Watkinson scoops cricket week awards

Batsman of the week Close run thing with no hundred but four nineties. Simon Copleston edged the award courtesy of the pleasure he gave on the first Saturday when he ran himself out on 99. He also hit a six on the Wednesday in a rare attacking innings and made another ninety on the Friday.

Bowler of the week The evergreen Michael Chetwode took wickets at vital times and even unleashed his full run-up for the first time since McDermott was handsome. His workload was eased by good spells from several bowlers young enough to be his sons – Lewis Clarke, Dom Lewis, Alex Craven and Tim Payne to name four. Jock Vickers late burst with genuine turn - bowling Chinamen - wasn’t witnessed by enough people to be eligible.

Innings of the week Chetwode again for his eight-ball 17* at Charterhouse. Came in with 17 needed and the last pair at the wicket and hit 4,6,6 off their hapless left-armer. “I'd have gone on to 100 if I had the time,” the modest one later said.

Shot of the week Peter Hobbs’s hook against Tonbridge in a run chase – he top-edged into the back of his head, was knocked out, and when he finally got to his feet was told that he had been caught via cranium at gulley. Peter Rollings’s remarkable forehand smash for four warrants a mention.

Bowling performance of the week Henry Watkinson’s three-wicket burst to effectively end the match against Suttonians wins this, but his brother Sam’s two balls which “pinned” Richard Seeckts up there for amusement value.

Catch of the week: Alex Craven’s slip catch against Suttonians and Lewis Clark’s running overbalanced effort at Charterhouse up there. But joint winners are Graeme Brown’s excellent diving catch against Suttonians and Steve Bailey’s one-handed snatch at first slip against Celeriacs – the latter resulted in the batsman taking a full minute to leave the pitch as he couldn’t believe “that little round bloke” had caught it.

Drop of the week And there were plenty to chose from. But for crowd-pleasing amusement, Henry’s spill against Grasshoppers wins. The ball before he had lambasted Michael Chase for dropping a skyer. The batsman repeated the shot, the ball went high towards Watkinson standing in the deep 20 yards from Chase … and there was a glorious inevitability as Watkinson and ball hit turf at the same time. Bailey wins the most-drops prize.

Angry Man of the Week Again, as always with the OCCC, plenty of candidates. Chetwode demanded that an umpire be removed after he had the temerity to turn down an lbw shout (the same umpire had ask Chetters how to signal a leg bye the over before); Chase snarled at Watkinson, Watkinson back at Chase with increasing feeling on the Monday; but the award goes to a newcomer, Harry Jupp, who showed he has what it takes with a prolonged rant (lasting a few days) after (incorrectly) being given lbw by Chetwode on the Monday.

Spectator of the Week Close contest between Philip Angel, Viv Cox and Rick Johnson. Whereas Cox was a good cricketer for the OC’s before the war, and Angel supplies beer, and a moving target for big-hitting batsman, Johnson was just useless, even by his standards. He took seven days off work and he never actually made it onto the field. Slept through two games. When he was awake he phutted round on his motorbike, knocked it over, and it sustained £500 worth of damage with 15 miles on the clock.

Vodafone Technology Award Watkinson again. On the first Saturday he rang the umpire’s mobile from the pavilion balcony and instructed the official to tell opening batsman Simon Copleston to get a move on or get out.

Rick Johnson: can anyone explain the point?
Mid-Life Crisis Award Tough competition. Simon Copleston for his purchase of the kind of car your father would drive and think cool – a “babe magnet” according to SCGC? Johnson for his Ducatti nightmare, not only buying it, but breaking it, and being too scared to go over 50mph even when it was working? Copleston by a short nose.

Wreck of the week Hobbs. Lifetime holder. Was a shambling has-been after one match, his KO against Tonbridge provoked widespread mirth, and his inability to drive his mid-life crisis sportscar in a straight line caused certain embarrassment.

Honorable Mentions Eds Copleston for parading a pet rabbit called Playboy during the Brewers Cup match (“It’s named after me”). Henry Watkinson for upsetting the first scorer the club has had in 20 years by sending her off to score on the Lowers. Gareth Starling for dumping a girl on the Thursday night only to re-pull her 24 hours later.

Cricket week 2003 ... the awards

Batsman of the Week: Henry Watkinson
Henry was at his belligerent best throughout, leading the charge against Grasshoppers with a quickfire fifty and regularly upping the tempo of an innings in his own style.

Bowler of the Week: Graeme Brown
A long-service reward for Shorts, who was used to keep one end ticking over while the big guns rested (or hid from the first-class batsmen). Brown took the scalps of Trevor Gripper, Hamish Marshall and Matt Church to name three.

