Chetwode and his children guide us to a winning start

OCCC 230 for 5 (Gates 56*, T Crump 55, W Langmead 52, Jones 50) beat Esher 211 (39.4 overs, Chetwode 4-14) by 19 runs
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Our first line up of the season was a blend of experience and youth, and on paper a very strong batting line up. We won the toss and took the opportunity to post a score for Esher to chase down in their 40 overs. The unseasonably fine weather, in evidence again on the day albeit accompanied by a cold wind, had allowed a good track to be nurtured and we were able to build a strong start.


Rob Jones and Will Langmead eased their way to 94 at the 15 over mark. However we were 109 for 2 just four overs later, with both openers falling shortly after celebrating their half centuries - Jones leg-before for 50 and Langmead caught behind for 52.

Damien Hill missed his opportunity after being caught for 3, and we got bogged down over the next 15 overs as the scoring rate dropped from 6 an over to 4 an over. Jonny Gates and Tom Crump then began to find more fluidity as the rate climbed to over 8 an over during the last 10 overs. Credit should also be given to Gates for his incredible ability to farm the strike!

Crump, who eventually got to face, was then caught and bowled by the Esher captain (another OC) for 55 in the last over, which brought Rich Aston to the crease. He was promptly on his way back after being run out without facing. Gates eventually finished unbeaten on 56 and we posted 230 for Esher to chase.

Roo Hume opened up with a maiden, and Marcus Fletcher opened at the other end up the hill and into the wind. Although we got of to a reasonable start we never really created an opportunity in the opening overs and the good batting track meant that anything full or short was duly dispatched.

Langmead came on to bowl spin and caused some problems, beating players in the air. He was unlucky not to have a stumping to his name but then got his reward when OC Alex Szepietowski smashed the ball back at him and he parried it to the waiting Crump at mid-off. Experience then came to the fore, as the ever dependable Mike Chetwode tightened things up and then bowled the left hander for a duck.

At the halfway stage Esher were 85 for 3 as Chetwode strangled their middle order and that pressure brought wickets. Despite a number of missed opportunities, with Rob Merry having a shocker behind the stumps, we looked to be just in front. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and Esher remained behind the curve – needing 96 off the final 10 overs and then 83 off the final five.

Hill bowled with uncharacteristic control and captain Abeed Janmohamed’s first spell was also tight. However having bought a wicket Abeed brought Esher’s pro (Ahmed) to the crease – who then calmly dispatched some fairly friendly Janmohamed pies for two sixes and a four. This gave Esher something to cheer about and a glimmer of hope but a fantastic diving catch in the deep by Crump off Hume removed the Ahmed threat and Esher’s chances. The game was wrapped up by an easy run-out as we finished them with two balls to spare, 19 short of our total.

A good result and first outing this season for a number of players. Several batsman put their hand up for Cricketer Cup places, and it was pleasing to see the recent school leavers play their part. Four batsman got half centuries but the stand out performance once again was old lag Chetwode with figures of 4 for 14 off his eight overs.

Somethings old, somethings new

The averages for 2010 showed significant contributions from both young and old, but the story of the season was provided by the veteran Simon Copleston, who returned from exile in Dubai to record his sixth OC hundred, equally the record of Nigel Paul; despite barely lifting a bat in anger for several seasons, he also came within six runs of a second century. His 267 runs at 89.00 topped the averages and took him past 4000 runs, only the second batsman to achieve the landmark, again after Paul. He also leapfrogged his brother, Eds, whose own departure for New York curtailed his own record-chasing activities.

There were two other hundreds, one in his first innings for the club, one in his last. Duncan Allen, at the time in the Upper Sixth, made a much-lauded 109 not out against Old Wykehamists on his debut, and went on to play for Kenya Under-19s before the year was out. The other came at Headley where Nathan Ross scored 112 shortly before heading back to Australia after a nine-year stay in which he became the first and only non-OC to play regularly for us. It was a popular and deserved way to sign off.

The Crump brothers again weighed in with valuable runs, Sam Langmead showed rowing the Atlantic had left no scars with a brace of 70s, while Dave Wilson proved a far better prospect than his father (Mike) with a pair of 60s.

