Scorecard

Ide v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 17 Jul 2011 at Unknown
Erratics Cricket Club Lost by 43 runs

Match report by Jeff Haynes

When I asked for suggestions for what to write in this report the answer came back: “the less said the better”. However, I am not prepared to write another 3-line match report!

Furthermore, any neutral observer would have found the match quite entertaining, as the balance of advantage shifted between the home side and the visitors. It is several years since the Erratics last visited Ide whose small ground is enclosed by high hedges and a ditch, (which this evening remained dry). We were reminded of the local rule that balls flying into the hedges would count as four runs rather than six, unless they were clearly on a downward trajectory. A supply of glazing for the impressive new pavilion which was taking shape (and which we were assured was only a temporary structure) was also assumed to be out of bounds!

Rules sorted, the Erratics took the field, opening with the pace of Nigel Rutherford at one end and my own off-breaks at the other. On a lively strip Ide were initially pegged down, but after four or five overs they started to open up and both Jones and Saunders began exploring both the hedge and the ditch! The Erratics fielding was severely tested. In the eighth over Phil Ellis intercepted a powerful cover drive with his wrist, saving three runs in the process, but necessitating his immediate retirement: injured colleague Al Brunt was on hand to whisk him away to get an ice pack. Chris Ferro shuffled his bowlers but all were attacked as Saunders rapidly reached his retirement score of 53. With the match beginning to run away from the Erratics, Jan Heaton came on to bowl and applied the brakes, picking up 3 for 14 to clear the middle order batsmen. Jones finally went for 44 as the Erratics kept up the pressure with Chris Ferro bowling one batsman and a throw from Matt Cook uprooting the stump of another. Nigel Rutherford returned for his last two overs and picked up a deserved wicket to finish with impressive 20-over figures of 4-3-2-1. With two balls remaining Ide had been contained to 119 … but even their final score of 129-6 (!) still looked within reach.

Ide opened with Irving tossing the ball so high in the air that the batsman had time to decide which stroke to play three times over (before choosing the wrong one). Jonathan Kirby took a single off the first ball, Jan Heaton holed out to the second bringing in Matt Cook. Another single put Jonathan back on strike for him to become Irving’s second victim. With only ten men and a score of 2 for 2 after one over, the Erratics were on target for being all out for 9 in the fifth. Matt Cook had different ideas and over the next two overs he exploited all the boundaries, and both bowlers, reaching 32 in 9 scoring shots off 10 balls, before he too fell to Irving. With 34 for 3 off 3 overs, Chris Fear and Nigel Rutherford at the crease, and Chris Ferro still to bat, the balance was shifting again.

However, Irving continued to toss the ball high in the air and the Ide players held their catches, enabling him to turn in figures of 5 for 41. David Wright, playing his first game (moonlighting from Lympstone), showed some resistance in scoring 9, and Nigel Rutherford showed real determination, cruising to 26, but rapidly running out of partners. All hope faded when he and Jonathan Davies spent the best part of a minute in the middle of the track, in conversation about whether or not to complete a run, before eventually both agreeing to set off for the same end! Thanks to Matt Cook’s flurry, we did at least keep ahead of the target scoring rate even when our ninth and final wicket fell at 86 (with just under 8 overs still remaining).

Ide’s pair of dogs deserve a special mention for retrieving at least a dozen lost balls on this evening alone. It is a shame they didn’t offer us one of the dogs as a substitute fielder when Phil went off injured … it might have made all the difference!

The game was played in good spirits, which continued back at the Huntsman Inn. Unfortunately, only four Erratics made it to the pub, and unfortunately for them, the pub’s chef explained to me that he always plans his barbecue to be sufficient for at least 22 hungry players: on your behalf, we did our very best with the burgers, sausages, chicken, belly pork and chips! It would be good to return the hospitality with a home match next season.

===============

Footnote re Chris Ferro, whose dismissal was rather strange. "Stumped" was the decision, but there was some question as to whether the ball (which redefined the word "slow") would have even reached the stumps had it not been collected in front of them by the 'keeper. Chris gave a briefly quizzical look towards the umpire at the bowler's end, and departed. We've seen other batsman give themselves "not out" in less obvious circumstances, but here was someone who surrendered his wicket and maybe even the game in the name of good conduct.

Ide Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 1w 3b  
for 6 wickets
5
129 (20.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Nigel Rutherford4.03212.000.50
Jeff Haynes4.002900.007.25
Jonathan Davies2.002700.0013.50
Matt Cook3.002600.008.67
Jan Heaton3.001434.674.67
Chris Ferro4.0025125.006.25

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
4nb 1w 1b 1lb 
for 9 wickets
7
86		        
Jonathan Kirby Caught  1
Jan Heaton Caught  0
Matt Cook Caught  32
Christopher Fear Bowled  1
Nigel Rutherford Run out  26
Chris Ferro Stumped  4
David Wright Bowled  9
Mark Phillips Caught  0
Jonathan Davies Not Out  6
Jeff Haynes Bowled  0
A.N. Other  

Ide Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.
 
Photos and video of Ide v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 17 Jul 2011 at Unknown

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Ide, 2011