Scorecard

Teign Valley v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sat 23 May 2015 at 2.00pm
Match was Drawn

Match report This is what Erratics cricket is all about. A beautiful day in scenic surrounds. Friendly and well matched opponents. A timed game offering more result options. A close encounter that went down to the last ball.

Teign Valley’s Lower Ashton ground simmered in the May heat. Buzzards circled and flies hovered above a carpet of buttercups beyond the boundary. A tented village, a Woodcraft Folk camp, added to the backdrop. It was as stunning as any August bank holiday Monday – our usual date for an all day fixture.

This was just a standard single innings affair and both sides intended to bowl first. The Valley won the toss and so it was Erratics skipper Mark Hailwood and Andrew Forester who took to the middle. The next hour and a quarter saw absorbing cricket. The bowling tight and the batting solid. A quick outfield helped things along at a run a minute.

And then came the deadly curse of the drinks interval (or the official hydration break as it was termed at the Lords test). Andrew, feeling the heat, called for some water and this turned into a full scale refreshment break. It was 3.20pm , 20 overs had been bowled and our score stood at 82-0. How un-Erratic!

Sadly his previous focus was lost and Andrew was bowled straight after play restarted. He had contributed a patient and stylish 42.

Lucky Bandhu came in to join his captain and together they saw the 100 up in the 26th over. But there had been a shift in control and when Lucky was bowled it was the start of an alarming collapse.

Mark managed to stay long enough to complete his maiden half century for the Erratics. A superb knock of 57 against a good attack. Well done Mark!

But even Mark joined in the procession back to the pavilion as a score of 105-1 suddenly declined to 128-8. It was the slow bowlers White and Dunn who did the damage as batsmen after batsmen tried to score some quick runs before tea when they really had more time than they thought. How very Erratic!

We only had 10 players so the ninth and last wicket was vital. Thankfully Gareth Oughton was in lusty form and hit a much needed 12 not out to move our final score to 140. “A cheeky little cameo” was how Gareth described it. Cheeky but very useful – Gareth was the only non-opener to reach double figures.

We didn’t really know if 140 was a par score but the early overs gave every indication it was as Teign Valley stuttered to 10-3. But Humphries and Mason dug in and started to steer the home side towards our total. We began to run out of ideas until a tactical brainwave changed the course of the game. We asked for drinks!

The dreaded break did the business and Mason and Humphries (50) were out soon after and a mini collapse was underway. The earlier damage had been done by Gareth and Ben Youngman but the post drinks incisions were remarkable – three highly efficient stumpings by Paul Molins – all off the crafty tweaks of Greg McQueen – again slow bowling doing the damage.

The fielding was keen with Danny Williamson particularly in the thick of it including a superb tumbling catch. We also benefited from a catch by Russ Liley, late of the Erratics parish, who was a substitute fielder for us. Thanks Russ!

With Hailwood and Prosser joining the wicket takers and Lucky proving hard to play, Teign had nine wickets down and were suddenly torn between a mad dash for victory and potential suicide or playing out the draw. Veteran number Eleven, Barry Rowland, was clear on his duty .He has frustrated us on many an occasion over the years and he was to do so again as he blocked away. David Dunn at the other end had reached 27 but also took up the cue for safety first with his Mongoose bat twitching for more action. The last four overs were all maidens.

So tension lasted to the very final ball with fielders in a ring around the bat. A rare experience in these days of overs cricket. But one enjoyed by both teams as we shook hands at the end of highly pleasing day.

Martin Weiler

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
140		        
Mark Hailwood Bowled  57
Andrew Forrester Bowled  42
Lucky Bandhu Bowled  9
Greg MacQueen Lbw  0
Martin Weiler Bowled  4
Danny Williamson Bowled  0
Paul Molins Caught  0
Dominic Prosser Bowled  4
Ben Youngman Caught  0
Gareth Oughton Not Out  11
N.O. One  

Teign Valley Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Teign Valley Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
119 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Gareth Oughton9.001829.002.00
Ben Youngman5.0029129.005.80
Lucky Bandhu8.001800.002.25
Greg MacQueen6.002939.674.83
Mark Hailwood4.001728.504.25
Dominic Prosser3.00111.000.33