Of the 116 wickets taken during the season, only three bowlers managed ten or more, two youngsters - Matt Crump with 11 at 15.73 and Andrew Goudie, in his debut season, with 13 at 22.38 - and another older than those two combined - Michael Chetwode with 10 at 24.30. Matt Crump was also one of only two bowlers to take a five-for, the other a man two years older than Chetwode, Graham Webb, whose 5 for 25 came in the Cricketer Cup defeat against Old Malvernians, only the third time anyone had taken five in a cup tie, the other two occasions almost inevitably featuring Chetwode.

Paddy Harman looked a useful allrounder with runs and wickets.

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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
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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.

Roper ensures we finish on a high

Old Cranleighans 252 for 9 dec (Crump T 51, Cowdrey 36, Cope 30, Hannah 24*, Roper M 23) beat Old Tonbridgians 180 (Hedley 40, Crump T 2-11, Crump M 2-16, Langmead 2-19) by 72 runs

A winless cricket week was avoided thanks to a last-day victory over Old Tonbridgians, a result which gave us an atom of revenge for the Cricketer Cup defeat at the end of June. After several captains had huffed and puffed without success, it was the calm head of Mike Roper who resisted the chairman’s moans, declared at the perfect time, and then rotated his bowlers in an almost Brearleyesque way.

Our innings was very much like England’s at Cardiff two day’s before. Most batsmen got started, none went on to play a big innings. Tom Crump scored his second fifty in as many days, Rob Cowdrey, Alan Cope and Roper all looked assured until getting out, but only a tenth-wicket stand of 36 between Matt Crump (demoted to No. 11 after his misdemeanour of 24 hours earlier) and Elliott Hannah enabled us to post a decent score.

Tonbridge had a similar problem – lots of cameos, no substantial knock. They also engineered a comedy run-out and contrive red to play some woeful shots, none worse than the top edge of the rankest of long hops from Chris Porter which accounted for Makepeace just as he appeared set to take our part-time spinners to the cleaners.

Matt Crump, opening the attack, was heard to say as he marked out his run that at least he wouldn’t be treated with as much disrespect as he had been during the Cricketer Cup tie. There was loud tittering as his first delivery disappeared high into Clare’s Oak; the second ball of his next over almost cleared it.

A couple of chances went begging but generally we fielded well. Mike Chetwode bowled well but came in for some tap, Cope bowled some suspect offspin and didn’t. Sam Langmead, sporting sideburns not seen at Cranleigh since Queen Victoria was on the throne, picked up two good wickets with his bustling medium-pacers, and the game ended with the Crumps brothers whirling away with what can loosely be described as spin.

The day finished with the now-traditional Rick Johnson BBQ. While usually a gourmet delight, on this occasion he managed to buy some of sickest burgers and sausages ever produced but once he had charcoaled them, few noticed the difference. Until an unwelcome gurgling stomach woke them at 3am …

Charterhouse ease home as Crump goes AWOL

Chaterhouse Friars 119 for 5 beat Old Cranleighans 118 (Crump T 62, Vickers 29) by five wickets

After two days of lousy weather, the rain finally relented for our visit to Charterhouse. However, the pitch was still very wet and that meant the toss was crucial. We lost it, were stuck in, and from the moment Alan Cope was struck twice by lifting deliveries before being dismissed for 0 in the opening over, we were up against it.

As per the teamsheet, it was a Crump who captained the OCs. However, it wasn’t Matt, the match manager, but younger brother Tom. Matt had withdrawn the night before claiming he had tickets for the second day at Cardiff. Eds Copleston’s splenetic reaction was repeated 18 hours later when he found out that Matt had not only missed the match but also failed to secure the promised ticket for the Test. “It’s very disappointing for the club,” Copleston muttered. “It could take many years for Crumpy to rebuild the trust of his team-mates after this debacle.”

Back to the match. With the ball popping from every length, batting was a hit or miss affair. Jock Vickers’ natural game – swing and smash – worked for a while as he bludgeoned 29, aided by four dropped catches, while Tom Crump salvaged some family pride with a superb 62. Sadly, the rest of the side offered little and we were bowled out for 118.

