New awards unveiled at annual dinner

Around 50 Old Cranleighans and a few current Cranleighans attended the annual-when-the-committee-remembers dinner at The Alma in Wandsworth. For the first time three awards were made - Batsman of the Year, Bowler of the Year and Player of the Year. There was also an auction to raise money for the Friends of Tim Evans Trust and in all more than £1100 was collected.

After drinks and an excellent meal, Michael Chetwode gave a rare and very witty speech, honouring Martin Williamson for his contribution to the club over the last 30 years, both on and off the field. Suffice to say tales of losses on shares, Coppers Doggers and other embarrassing escapades were dusted off. Peter Shelley, who as captain in 1980 recruited both Chetwode and Williamson into the club, then read out a highly amusing, largely fictitious, and repeatedly libellous letter from Williamson to him asking to play in the 1980 cricket week. Williamson was then presented with a cricket bat signed by many club members and mounted in a wooden case. He gave a short speech of thanks.

Club president David Bugge, steadfastly wearing a traditional OC blazer, gave a brief speech highlighting the success of recent years and flagging Rick Johnson would be proposed for inclusion in the Hall of Fame at the next AGM.

Before the awards came the fines. With Eds Copleston sidelined with a painful disease, it fell to the far more aesthetic Sophie Cook to dish out the punishments to the usual suspects. Several people noted it was Copleston’s least badly-behaved evening in recent memory.

The Batsman of the Year was a product of our youth policy, Henry Watkinson; the Bowler of the Year went to Ed Henderson; while the Player of the Year, again looking to the future, was a rather staggered Chetwode.

The evening ended with a raffle and auction for the Friends of Tim Evans Trust. John McDermott acted as auctioneer, making a trademark speech and crossing a new boundary by describing the headmaster’s wife, who was in attendance, as a “a little bit of crumpet”.

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.

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.

Season ends with a win at Elstead

OCs 256 for 9 (Johnson 63, Watkinson 38, Cope 29, Gates 24*, Henderson 22) beat Elstead 166 (Boxhall 30, Crump T 2-7, Williamson 2-16) by 90 runs

We finished our season with an emphatic 90-run win at Elstead, a new fixture and a pleasant way to complete a most successful summer. A record of 12 wins, two draws and the one defeat is probably the best in the club’s 118-year history.

Click here for the full report.

Australia tour gets the green light

After several weeks of uncertainty, Johnson Williamson Package Holidays are pleased to confirm that their fourth bi-annual jaunt, the tour to Australia in January 2003, is on.

A number of high-profile cry-offs had left the trip in doubt, but an equal number of cry-ons has redressed the balance and the planning is now going ahead. The flights and hotels have been booked and all the match/restaurant/transport arrangements have been made.

The trip will leave late on Thursday, January 16 (those who have jobs will be able to put in a full day at the office) and will return in the early hours of Monday, February 3 (those with jobs and the metabolism of an ox will be able to go straight to work), so you will need to take no more than 11 days our of your annual holiday. This leaves even the most unfortunate of you with nine days remaining (of which five will be the cricket week, obviously).

We are playing five matches, the highlight being a match at the Don Bradman memorial ground at Bowral (also the home of the Bradman Museum). The cost includes a three-day trip to the Hunter Valley (quite whether they are prepared for Wongy is another matter), six days at the beach (including flights to and from) and all accomodation, and transport to matches.

The cost of the trip is £1800 (given that flights have already been booked this might be slightly more for latecomers depending on flight availability, but ask and we'll see what we can do). Further good news is that Rick has agreed (extremely reluctantly) that he will not go overboard on clothing and he has ditched his plans for Armani blazers.

We need at least £600 now (to cover deposits) and the balance in the coming months but by late November at the latest. Last one to pay sits next to McDermott on the plane ... and it's a 21-hour flight remember.


Draft Itinerary

Thursday January 16
Leave UK on BA 015 at 22:30

Friday January 17
Indoor Match vs. Singapore baggage handlers at Changi Terminal 1

Saturday January 18
06:30 Arrive Sydney, Australia “The Land of Milk and Honey”

Sunday January 19
Game 1 v Newington College (similar school to Cranleigh). Official dinner for OC expats. Hosted by Bob Dwyer.

Monday January 20
Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb / Free day

Tuesday January 21
Game 2 v TBA .

Wednesday January 22
Game 3 v Bradman Memorial Ground, Bowral.

Thursday January 23
Free Day / One day final Eng v Aust at SCG Day/Night

Friday January 24
Hunter Valley, home of Australian wine – Afternoon private wine tasting sessions at various vineyards– possible end of tour! Stay Hunter Valley.

