All-round performance sees off Harrow

Karthik Suresh enjoyed a successful Cup debut

The OCCC overcame poor weather and a resilient Harrow side to move into the second round of the Cricketer Cup with a four-wicket win on Jubilee. An away trip to either Clifton or St Edward’s Oxford on June 26 awaits.

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Harrow had been our first opponents when we joined the Cricketer Cup in 2007. On that occasion Michael Chetwode carved the winning runs through midwicket off the last delivery in late evening sun in front of a large crowd. The conditions nine years later could not have been more different.

Heavy overnight rain and morning drizzle meant the game was unable to start before 1.15pm with each side reduced to bowling 40 overs. That we played at all was testament to the hard work put in by the groundstaff. Matt Crump won a vital toss, and with the rules of the competition favouring the side batting second when weather intervenes, he chose to field. His opening bowlers, Will Rollings (0-8) and Karthik Suresh (2-22), making his Cricketer Cup debut while on a holiday from Singapore, made the most of seam-friendly conditions and maintained a naggingly accurate line, restricting Harrow to 23 off the first ten overs.

Thereafter, it was all spinners, and on an outfield slowed by the rain allied to some excellent groundfielding, the batsmen struggled to build any momentum. Bruno Broughton (0-28) kept a tidy line, while Rob Jones little-used dobblers proved highly effective as he took 2 for 36. Jack Scriven (2-40) was a tight as ever, although his figures were spoiled when the last two balls of the innings went for ten. Another debutante, George Thomas, showed no nerves and good control bowling the final overs to finish with 2 for 21.

Alan Cope on the attack

All in all it was a good performance, some hard catches were held but a couple of not-so-hard ones spilt. The feeling was that Harrow, who had the worse of the conditions, were probably 20 or so short.

Our innings began with a flurry of shots and wickets. Mike Burgess (8) started with two fours before being caught off the third ball, and Scriven (7) and Tom Crump (0) soon followed to leave us 19 for 3; Harrow, for the first time, sensed they were back in the game and a tense half hour followed. Alan Cope (35) and Matt Crump (26) added 56 for the fourth wicket at over five an over before Cope mistimed a shot, and when Crump fell lbw to leave us 98 for 5, again Harrow were back in the game. 

But Jones (37), as he has done so often for us, played an important knock, while Broughton (27*) quickly deflated the bowlers with some excellent counter-attacking strokes, smacking four fours off the first ten balls he faced as well as enjoying a little luck when dropped by a fielder at deep midwicket as he tumbled over the boundary rope.

By the time Jones was bowled we were almost home and Will Langmead (8*), showing the kind of confidence he had in his record-breaking season in 2012, saw us home with almost seven overs to spare.

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.

Under par on a soggy Jubilee

Radley Rangers 141 for 4 (27.1overs: Goudie 2-58; Harman 1-15) beat Old Cranleighans 140 for 5 (35 overs: Crump T 42*, Langmead W 28)

Despite heavy overnight rain we were able to get a game of sorts on a soggy Jubilee, albeit one of the limited-overs variety increasingly the norm but less than popular with some of the old guard.


Damien Hill won the toss and batted but, by his own admission, “I put too many youngsters too high up the order and the innings stagnated”. We limited to 60 for 2 after 20 of the 35 overs, failing to put pressure on the fielders with some very ordinary running. Will Langmead, who broke the all-time record for the most runs in a school season in 2010, made 28 but it was only when Tom Crump (42*) came in that things got moving, and David Bugge contributed a breezy 15 at the close, rolling back the clock with a lusty lofted cover-drive in the penultimate over.

Paddy Harman opened the bowling, getting through all his seven overs in one burst, maintaining a good line with a couple of maidens and accounting for Radley’s opener in his final over – caught behind by Langmead. Our other opening bowler, Will Jordan, got dispatched, and after seven overs Radley were 60 for 0 and seemingly set for a comprehensive win.

Goudie did a good job of slowing the rate down, as did Hill whose seven overs only cost 11 runs, but the asking rate by then was so low as to be academic. Jumbo Jupp took a wicket with a long hop and the game ended when Bugge’s first ball was thumped to the boundary.

“We were well beaten,” Hill admitted. “But it was a decent fightback after a stodgy batting display and rocketering (sic) start to Radley’s innings.”