With conditions improving and our opening bowler in hiding from Eds, we were short of seamers to exploit the pitch. The Harman brothers both bowled well, Phil Roper was as tight as ever, and even Vickers managed a wicket. But we were 50 runs shy of making Charterhouse sweat and they eased to a five-wicket win before the scheduled team interval.

Waters and spin sink Haileybury

Old Cranleighans 187 for 1 (Waters 103*, M Crump 35, T Crump 31*) beat Haileybury Hermits 186 (walker 93, Watkinson 4-58, Webb 2-30) by nine wickets with 23.5 overs to spare
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A excellent 107 not out from Seren Waters helped us to an easy nine-wicket win over Haileybury Hermits in the first round of the Cricketer Cup, setting up a challenging second-round tie at Tonbridge in a fortnight.

The setting could not have been better, with the sun shining and hundreds of Old Cranleighans and their families lining the Jubilee boundary. The Red Arrows flew over shortly before the start of the game, and when Eds Copleston won the toss it seemed it was going to be our day all the way.

We started shakily,however, Henry Watkinson and Ed Henderson conceding 17 off the first two overs, but the pair stuck to their guns and reined the openers, and by the tenth over each had taken a wicket and Haileybury were struggling on 43 for 2.

Then came a stand that appeared to be setting them on their way to a formidable total as Nick Walker and Stewart put on 108 for the third wicket. We knew that Walker, whose first-class career with Derbyshire and Leicestershire ended in 2008, would be the danger man, and he set out his stall by smacking Watkinson for two sixes in his first ten balls.

Copleston then set the three-prong spin attack of Phil Roper, Graham Webb and Waters into operation. Initially it seemed as if Walker would continue to dominate, hitting Roper for four fours in eight deliveries, but the next 15 overs produced only two more boundaries. Walker was adept at milking the singles, but Stewart struggled to keep the strike rate up. He managed only one run in the first 38 balls he faced, and 22 of his 24 runs, made from 98 deliveries, were singles.

Roper was unlucky as twice Webb spilt catches off well-hit reverse sweeps, but in the end the pressure told. Copleston switched Webb to the bottom end and with his second ball he had Stewart stumped. Three overs later Waters bowled another Stewart, and then within two balls the innings completely came unstuck.

Gaur was well run-out trying to give the strike to Walker, and next ball Walker himself, limited to singles by tight bowling and good field-placing, was cleaned up by Webb. At 151 for 2 with 18 overs remaining and the pitch playing well, most spectators were talking of a target of 270 plus; nine overs later Haileybury were 171 for 6 and all at sea.

That set the scene for Watkinson, whose pace is a distant memory but who has become a canny death bowler, taking on the mantle which Mike Chetwode used to fulfil so skilfully. By relying on line and length, with the occasional slow full toss into the mix, he polished off the innings with three wickets in five deliveries.

Haileybury had lost their last eight wickets for 35 runs, and defending 186 needed a to hit the ground running. Perhaps the hour-long lunch break, during which former housemaster Roger Knight formally opened the pavilion, did for the visitors.

The opening attack was wayward – there were ten wides in as many overs – and Waters, in good form after a mediocre start to the summer, was savage on anything wide of the off stump, cutting and driving with elegance and power. Matt Crump was by no means going to play second fiddle, and he was as always strong off his legs.

As the hundred approached, both batsmen started taking more chances. Waters was inexplicably dropped at mid-on when in his forties, Crump not as fortunate soon after.

The arrival of Tom Crump only accelerated the finish, cracking four fours in nine balls. Waters, whose fifty came in 61 minutes off 64 deliveries, laid into the weary attack, racing to his second hundred, his second fifty taking only another 32 balls and 34 minutes. His was innings which oozed class, and it was a fitting end to a weekend which had started with his father being awarded the MBE for services to Kenyan cricket.

A win to end the tour

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The final match of the tour and the last chance for new but under-fire captain Eds Copleston to rescue his shredded reputation. The day started with a fascinating tour of one of South Africa’s biggest townships and from there moved on to the match. The intended venue at had, sadly, fallen victim to vandalism and looting and cricket there has all but died out. Nevertheless, we had an opposition, although our travelling support was issued with strict orders not to move from immediately in front of the pavilion … it seems the previous side had ignored this rule and had paid the price.

