johnson, in some tight-fitting trousers (but aren’t they all) made 12 exclusively between point and third man, something Headley stifled with five men behind square on the off, while Steve Bailey made a typically idiosyncratic 34.

Iain Wilkie, his remaining traces of hair now silver, started stiffly and got stiffer, but as the declaration loomed played some attacking shots which he would never have considered in his youth (or middle age) to finish on 41 not out.

Headley set off at a pace, aided by Johnny Gates, who proclaimed at tea he could hold hard catches but not easy ones, proving the point by missing a succession of sitters. Just to underline the point he also fluffed a stumping or two. In fairness to him, the chairman, a specialist keeper in his slimmer youth, refused to keep as it interfered with his consumption of the excellent tea.

It was tight all the way, Henry Watkinson using eight bowlers to spice up the chase. In the end Headley needed 13 off two overs with wickets in hand. Chetwode, ever reliant, was summoned and restricted the batsmen to three runs off the penultimate over. Watkinson then tossed the ball to Damion Hill, a spectator all day, for his first involvement, bowling the final over.

With four needed off the last ball, a shot was launched into the deep where Johnson dropped it, but his bulk ensured there was no way the ball would or could pass him to the boundary.

A draw and a thoroughly enjoyable game against a good hosts. Hopefully this ensures we will be invited back in 2010. As long as Tristan Rosenfeldt isn’t allowed to resume his captaincy.

Pop-gun OCs draw with Headley

Headley 284 for 6 (J Midmer 72*, W Midmer 52, Bugge 4-46) drew with OCs 229 for 7 (Copleston 66, Hill 43*, Fawcett 37)

The annual Golden Oldies side was not, due to some late cry-offs, not altogether old and certainly wasn’t gold. We came away from a sunny, if windy, Headley with an honourable draw but paid for turning up with a bowling attack for which the label pop-gun would be overplaying its strength.

We fielded well, especially the indefatigable Damian Hill who seemed to be permanently charging around the boundary on the road side and diving to save fours. We held almost all the catches that came our way, and batted solidly. But with no front-line bowlers, and not many from the second string either, we were always up against it.

Tristan Rosenfeldt, with the hairline and girth of a Golden Oldie if not the sharp wit or tactical know-how, fielded on winning the toss. He had no option. We couldn’t have bowled out a blind school. John Wells and Hill shared the new ball but with enough loose stuff for a strong Headley line-up to feast. The change bowlers failed to stem the flow, but David Bugge did roll back the clock with some brisk offspin and he grabbed four wickets. Rosenfeldt risked his life by taking Bugge out of the attack when he seemed set for a five-for. Men have died for less, but he got away with it.

He then underlined his naivety by opting, against advice, to toss it up and invite Headley to have a go. The challenge was accepted with glee. Eds Copleston took two overs to pitch one on the cut strip, by which time several hours had been lost searching for the ball in the undergrowth, but when he did he took an immediate wicket, probably because the batsman was in a state of shock. Rosenfeldt rather interestingly brought himself on and only sped up the flow of runs. In the end Headley called off the slaughter at 284 for 6 off 41 overs.

Our reply got off to a poor start when Tom Merry was caught behind off a snorter in the first over, and then Iain Wilkie was bowled after some crisp leg-side shots. Copleston, unleashing some super drives, and Will Fawcett, playing from instinct and hammering a remarkable straight six, took the score to 106 and at a rate that had us right on course. It was hard work on a pitch where the ball never came onto the bat.

But Fawcett was undone by a straight one and then the game turned on a quite remarkable catch in the deep to remove Copleston for 66, the boundary fielder taking a one-handed diving catch an inch from the turf as he ran in at full speed. The outstanding legspin of Josh Pickering, a delight to watch, further applied the brakes and we were left needing double figures from 15 overs out.

Hill’s encounter with Pickering was beauty and the beast. Confronted with guile, flight and real turn, Hill leant back and heaved to good effect. Legbreak and googly were all thumped over midwicket with equal disdain and ignorance, and at the end John Wells joined in the fun as well.

On paper we were within 50-odd runs of the target but the reality were that we never seriously in the hunt as the strongest Headley side for several years always had the depth to shut things down. To their credit, they didn’t.

Bugge, White and Wilkie join Hall of Fame

Three new OCs have been elected to the Hall of Fame. All three are former captains – Colin White, David Bugge and Iain Wilkie.

As per the rules, nominations were considered from all current Hall of Famers and the final decision was made by John McDermott, himself elected in 2006.

Colin White’s heyday was in the 1960s, by which time he had already played for Cambridge University and Surrey 2nd XI. Generally regarded as the most stylist batsman to have come out of Cranleigh since the war, Colin was an archetypal left-hander, whose every stroke seemed to rely on timing rather than force and to who an ugly shot was an anathema. His chances of a Blue were wrecked when he was hit in the mouth and hospitalised by when playing against the New Zealand tourists. In contrast to the safety needed in his as a banker, as a batsman he looked to attack from the first ball, with the drive over extra cover his favourite stroke. He was also an quite outstanding cover fielder, his speed and agility being further strengthened by an ability to pick the ball up and throw with either hand. He captained the side in 1966 and went on to become president. In 124 matches he scored 3633 runs at 33.33 including 21 fifties and four hundreds. “I am very touched and honoured,” he said. “It's frightening to realise that it was 50 years ago that I first started to help Nigel with the cricket weeks at the School, liaising with Arthur Germany re food and drink in the pavilion, selecting the sides, etc. No e-mails then, just lots of phone calls!”

David Bugge was the most successful OC captain, leading the side between 1982 and 1986 from the front and hardly missing a match - he holds the club record of playing in 42 consecutive games between 1982 and 1984. The highlight of his tenure came in 1984 when we won all nine matches in the cricket week. An utterly dependable batsman, capable of either solid defence or whirlwind aggression as the situation demanded; a deceptively penetrative bowlers who looked little more than medium pace but disguised a nagging accuracy and a little more nip than the batsman expected; and a fearless and reliable close fielder (although less assured under boundary steeplers!). As captain David gave his all and expected others to do the same, and he brought out the best in many players. Still playing occasionally, he has made 125 appearances, scoring 3585 runs at 41.21, including 20 fifties and three hundreds, and taken 124 wickets at 20.08. “This is an honour for all of us,” he said.

Iain Wilkie was the foundation of many wins during the 1980s and early 1990s with his unique approach to batting. Strong off his legs, adept at driving and fearless against fast bowling (his duals with Johnny Bass at Ardingly are legendary) his reputation as a slow scorer was underserved; more often than not he shouldered the burden of responsibility for scoring runs in a weak side. The surprise was that he only scored two hundreds - they came within a week of each other in 1983 and were, at the time, the two slowest in the club's history. Taking over from David Bugge as captain, an unenviable role after the success of the early 1980s, he often did not have the comfort of having several more than capable batsmen in the side. Aside from the burden of captaincy and opening the innings, he also had the added task of having to keep wicket in the absence of any other regular. Indefatigably cheerful, he has made 158 appearances scoring 3883 runs at 27.15 with 19 fifties. “Thank you so much,” Iain chirped. “This is an unexpected, but hugely welcome, honour. I feel very proud to be recognised in this way by my fellow OCs.”

Click here for the Hall of Fame site.