Saturday January 25
Match 4 vs. Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Vineyard XI

Sunday January 26
Golf morning + more wine tasting. Afternoon return to Sydney for flight to Whitsunday Islands (Tropical paradise on the Barrier Reef)

Monday January 27
Beach

Tuesday January 28
Beach

Wednesday January 29
Game 5 v TBC / Beach

Thursday January 30
Beach

Friday January 31
Beach

Saturday February 1
Game 6 v TBC. Return to Syndey for end of tour dinner. Stay at Park Hyatt with views over the Harbour

Sunday February 2
Depart Sydney 16:00

Monday February 3
Arrive UK 0600

Who's going (so far) Steve Bailey, Mike Chase, Michael Chetwode, Eds Copleston, Tim Evans, Pete Hobbs, Freddie Hood, Tom Hufton, Rick Johnson and the long-suffering Melissa, John McDermott, Nick Read, Nathan Ross, Henry Watkinson (TBC), Martin Williamson, Andy/Liz Wright.

Bailey gets a second chance

Steve Bailey was unanimously re-elected as captain at the AGM of the club on January 28.

Bailey, whose first year at the helm was dogged by unavailability and bad weather, said that he was honoured to be given a chance to sort out the mess he had created. "I appreciate that one or two things went slightly wrong," he told the packed audience at the Cross Keys in Chelsea, "but it wasn't that bad … was it?" You could have heard a pin drop. Bailey promised to try and get at least seven players for all games.

Rick Johnson put forward a determined presentation about his plans for the tour to Australia in January 2003 and, despite some reservations from the members, was given until the end of February to come up with a detailed itinerary and list of potential tourists. The need to involve the youngster was stressed.

Herculean efforts by the Fixtures Secretary, Simon Copleston, meant that again we would have an eight-day cricket week to commemorate the return of the Jubilee pavilion as a home for OC cricket. Rick agreed to co-ordinate the organisation and the inevitable hog roast. Simon added that we had no new fixtures (aside from a game against a Sam Watkinson XI) but that we had agreed with the Old Georgians and Old Tonbridgians that we would play them on a home and away basis in alternate years, thus ensuring that we always had seven home matches during the week. He concluded by announcing that we had a home match against Old Johnians in the first round of the Brewers Cup.

Martin Williamson announced the club had made a substantial loss in 2001, caused largely by the lack of players in matches (it was hard to charge people picked up at a Guildford bus stop half-an-hour before the start of a game a match fee), bad weather and poor collection techniques (Bailey blamed Johnson, Johnson blamed Bailey etc). A number of remedies would be implemented in 2002.

John McDermott announced that he had agreed to stay on another two seasons as club president in order to ensure that 'Bailey didn't destroy the whole ****ing shooting match'.

Style gurus lose their way Stateside

The fourth trip to Florida was our least successful on the pitch but probably the most enjoyable off it.

After the human cost of last year's eight-day tour, this year's strategy was to arrive late - so late that our first match took place 13 hours after our arrival in Florida (and about eight hours after we finally extracted ourselves from the Alamo Car Rental office in Tampa). It was little surprise that we lost to a Sarasota side we should have comfortably beaten. We had woken (sobered) up by the time of our second match in the afternoon and comfortably beat. The salubrious Denny's Restaurant hosted a 'Schooldays' dinner at which we enhanced our reputation as a side who cared more about enjoyment that winning.

The squad against the picturesque backdrop of the Holiday Inn
On Friday we faced the eventual winners Ashurst Crusaders, a side which contained Mike Gatting and Ashley Cowan among others. Gatt found the OC attack of Johnson and Trevett to his liking (in a throwback to his days as captain, Chetwode hid until Gatt was well out of sight) and chasing 69 we were well beaten.

Our final match was a formality in that we were already eliminated, but it still had spice as it was against our old rivals Houston Memorial, previous winners and a side who had never beaten us. Houston batted first and set a target of 69, a tough score in the five-over format. Although we lost pinch-hitter Chetwode for 0, Nathan Ross, Rick Johnson and Pete Hobbs, aided by a plethora of wides, saw us home with eight balls to spare.

So we ended with a 2-2 record. In fairness we were probably one of the best four sides in the tournament but suffered from late nights and being in a tough group.

Nathan 'Random' Ross was the pick of the batsmen, and one of the best in the whole competition - at last a ringer who can ring - and he retired in each of his four innings.

Off the field Random also displayed an un-OC habit of talking to girls and not have them walk away within seconds. Hobbs arrived with a massive reputation as a stud, was blown away by some silly drinking on the first night and only recovered as the tour ended. Tom Trevett, king puller in Kenya, enhanced his reputation further with some smooth action in Sarasota.

But the undoubted success of the tour was not one of these, but the striped blazer. Ridiculed at Gatwick, it was idolised by Americans and attracted comment (and women) wherever it went. It proved the best ice-breaker known to man, and was only undermined by the inability of most of the wearers to follow-up these openings. Safe to say it looked far better on the ladies at Cheetah's and various waitresses than it did on any of the OCs.

Tour party Steve Bailey (capt), Michael Chetwode, Rick Johnson, Tom Trevett, Pete Hobbs, Martin Williamson, Nathan Ross, Will Bond, John McDermott, Sylvia McDermott, Andy Wright, Liz Wright.

Bailey takes the reins

At a packed AGM of the club Steve Bailey was elected as the new captain of the club. The 28-year-old succeeds Henry Watkinson who leaves for Australia as soon as the side returns from Kenya.