We batted first and yet again our top order failed to fire, proof if it were needed that combining excessive alcohol and no sleep is no way to prepare for a game. Matt Crump made 23 but it wasn’t until Damian Hill thumped 29 and with Alex Craven and Mike Roper making late runs, we were able to post 152 for 8. Tristan Rosenfeldt’s tour came to an end when he was hit on the finger, his you-can-get-gloves-cheaply-in-Mumbai equipment offering as much protection as a meringue. He departed muttering “when will bloody India stop haunting me” only to reappear with a comedy bandage on his hand, more befitting someone who had trapped his hand in a machine.

It seemed as if it would be four losses in four when we conceded 11 wides in the first five overs as the home side raced to 34 for 0. But then we suddenly found some bottle. Michael Chetwode restored some much-needed control and then part-time spinners Matt and Tom Crump and Alan Cope chipped away at the batting. There were still some glitches – Tom Crump managed an 11-ball over – and the odd dropped catch, but we still put ourselves in a winning position before some late jitters took the match almost to the wire. Cool heads prevailed and as the run-rate climbed, we grabbed the last two wickets and finally had our win on tour.

Presentations followed – we waited to see if Copleston would use the same “this is the most beautiful ground we have played at” speech but even he realised that would be too much – which included handing over more Alive and Kicking footballs. A detour at a township bar – where the “barmaid” served from behind a Fort Knox-like system of grills – followed before we headed home.

After a brief pit stop we headed to Newlands for the end-of-tour dinner in the chairman’s dining room. We took the group photo in the middle with Table Mountain in the background and headed inside. Within minutes we were back out on the square to have another group photo, this time including the Johnsons who, inevitably, were late. Not Rick’s fault. Obviously.

The dinner was followed by closing fines and awards. The batsman of the tour was Damian Hill, the bowler Michael Chetwode, the fielder Tom Merry, and the overall Man of the Tour Keith Crump, whose uncomplaining good humour and ability to ignore the worst excesses of his sons was an example to all.

A few late-tour arguments ended the evening, various pubs were visited and the last of the squad returned to the hotel at 10am, complete with lurid tales.

Defeat under Table Mountain

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The second match of the tour took place at Western Province CC, a stunning ground situated under Table Mountain. The weather was glorious, and our hosts even went as far as handing us the toss on a plate (quite possibly the only thing Eds Copleston will win all tour). We started decently, Damian Hill’s idiosyncratic strokeplay contrasting and outscoring the more classy Alan Cope. Cope fell leg before to a Tom Merry instant decision, and thereafter we limped along, with only a stand of 63 for the fourth wicket between the Crumps enabling us to reach a half-decent total. The gamble of pushing the veterans Chetwode and Watkinson into the middle order to boost the scoring rate failed dismally. Copleston and Matt Crump scurried and swept at the end to help us reach moderate respectability.

Between innings we were treated to a sight never before seen at an OC match as Chetwode warmed up with some painful and horribly stiff contortions. No matter that he needed help to get up afterwards, it showed excellent intent.

Left to defend 160, we did make an early breakthrough when Watkinson won over the umpire with an obscenely long three-part screeching appeal. The ball was going down leg but no matter. It turned out to be our only success of the afternoon and our bowling was cut to ribbons and our fielding, increasing affected by sambuca Belgrano calls the previous night, became increasingly listless. WP Chairman’s XI romped home by nine wickets with almost eight overs to spare.

A marvellous barbeque followed, showing up Rick’s efforts in terms of quantity and also timeliness, and fines then took place against the backdrop of sun setting next to Table Mountain. Rick, to widespread acclaim, took the Dick of the Day tie. The journey home, past houses with ubiquitous razor-wired walls and promises that they were protected by armed response units, was enlivened by a karaoke session, the highlight in quality being Mike Roper, in entertainment Hill’s Suggerhill Gang rap.

The evening started full of promise but ended with the usual number of casualties. Despite warnings not to venture out after dark, Rick led the 4am walk home through the deserted streets to the hotel. Even the local thugs knew not to mess with a 5’4” puffball dressed in a hideous blazer.