Innings of the Week: Rick Johnson
Rick showed that he can play real cricket when the occasion demands with a thoroughly entertaining 60 against Grasshoppers. He also came second in the voting for giving a large assembly huge delight by being bowled for 0 to the second ball of the week.

Shot of the Week: Pete Hobbs/Richard Seeckts/Graeme Brown
Close call, this. All three shots came as we tried to draw the tedious game against Wanderers. Hobbs aimed a massive heave at a straight one ("I was bored"), then Seeckts tried to smack Gripper out of the ground ("I bet him I could hit him for six"), and as captain Watkinson grew increasingly angry, Brown capped it all by charging down the wicket to Gripper and being stumped by such a margin that it could have been classifed as a run out ("He hit me for six, I wanted a go back at him"). Brown's was filth, but Hobbs returned to find his team-mates had formed a 'corrdior of shame' for him to walk through.

Bowling Performance of the Week: Ed Henderson
OK, Michael Chetwode might have got more wickets, but Hendo's amazing return of 8-7-1-2 against Old Aldenhamians is about as good as it can get for an opening bowler in a cup competition. The one run he conceded was a wide off his fourth ball - his next 42 balls were runless.

Fielder of the Week: Sam Langmead
Chased everything, perfected the sliding stop-and-throw, has a good, accurate arm, and most importantly responded to a yell of "hard in" from Chetwode at the bowler's end with a exocet from about 15 yards which left the great man spreadeagled on the ground clutching his midriff.

Catch of the Week: Simon Copleston
A remarkable catch from Simon at short midwicket off Martin Williamson to end an opening stand of 52 by the Celeriacs. A held-back ball (long hop) was middled by the unlucky opener hard to Simon's right and no more than two inches off the ground. Simon flung himself, held the ball, and leapt to his feet with a hard-man's stare and no emotion, as if to indicate to the batsman that this was routine for him. If only he knew …

Over of the Week: Henry Watkinson v Surrey Cryptics
Another award for the captain. Chasing runs as the declaration loomed, Henry announced that he would prove he was a big hitter. The first ball went high but straight to mid-on who dropped a rotuine catch - 2 runs. The second ball was lofted towards long off who should have been on the fence but being an OC (Paul Goss) he had drifted and the ball looped over his head for four. The third ball was blocked. The fourth ball was skyed to square leg for another routine chance but again it was dropped - 2 runs. The fifth ball was again smacked to Goss at long off; Goss, lambasted by his captain for "not being on the rope, you twat" had learned his lesson. Again the ball sailed over his head as he charged in, another four. The last ball was an edged single. Four dropped catches in five balls. Good hitting, Waffer.

Drop of the Week: Henry Watkinson/Anonymous
The identity of the gentleman who dropped the Old Georgians' opener (who went on to get 116) off the first ball of the match - and a sitter at that - will remain a secret as it was his first appearance for the club. So instead Watkinson wins the award for a plethora of missed chances (he did take some good ones in his defence) the best being his drop off the same OG batsmen the very ball after he had loudly reminded his fielders that they "have to hold on to any chances".

Chat-up Line the Week: Henry Watkinson
No contest as the captain crashed and burned in a Guildford nightclub. The recipient of Henry's "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Barbara Streisand?" line was so unimpressed that she hit him several times, cutting his lip in the process. "She had a big nose," explained Watkinson.

Woman's Arm of the Week: Graeme Brown
Not a good week for Brownie's machismo reputation. Having mocked Simon Copleston's throw, Brown, previously thought to have a good arm, failed to get within 10 yards of Simon's worst effort (and within 20 yards of anyone else's) during the Sunday night challenge. By Thursday he was being asked to show just how feeble his arm was to opposing players. His humiliation was completed when he was out-thrown by a woman on the final day of the week.

Conman of the Week: Rick Johnson
Rick's determination to disprove rumours that he has the drinking capacity of a fourth-former ended in a 60 in 60 challenge (60 shots glasses of beer in 60 minutes). Rick triumphed, seeing off Watkinson whose challenge ended on his 57th glass. But a subsequent weights-and-measures examination revealed that Rick's glass was two-third's of the size of the others used in the competition. Rick denied the accusation but the question marks over his capacity to drink remain.

Wreck of the Week
No contest. Hobbsy, despite being just 29, behaved like a 50-year-old on the pitch and a 15-year-old off it. No woman was safe while Hobbsy prowled or lounged in the swimming pool, but once he donned the whites he hobbled his way round the outfield, bowled a few overs and grimaced.