Cheriton Fitzpaine v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Thu 28 May 2009 at Unknown

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Cheriton Fitzpaine v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Thu 28 May 2009 at Unknown
Erratics Cricket Club Won by 5 wickets

Match report The Cheriton Fitzpaine players seem to have adopted an unusual warm-up routine for their twenty-over matches this season. While several Erratics were blithely playing a game of catch in front of the splendid new pavilion at the Hayne Ground, Messrs Heard, Sheldrick, Stentiford and Taylor could be seen running about and waving their arms with the express purpose of removing a rogue sheep from the field. (I know not the breed, but it was a rather fetching rust colour.) The exactitude of the shepherds' positioning at fine leg, long stop, third man and long off soon drove the trespasser towards the exit, but, eschewing an open gate, our woolly friend took a clumsy leap at the barbed-wire fence, over-reached itself and almost came to grief in the process. One wonders if this might have been intended as a metaphor for village cricket.

The sight of jumping sheep put players on both sides into a drowse. Overs outnumbered Cheriton Fitzpaine runs early on, and the evening was one of those in which the game felt of secondary interest not only to the spectators (as is usual at Erratics matches) but also to the players. Myriad conversations and a rural soundtrack mingled on the still air.

The CF batsmen hit out to more effect in the second half of their innings, and this brought both more runs and more wickets. James Hutchinson collected three, Chris Cook two (including a telescopic caught and bowled) and Gareth Oughton (in his first game as captain) one. Phil Ellis, Matt Cook, Simon Orpen and Greg Richmond bowled well without reward, Jonathan Kirby was flawless in the field, and a rare glimpse of Al Brunt's off-spin drew much admiration. The CF innings closed on 127 for 6.

In reply, Richmond, Paul Molins and Chris Ferro all reached double figures, but it was the Cooks who dominated. Chris finished on 30 not out and Matt on 28 not out after a spectacular assault that included many fours, even more sixes and lasted for very few deliveries. When the score reached 130 for 5 we still had four overs in hand.

In the Half Moon afterwards we learned of the astonishing deeds of Peter Blight, who has now struck a century in each of the last six decades, and we wondered if we might repay the hospitality of these most friendly of opponents with a return match at Dunsford later in the season.

And now from the Cheriton perspective..

Trying whenever possible to live up (or should that be down) to the visitors expectations, we arranged for a couple of sheep to be loose on the field when the Erattics arrived. This and the fruitless search for bails delayed the start for a few minutes, but all was ready soon after half past six.

Jon Pitts and Peter Blight were the chosen men sent out to start the Cheriton innings, Jon swiftly returning to the pavilion in order to let his Captain have a go. The opening bowlers, Ellis and Oughton, were on target but it was the introduction of Chris Cook that triggered a mini-collapse as he dismissed Colin and Peter to return figures or 3-1-2-5. He may not thunder in from the boundary the way he used to when I was a callow youth, but it was with a sense of déjà vu that I took guard. Been there, done that, got the duck.

It was a wicket maiden, I may not have scored a run, but I was still there at the end of the over!

Chris and Matt (both of whom I was ever so nice about in the last match report) strangled the run rate during their spells and so the pressure was on the Cheriton middle order to assert themselves. This they did at the expense of Orpen and Hutchinson, though wickets fell regularly. Paul Rossiter had a good debut with the bat before chasing a wide one, Eric hit the ball very firmly and Robbie continued his good run of form to hoist us to a respectable 127 from 20 overs. Mention must be made of Brunt’s over, brought on to bowl a solitary over at the death he restricted the batsmen to 5 singles in a masterful display of slow bowling.

Richmond and Kirby started things for the Erattics and both fell to well pitched up balls from Eric. He could have had at least one more it catches had stick, with Jon Pitts suffering similar disappointment.

Mike Foan followed Eric from the Urinal End with debutant Paul Rossiter bowling up the hill. The luck was with the new boy rather than the old pro, Rossiter ending with two wickets (Mollins and Brunt) courtesy of Colin at mid-off.

Cook Snr and Ferro set about the bowling of Goddard (still chasing that 50th wicket) and Keight (closing on his 800th), both of whom tried all of their variations in their attempts to take a wicket.

Ferro carried his bat in the previous game at Hayne but was tempted into an indiscretion by Robbie and holed out to bring Cook Jnr to the crease. He showed remarkable judgement in hitting the ball just far enough to clear the fence, but in the end it was the Cheriton Chairman who had the last word, beating both batman and keeper to give the Erattics 4 byes and victory.

Charles Sheldrick

Cheriton Fitzpaine Batting

Player name		Runs
extras TOTAL :	for 6 wickets	0 127 (20.0 overs)
Blight	ct C Cook	12
Pitts	ct Oughton	0
Heard	ct C Cook	18
Sheldrick	b Hutchinson	13
Keight	Not Out	29
Taylor	b Huthinson	12
Rossiter	ct Hutchinson	10
Foan

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player Name	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Average	Economy
Phil Ellis	3.0	1	15	0	0.00	5.00
Gareth Oughton	3.0	0	9	1	9.00	3.00
Chris Cook	3.0	1	5	2	2.50	1.67
Matt Cook	3.0	0	14	0	0.00	4.67
Simon Orpen	3.0	0	32	0	0.00	10.67
James Hutchinson	3.0	0	29	3	9.67	9.67
Al Brunt	1.0	0	5	0	0.00	5.00
Greg Richmond	1.0	0	14	0	0.00	14.00

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting

Player Name		R	4s	6s
extras TOTAL :	6w 6b 3lb for 5 wickets	15 130
Greg Richmond	b Taylor	12	2
Jonathan Kirby	b Taylor	5
Paul Molins	ct Rossiter	17	2	1
Al Brunt	ct Rossiter	9	1
Chris Cook	Not Out	30	4	1
Chris Ferro	ct Knight	15	2
Matt Cook	Not Out	28		4
James Hutchinson
Simon Orpen
Phil Ellis
Gareth Oughton

Cheriton Fitzpaine Bowling

Player name	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Average	Economy
Taylor	3.0	11	2	5.50	3.67
Pitts	3.0	22	0	0.00	7.33
Foan	3.0	13	0	0.00	4.33
Rossiter	3.0	19	2	9.50	6.33
Goddard	2.1	27	0	0.00	12.46
Knight	2.0	24	1	24.00	12.00

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