The one unanswered question was the whereabouts of the nominated 12th man during the game. Rosenfeldt was missing at the start on an almost inevitable burger hunt, but then spent the remainder of the day telling everyone within earshot about his regular bowel movements. Any sympathy from neutrals soon evaporated when it transpired that his problems started in Lusaka when his desire for meat took him on a 45-minute cab ride which finished in two chicken burgers from a street vendor.

Defeated but not disgraced

Old Malvernians 178 (Nash 70, Watkinson 4-14, Meaker 2-35) beat Old Cranleighans 152 (Waters 68) by 26 runs
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The dream of winning the Cricketer Cup in only our second year in the competition ended in the final at Old Deer Park as we lost to Old Malvernians by 26 runs. Nevertheless, we played superbly for three-quarters of the match and it was only in the dying overs that Malvern’s experience proved too much. They were the worthy winners but the youth of our side means that we should be a force to come for a number of years.

Malvern had a superb record in the competition, with five wins from five finals. Like us, they also made the final in their second year, although they went one better than we eventually managed.

Henry Watkinson won the toss and opted to field, hardly a surprise given that we had successfully chased in all four rounds. The pitch was dry and produced variable bounce, and Malvern found runs hard to come by. Stuart Meaker bowled a fiery opening spell, in contrast to Watkinson who relied on guile and accuracy and who took the first wicket in the sixth over, bowling Powell.

Watkinson’s opening spell of 5-2-4-1 set the benchmark, and Meaker got his reward four overs later when Mark Hardinges, who seven days earlier had steered Gloucestershire to a one-day win over Hampshire, dragged into his stumps for 2. Gifford looked capable of posing problems before he played an ugly cross-batted shot to Seren Waters, and at 31 for 3 in the 15th over, our tails were up.

Middlesex’s David Nash was clearly the danger man, and he found gaps with the skill expected of a professional, and with Franklin, the opener, he rebuilt the innings. Franklin should have been run-out with the score on 56 but Michael Chetwode fumbled a return to the bowler’s end with the batsman stranded mid pitch. However, we struck a crucial blow with the last delivery before lunch when Franklin tamely cut Matt Crump to Phil Roper at backward point for 29. We headed off in the better position, with Malvern 86 for 4 off 30 overs.

Nash and Usher batted well after the break, taking the total to 153 for 4 with judicious placement more than out-and-out aggression. In the innings overall there were only ten fours. In the final overs the batsmen hit out and, inevitably, wickets fell.

Nash perished for 70 to a tumbling catch from Roper and in the next over, the 46th, Meaker bowled Usher for 30. Watkinson then chipped in with two in two, and a brace of run-outs in the final over restricted Malvern to 178. Watkinson finished with excellent figures of 8-3-14-4 and the last six wickets had gone for 25 in five-and-a-bit overs.

The pitch continued to throw up puffs of dust and the outfield was slow, so it was a gettable target but not an easy one. The early sunshine had also given way to low cloud and the temperature had dropped into the 50s.

Waters top-edged the first ball he faced, a bouncer, over the keeper for four, and was struck by the second. But he showed composure beyond his years and was soon looking as assured as ever. Howard fell early, getting a leading edge, but that brought in Matt Crump, another young player in great touch.

Early shackles were broken when Waters twice lofted fours over midwicket, and Crump then joined in, surviving a half chance when he hammered the ball to the right of square leg who could only parry the ball.

Crump perished for 17 – one of three leg-befores against batsmen going back – and then Malvern’s seasoned spinners really tightened their grip on the game, backed by some excellent fielding. Abeed Janmohamed, such a class act in the semi-final, struggled to find his touch, but Waters kept things ticking along. Janmohamed departed for a 27-ball 3 (69 for 3) but Meaker sought to impose himself from the off.

The penultimate over before tea appeared to have swung the balance of the match, 15 coming off it including the day’s first six, a swing over long leg from Meaker. We headed off on 102 for 3 off 30, needing 77 to win in 20 overs with wickets in hand.