"At least it's not a tough act to follow," said Bailey. "It's a great privilege and I hope that I can live up to the great players who preceded Henry. I feel that my experience of leading the School in 1990, plus my skills as a genuine allrounder, will help to lead the club into a new era."

Ed Copleston, who was elected as vice-captain, was quick to give his support to Kitbag. "Steve is a master on the field, a demon of tactician. He will make calculated decisions based on the situation he faces, not rash reactions to pressurised scenarios. It will be a pleasure to serve under him and I know we all have alot to learn from the next year of transition which he leads us head first into."

New social secretary Rick Johnson discusses fund raising with an admirer
And Simon Copleston also gave his backing to the diminutive new leader. "Steve is a very competent captain. I've played under him before and he'll inject a tough edge into OCs cricket that we haven't seen since the days of Bugge. His dancing talents off the field will be very useful and I'm sure he'll pick a very good looking team."

Club president John McDermott was equally supportive once had got over the shock.

Bailey denied that his new romantic links with a Spanish lady would mean that he couldn't give his full attention to the job.

Other decisions reached at the meeting were that Martin Williamson and Mike Chetwode would captain a 'Golden Oldies' 2nd XI on Speech Day, with selection placing less emphasis on ability to procure illegal substances and more on cricketing prowess. Chetwode denied that it was a move on his part to take more cheap wickets.

Former captain Andy Wright, star batsman Robin Elsdon Dew and supporter Allen Dean were all elected vice-presidents.

And Rick Johnson was levered into the new position of OCCC Social Secretary.

Sarasota semi-final heartache

The third jaunt by the OCCC to the Sarasota International Six-a-Side festival ended, as in the 1999, in semi-final defeat. But again (and mystifyingly) we won many friends off the pitch and funded Cheetahs nightclub's operating costs for another twelve months.

For the first time we entered two sides - one in the main competition and one in the social league - and also brought an increasing number of supporters. We also introduced coloured kit to the Americans, chosing to play in a fetching navy blue strip with orange hats.

The first team lost just one of their group matches, defeating the fancied Houston side for the second year running and also seeing off last year's winners, British Airways. In the end we won our qualifying group by the narrowest of margins.

John McDermott sings My Way during the annual Festival dinner
In the semi-final we were again slightly the worse for wear after a particularly evil drinking session at the Festival dinner and never quite scored enough runs to challenge a strong Tornoto side.

Nick Read was again the pick of the batsmen, although Watkinson and Chetwode both showed signs of their big-hitting abilities. With the ball Chetwode was as parsimonious as ever, although in one match he managed to concede 21 runs from his over.

The social side were on paper probably the strongest in the group but we suffered from kit difficulties (Trevett opting to play in boat shoes after losing all his luggage) and the captain's rather strange agreement to a 7.30am start for one of the matches (we had to wait for dawn to break before we could start).

Off the field Nick Whitfield travelled in hope but failed to play a match after his cruciate ligament injury flared up whenever starting times were mentioned; he won an award for visiting Cheetahs on ever day throughout the tour.

The behaviour was generally good, although there was too much shopping done in many peoples' opinion, too little drinking and too long spent in burger bars and Denny's. Nigel Clark's behaviour on the outward journey leaves little reason to believe that he will make it to Australia without being kicked-off the flight.

First Team: Henry Watkinson (capt), Steve Bailey, Rick Johnson, Nick Read, Michael Chetwode, Richard Thomas.

Second Team: Will Bond (capt), Tom Trevett, Tim MacKenzie, Nigel Clark, Martin Williamson, ANO.

God slams fitness jibes

-
The OCCC have confirmed that they will break with 110 years of tradition and wear coloured clothing for the forthcoming trip to Sarasota.

The clothes, designed by Armani, will be predominantly navy blue, with orange trim. The cap will be of a colour chosen by Henry Watkinson. Coloured pads etc have been borrowed from a county side. As another concession to the modern game all players will have names on the back of their shirt, although Rick Johnson is threatening to sue after it was revealed that his shirt will bear the legend Dyson!

Another open for endless ridicule is Nick Read, a man who is fir for about three weeks of any year. He has not let the side down this time, pulling a hamstring during last weekend's OCHC match.

When asked, he denied that he was a weak drip. "I pulled my hammy this last time last year before Florida, attempted to pull out of the cricket, was coerced into playing four games (embarrassingly hobbling) by Messrs McDermott and Watkinson, and managed to do more damage such that I did not play hockey again until February, and then pulled it again in first game back as was recommended by physio to take a year off sport to which he said 'bollo** off' (though this may be seen as a blessing to the OC's)."

Stung by suggestions that he would be out until 2001, he thundered, "Unlikely to be fit before Christmas" needs to be differentiated to "being bullied to play 10 overs of cricket by Williamson et al in Florida" to "unlikely to be match fit to play hockey, save ripping the frickin muscle again."

"Puurrlleeaasee! Let's hope I have more joy in pulling things other than muscles in the US. One can only pray." When asked about the possibility of the latter, the consensus of OCCC tourists was that there was more chance of Bailey avoiding another confrontation with The Wall than Reado pulling.