Scorecard

Dunsford v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sat 25 Jun 2016 at 2.30pm
Match was Drawn

Match report `Creamy 6-fer’

Ah Dunsford. As an Erratic too new to remember the days of Dunsford as our home ground, my experiences here are still numerous enough to lament our eviction. If you are lucky enough to be picked to play a game against Dunsford, a beautiful and peaceful Dartmoor setting and a tea to end all teas will be among the highlights of your day. And so it would prove, with tea being enough for 40 players and a freshly baked quiche turning up piping hot around the 30 over mark….

Oh yeah, cricket. Well, before we could have tea, we had to play some of that I guess. Fraser and Mark Phillips opened the batting, the latter bowled early doors, and the former hanging around a good while before being plumber than plum in a plumber’s lunch box at a plumbing supply centre to one that kept low and straight.

Martin Wright steadied the ship and blocked a good hour for 13 runs, whilst Dan Thistlethwaite delivered a few lusty blows but was caught for 6. Jonathan Kirby came and steadied the ship: telling all partners that would follow that a partnership needed to be formed and that’s how we’d get runs on the board, so hang around. He must have told many of us this as one by one we holed out to square leg (Martin), or played across a straight one on off stump (me), but soon Mark Hailwood would listen and following his dismissal, skipper for the day Phil Power too each getting a decent score in the late teens thanks to watchful defense and attacking the bad balls.

With Jonathan on an excellent 43 littered with some excellent square cutting and at the non-strikers end, there were 5 minutes to go when Phil played around one and lost his middle stump. The plan was clear. It was probably the last over, so send out Gareth to hit a couple of 6’s and get us to a very defendable total. The plan did not work as the same delivery took the same stump next ball. With one ball in the over left, Penny would face and launch a drive over cover’s head for 2. If only that hadn’t been tea…

But then there was TEA! And what a tea! Baked lemon drizzle cake, coffee cake, homemade scones and clotted cream, not to mention 3 more Penguins than a pig would eat! I suspect that even now the Chaves still have some of the Penguins they took home after the game. Discussion during tea inevitably turned to Brexit. As we mused on Scotland, Northern Island, London, Exeter and South Hamms all leaving the UK and joining the EU, certain factions began comparing leading politicians to Game of Thrones characters. The conversation seemed to draw a lot of laughter, leaving me non-plussed and questioning the wisdom of choosing a reporter with no knowledge of TV. Any Erratics-come-Game of Thrones enthusiasts who missed the exchange can catch up no doubt using the line, “so Game of Thrones and Boris eh?”. Perhaps a wink and friendly shoulder-based jostle at this point will revive the spirit of, what seemed on the face of it, a lively conversation.

Having not followed the game of thrones banter, I did what any Erratic would do in that situation, and grabbed a penguin. Then we went to throw a ball and get about the business of bowling Dunsford out on their home ground. Phil adopted a long spell strategy, with Gareth and Ben opening 8 overs each. Gareth bowled economically, but couldn't find a break through. Ben who had the ball hooping around corners picked up a couple of early ones, though by the time both spells were ended, Dunsford were 2 down and their batsmen looked well set. A double change of Mark Hailwood and Fraser saw the breakthroughs come as first I chested down a firmly struck cover drive into my waiting arms (it doesn't matter which body part you use to catch a ball, they all count), and then Dan Thistlewaite caught one behind his right shoulder from the player I’d dropped the previous over.

With 4 down, we felt we just needed one more to really get into them, but it wouldn't come. With 8 overs left, Ben came back on and bowled a magic spell of swing bowling, mesmerizing batsmen with banana balls they couldn't keep out unless pads were used. As Phil and then Gareth contained at the other end, 4 wickets, 5 wickets then 6 wickets for Youngman at the other! Could he run through the whole team? Alas, he could not, and Dunsford would bat out the draw with 2 wickets remaining and well behind on runs required.

Ben would buy a jug in the Royal Oak and, as we all tucked into our free beer, Fraser (or was it Annie?) commented on a “Creamy” spell. Now, there is some debate as to whether Annie (or was it Fraser?) had meant (or said?) “Dreamy” rather than “Creamy” and, for that matter, if Fraser (or was it Annie?) had said (or meant?) “Creamy Ben Youngman” (or “Dreamy Ben Youngman”) as opposed to referring to his spell specifically.

All I can say is, if you found that confusing, you should have heard the Game of Thrones chat…

Danny Williamson

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
124		        
Fraser Chave Lbw  1
Mark Phillips Bowled  1
Martin Wright Caught  13
Daniel Thistlethwaite Caught  6
Jonathan Kirby Not Out  43
Danny Williamson Bowled  1
Mark Hailwood Bowled  19
Phil Power Bowled  17
Gareth Oughton Bowled  0
Penny Price Not Out  2
Ben Youngman  

Dunsford Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Dunsford Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
91 (38.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Gareth Oughton10.022100.002.10
Ben Youngman12.032063.331.67
Fraser Chave7.012400.003.43
Mark Hailwood7.011427.002.00
Phil Power2.00200.001.00