Whatever was served for tea, it perked up Malvern and pretty much did for us. Meaker fell lbw to the first ball after the restart and the pressure was on. James Halton, who specialises in run chases, looked up for it, but wasn’t able to stay long enough to make a difference.

Waters, who passed his fifty before tea, found it almost impossible to get enough of the strike. Eds Copleston was unable to push the ones needed to keep Waters at the striker’s end, although he did strike one sublime straight six.

The run-rate, which had hovered around four an over throughout, began to rise as the gloom worsened. Copleston perished trying to hit over the top, and three balls later Waters was bowled for a superb 68 as he tried to make up the lost ground.

From then on in we were always off the pace, although Tom Crump and Roper kept the flame flickering. Thirty three were needed off four, but Roper fell to a thick edge and then Crump was run-out after being sent back by Watkinson, who was bowled off the next ball to seal a deserved victory for Malvern.

The turnout was excellent, and many former and present OCCC players were in evidence, along with a good smattering of non cricketers and representatives of the school. There was a pleasant atmosphere, although staging the final at a ground under the Heathrow flight path was a downer.

Although the result was disappointing, everyone who has taken part in the competition for us this summer can be proud. As can the club and the school. Eight years ago we weren’t even in a knock-out tournament. In the interim we have won the Brewers Cup three times and the Cricket World Trophy once. Even participating in the Cricketer Cup was beyond our wildest dreams, and yet we achieved that and within two years we reached the final. We’ll just have to make sure that next year we go one better.

One last thought. In 2007, we became the first new side in the Cricketer Cup since it was expanded from 16 to 32 teams in its third year (1969). Our success has shown that there are strong sides out there who might not have been so four decades ago. Allowing some of these old boys’ teams into the competition can only bring new life to it, and the organisers should think about the value of looking at some expansion, adding new sides rather than waiting for old ones to drop out. It might mean a first qualifying round each year for the less successful teams, but that might be no bad thing either.

And now to the final

OCs 219 for 7 (Waters 57, M Crump 51) beat Old Alleynians 218 for 9 (Roy 57) by three wickets
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After three convincing and yet relatively straightforward wins, the semi-final against Old Alleynians was a far tougher affair, although the margin of our victory – three wickets – rather distorted our fairly calm progress until a late flurry of wickets within sight of the finish. The result was a place in the final at only the second time of asking, vindication for the organisers in allowing a new side into the competition for the first time in 40 years last summer, and also for the strength of Cranleigh cricket.

We had lost Stuart Meaker days before the game, called into the England Under-19 side for the Test series against New Zealand, and 19-year-old James Halton, a batsman highly rated by Stuart Welsh, came into the side. The weather was a rare scorcer in this otherwise wretched summer, and Alleynians had little hesitation on batting when again Henry Watkinson lost the toss.

Alan Cope opened with a brace of wides, but Watkinson, as he has so often done, broke through with the new ball, although on a good batting pitch, runs came quickly, especially when width was offered. But the innings turned on two run-outs. The first was a brilliant example of team-work, a seemingly fruitless chase to deep midwicket, a diving flick back on the rope to Seren Waters who had chased all the way as well, a bullet-like throw and a smart flick from Will Howard to leave the batsman inches short seeking a seemingly comfortable second.

Chris Jordan of Surrey, allowed to play on the condition he didn’t bowl fast, nonchalantly flicked Michael Chetwode off his legs to get off the mark and it appeared we were in for a long day in the field. But in the next over Roy pushed to point, Jordan called for a risky single only to be turned back and was never in the frame as Eds Coipleston’s throw scored a direct hit at the bowler’s end. Not needed as a batsman in the three previous rounds, it was his first real contribution to the cup run, but possibly it was a match-winning one. Jordan trooped off as the disbelieving Cranleighans mobbed the man with the plastacine arm.

Rattled, the Alleynians then found themselves pegged down by the teenage spinning duo of Waters and Phil Roper. Waters’ nagging legspin from the top end was hard to get away, while Roper, brought into the side in the previous round for the crocked Graham Webb, showed real potential.


Lunsh was entertaining, a barbeque on the run as Rick Johnson slightly miscalculated the time needed to cook chicken, but our young batsmen again came up with the goods when we started our chase. Howard and Waters made another good start, but hopes of another Howard onslaught were ended when he was caught behind for 20.

