Scorecard

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics v Stokeinteignhead on Sat 18 Jun 2011 at 2:30 PM
Match was Abandoned

Match report Match Report by Al Brunt

Against the odds, this turned out to be a fantastic game of friendly cricket.

First, the weather had not been promising, to say the least. In the end, there was no rain between 2:30 and 5:00pm, and although the showers did become sufficiently heavy and persistent that we had to abandon the match with some 15 overs remaining, Stoke-in-Teignhead did manage bat for a fair bit.

Second, the Erratics team of just 10 players included no fewer than 5 wicket-keepers and no more than 2 bowlers. That we ended up with a finely balanced game that could have gone either way owed something to the spirit of those Erratics; it also owed a lot to the sportsmanship of the Stoke-in-Teignhead side. Not only did they insist on providing us with a sub while we were fielding, they also allowed one of our batsman to have two goes.

So it was that Andrew Forrester became probably the first Erratic batsman to bag a pair in the same innings. He also batted only in the first and last overs of our innings. In fairness to Andrew, he was bowled by a superb delivery in the first over and having come in for the second time with only 4 balls remaining did well to launch a lofted on-drive and was unlucky to find a fielder.


Another curious detail about this game is that Al Brunt managed to be both early and late, whereas only one of these normally applies. A bit of confusion about the start time meant that he was there for 2pm, which turned out to be 30 mins early. However, that didn't quite give him time to drive back to Exeter to fetch his cricket boots before the game had started - and without him opening the batting as his captain had intended. Late again!

Later (sic), Al was unlucky to pick out a fielder with a fiercely-driven but unfortunately lofted off-drive. Sid Thomson was similarly unlucky, though the catch this time was superb. After Andrew Forrester's early dismissal, Sid and Andrew McRae had done well to build the innings in very difficult conditions, batting with great discipline and punishing the rare loose ball well. Jonathan Kirby provided some momentum with Weiler the Wanderer (one of the Heroes of the game against Tipton St John) who fell just 1 run short of an excellent 50, including a mighty blow for 6. It had seemed that we might struggle to amass 100 runs, but beneath the shrieking of the buzzards gliding overhead, the repeated bark of Weiler's "YES!" meant there was still hope. Indeed, in the end it seemed that 140 was a good score on a difficult wicket.

We had batted first in order to avoid revealing the strength of our bowling attack. Or should I say simply "our bowling"? Cynics might even have cast doubt about the appropriateness of that word being used to describe what would be coming the way of the Stoke-in-Teignhead batsmen. But Erratics laugh in the face of cynics!

Varun Kothamachu and Andrew opened proceedings, with Varun grabbing 2 early wickets. This feat was to be repeated by our first-change bowler, club president Peter Thomson, who bowled 3 tidy overs for 2 wickets and not many runs. When Peter commented that he hadn't bowled for about 12 years, Sid said "not since you were in your sixties, then?" Peter was the first of our new breed of wicket-keeper-bowler specialists, for shortly Andrew Forrester was to be in the wickets too. With some brilliant fielding by Varun combining well with Andrew (over the stumps at the bowler's end for a change), the wickets kept coming. Batting conditions weren't easy, it has to be said, but tight fielding and no dropped catches meant that some Erratics began to talk of an improbable victory.

However, there was definitely a sting in the tail of the Stoke-in-Teignhead batting, and the required rate of just 4 an over with 15 overs to go certainly looked plausible, even if there were just 3 wickets remaining. Repeated breaks forced on us by the rain and the risk of damaging the wicket beyond immediate repair helped us to the conclusion that a draw and an early visit to the pub would be for the best.

It was a pity about the rain, in the end, but it had been a great game of cricket and a tribute to the friendly, sporting spirit of all the players on both sides.

Question: Which of the following is true?
1) Al Brunt now writes match reports
2) Al Brunt employs a ghost writer
3) Al Brunt is the occasional nom de plume of another Erratic?
Answers on a postcard, please...

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 12w 11b 1lb 
for 10 wickets
26
140		        
Andrew McRae Lbw  11
Andrew Forrester Bowled  0
Sid Thomson Caught  19
Al Brunt Caught  4
Jonathan Kirby Caught  25
Martin Weiler Caught  49
Varun Kothamachu Lbw  4
Daniel Thistlethwaite Caught  0
Mark Phillips Lbw  1
Peter Thomson Not Out  0
Andrew Forrester Caught  0

Stokeinteignhead Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Stokeinteignhead Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 14w 4b  
for 7 wickets
20
85 (22.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Varun Kothamachu9.0224212.002.67
Andrew McRae7.003600.005.14
Peter Thomson3.00824.002.67
Andrew Forrester2.00824.004.00
Martin Weiler1.00300.003.00