Matt Crump joined Waters and the scoring rate picked up as they took the score to 101 before Waters was caught behind off the bowling of Sivakumaran for 57. Cope arrived at the crease and looked at ease until falling LBW following an injudicious reverse sweep to a straight ball from Jordan, bowling off spin. It was not the first time the stroke had caused his downfall and won’t be the last.

The scoring rate had been good all the way through - however, with the arrival of Abeed Janmohamed, it picked up markedly. Hooking, pulling and driving the Dulwich opening bowler to distraction, Janmohamed made 35 in quick time before being caught on the boundary at long-leg going for another six. At 182 for 3, with Matt Crump again making batting look easy, we had one foot in the final. But Dulwich never gave up and, with the fall of the fourth wicket our lower middle order was exposed for the first time in the competition. A mini-collapse followed as we lost three further wickets in short order, including that of Crump to a top-edged swipe to leg for 51. Luckily, time was irrelevant and Tom Crump, aided first by Copleston and then by Roper, finally saw us home with Watkinson and Chetwode nervously padded up on the boundary.

“We have made it to the final at our first real attempt which is a testament to the strength of the school's cricket at the moment,” noted former captain and super veteran Michael Chetwode. “We mustn't forget that more than half this side are under 21 and, of the others, only two are over 30 (no names!). Dulwich came with what appeared to be a strong and well organised side but they should have been blown away. It's a credit to their tenacity and fighting spirit that they were in with a chance (however small) at the end despite looking down and out for long periods. It also shows that we can't be complacent in any facet of our game. We meet Old Malvernians on August 17 at Richmond and they will prove to be an altogether tougher assignment.”

Lancing Rovers blown away

OCs 186 for 2 (33.5 overs; Meaker 72, T Crump 65*, Janmohamed 26*) beat Lancing Rovers 183 (48.3 overs; Spink 46, Webb 3-21, Chetwode 2-23, Crump 2-35, Watkinson 2-61) by eight wickets

Click here for match photos

For the second year running we recorded a home win in the first round of the Cricketer Cup, but whereas last year’s game went to the last ball, this time we saw off Lancing Rovers with few alarms. The margin – eight wickets and almost 17 overs in hand – underlined the fact we outplayed them in every department. Our reward is a home tie against Clifton on June 29.

It was a real generation game of a performance. Our batting was dominated by two teenagers - Tom Crump and Stuart Meaker – and our bowling by two forty-somethings old enough to be their fathers - Michael Chetwode and Graham Webb. The old timers were supported by some excellent fielding, and the only glitch in an otherwise polished display was that we allowed Lancing to recover when almost down and out.

We suffered two blows on the eve of the match as Alan Cope (exams) and Rob Jones (bruised hand) called off. Briefly, things were so serious that there was talk of Rick Johnson getting a call-up. Briefly.

On a warm day under a watery sun, Henry Watkinson put Lancing in and shared the new ball with Matt Crump. Both bowled well, removing an opener each within six overs, Crump taking the important wicket of former Surrey batsman Johnny Robinson courtesy of a sharp catch by Eds Copleston at short mid-on. Wakeford briefly looked dangerous, thumping Watkinson for 14 from three balls when he dropped short, but Graham Webb removed him in his first over to leave Lancing 41 for 3.

Webb was joined by Chetwode, replacing Crump at the top end. Their combined age might be 92 but they whirled through their overs, tight and unrelenting. Webb, despite being increasingly troubled by a calf strain, bowled through, finishing with 10-1-21-3. Chetwode was equally parsimonious (10-3-23-2) and the two utterly strangled the middle order. By the time drinks came after 24.3 overs, Lancing were in shreds on 74 for 7.

Immediately after the resumption, Spink appeared to have been caught by a tumbling Sam Langmead at silly point but the umpire was unconvinced. For the next hour or so we slumbered while Lancing battled back. Watkinson juggled the bowling but the seamers lacked the penetration of the old guard. Crump returned to remove Shinners for 28, but Spink continued to push ones and twos.

As the innings drew to a close Spink and Johnston cut loose, Watkinson coming in for some heavy punishment. With his last ball he dismissed Johnston courtesy of a remarkable boundary catch from a leaping Chetwode at long-on, sticking out a hand as he jumped and holding the ball high to his right after it had passed. Even he realised this was special and set off on a heavyweight Panesaresque victory charge.

A target of 185 was double what had seemed likely two hours earlier, and we opened with Tom Crump and Meaker after a debate between captain and chairman. The captain won and his choice proved spot on. Meaker was savage on anything short, and there was plenty on offer, while Crump played a superb anchor role, cautious for the first 20 or so overs and then picking off the tiring bowling.

Three times Meaker pulled high over midwicket, and then when a man was placed on the rope, he repeated the shot but 20 yards straighter. As the field dispersed he contented himself with singles and some sublime drives, the pick a rasping drive off the back foot that fizzed back past the bowler.

After 10 overs we had 55, after 20 we had 115. Meaker’s luck ran out when he was cruelly adjudged caught behind after a miscued reverse sweep looped up off his forearm – there was a lingering feeling that he paid for the impetuosity of the stroke more than anything. But his 76-ball 72 had already broken Lancing.

Matt joined younger brother Tom, but fell almost immediately to a sharp slip catch by Robinson, and momentarily Lancing’s body language picked up. Abeed Janmohamed, who had kept very neatly, put the visitors back in their box with a six off his third ball, and that galvanised the younger Crump into playing three superb drives, one through extra cover and two straighter, the third sealing a comprehensive win in front of a veritable who’s who of OC cricket gathered in front of the pavilion.

The victory aside, it was the manner of it that really pleased, particularly the combination of the old and the young. Cranleigh cricket has never been so strong and that was reflected in the side. As an aside, Jubilee has rarely looked more lovely, and the outfield was almost perfect. The school has, after 143 years, even invested in a rope…

When I first played for the OCs in 1980, Lancing were the side we aspired to compete with. At the end of my first cricket week we were bowled out by them for 42 and, as we sat in the pavilion, several of the senior players reflected we would probably never be able to match them. In 1984 we beat them for the first time in 21 years. Now, another 24 years on, we are a far superior cricketing school – that is not meant to be gloating but it is a sign of how far we have come. The school is aiming higher all the time.

Perhaps a more substantial sign of how times change came with Chetwode’s admission that rising petrol prices had led to him buying a bicycle and, reportedly, he had started driving at a fuel-efficient 60mph on motorways. While Cranleigh and Old Cranleighan cricket will continue getting stronger, few are betting that either of Chetwode’s mid-life crises last much beyond the second round.

OC XI Stuart Meaker, Tom Crump, Matt Crump, Abeed Janmohamed (wkt), Eds Copleston, Max Barson, Sam Langmead, Henry Watkinson, Alex Craven, Michael Chetwode, Graham Webb.

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.

Rosenfeldt leads youthful CWT side

For the first time in the club’s history, we will be playing two cup matches on the same day. While the senior side travel to Old Cholmelians in the Cricket Cup second round on Sunday, June 24, Tristan Rosenfeldt leads an A team against Old Georgians in the second round of the Cricket World Trophy.

The side for that game, which starts at 11.00am on Jubilee, is as follows:
Tristan Rosenfeldt (capt), Graeme Brown, Tom Crump, Jonny Gates, Damien Hill, Jumbo Jupp, Sam Langmead, Rob Merry, Mike Roper, Phil Roper, Seren Waters.

The great thing is that the XI is young, with Brown the veteran at 29 and Rosenfeldt the second oldest (and by far the baldest) at 24. “As you can see this is a very youthful looking side and also one packed with quality,” said Rosenburg. “Many of us have played together but it will also be good to play with some of you guys for the first time, and I think this so called ‘Development Side’ really emphasises the strength in depth of talent the club has. I am very much looking forward to captaining this side.

“I am sure you all know, the Cricketer Cup side is playing on the same day hence the selection of this side. This game gives the opportunity for us all to play competitive cup cricket for the OC’s but also gives a platform to many of you to prove your worth and to start knocking on the door of Cricketer Cup selection, let’s give Henry and the selection committee some real headaches for future cup team selection.”