Scorecard

Rackenford (mini-league) v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Thu 26 May 2016 at 6.00pm
Erratics Cricket Club Won by 10 runs

Match report by Jeff Haynes
[Captain Matt Cook, Wicketkeeper Andrew Forrester]


This was the second of our matches in the Cheriton Fitzpaine Friendly Mini League Cup competition, and after defeating Yeoford in our opening match, expectations were high. But could Matt Cook’s men manage another T20 win following the Erratics’ 20-over demise at the hands of the Sunsets (and the rain) the previous Friday … and against the unfamiliar opposition of Rackenford? Support was there from President Peter, Jan, the senior Chaves, and Jade (attending her first cricket match) as well as a handful of Cheriton folk.

Inspired, no doubt, by recent Premier League footballing exploits, Rackenford’s grand plan appeared to be to select a team composed entirely of players called Lester!

Matt won the toss and chose to bat. Jonathan Kirby and Martin Wright started briskly, hitting a run a ball of the first 21 deliveries, before Martin’s second offer of a catching-practice skier was accepted at point. Matt hoisted Lester (T)’s first ball for a glorious six and a second wicket didn’t then fall until the 13th over, with the score at 88. Matt had already retired (with 33 and two sixes to his name) and Krupakar had taken over the six-hitting role, when Jonathan fell to Lester (M) for 24. Rackenford started to apply the brakes with Lester (R) conjuring up the only maiden of the innings while Lester (M) took 3 for 10 in his 3 over spell, triggering an all too familiar Erratics middle-order collapse. Vigus had Krupakar caught, tempting him to go for another six, and picked up three more wickets cheaply: Matt returned to the crease, but Lester (T) also returned for a final over and tempted Matt to offer the seventh catch of our innings … leaving me high-and-dry on 1 not out. We had amassed 109 (94 off the bat and 15 extras, including no less than 11 in wides), and got only half way to our six-hitting bonus point.

Trevor Bailey, who himself took 425 catches in his career, regularly reminded Test Match Special listeners that ‘catches win matches’. Rackenford had notched up a pretty good conversion rate of chances into catches: it was now up to the Erratics to do the same. After a quick turn-around we took the field and a light shower passed through. Gareth Oughton and Mark Hailwood opened the attack, restricting Rackenford to four-an-over, and looking on while several chances went to hand … on their way to the ground. After nine overs Rackenford were still only one wicket down, yet by then dropped catches alone could have earned us two bonus points!

I have recently been reading The Game of Cricket as it should be played, by Jack Hobbs, Maurice Tate and Herbert Strudwick. In his chapter on fielding Jack Hobbs commends the value of an even temper: “The bowler should never show temper when a catch is dropped. It is not only bad form, but bad policy. A little reflection should convince him that nobody could have been more anxious that the catch should be made, and no one is more chagrined at the failure, than the unfortunate fieldsman. Every cricketer knows the feeling that possesses a player at such a moment. He imagines that he is being anathematized by every club-mate and partisan of his side, and he wishes that he could get away from the sight of all men. However quickly others may forget the incident, he feels that his failure is in their minds for the rest of the day. Irritation on the part of the bowler does nothing to restore his self-respect, nor does it help him back to that confidence which may be so useful if another chance comes along. It is far better for the bowler to take the matter calmly, as one of the inevitable disappointments to be met with at cricket, while a cheery “Better luck next time” will show his sympathy, and do much to restore the equanimity of the fieldsman.” Fortunately, all the Erratics bowlers showed an ‘even temper’, and Danny Williamson, (whose own first over should have yielded two catches), responded in perfect style by himself catching Vigus off Fraser Chave for 18. This would be the only catch to stick. Fraser had already removed Lester (R), and Danny had bowled Berry, but Sibly had reached the 30 retirement and returned to the pavilion to await his recall.

The Erratics gave away only two wides (both, I’m ashamed to say, off my bowling), but at least if you are to bowl wides, you should try to make them count … just wide enough to tempt the batsman into a wild swipe, but close enough to the stumps for Andrew Forrester to whip the bails off! Sidlow was disappointed to be reminded that you can still be stumped off a wide ball.

The scorecard does not reveal the woeful fielding of the Erratics. The dropped catches don’t show, you have to look in the fine print to pick out the five overthrows event, and the three run outs (including Lester (P) and Lester (M)) do not tell the whole story. Matt Crawford deserves praise for superbly throwing down the stumps to remove Rodgers, but the final run out, in the twentieth over, came when Rackenford were only 10 runs short, and it looked for a while as if they might get all the runs required from this one ball before we could break the wickets. Rackenford’s last wicket fell at 99. They too had scored 94 off the bat, but their extras total made all the difference.

To return briefly to The Game of Cricket, Jack Hobbs comments on captaincy. “The functions of the good captain are many. He it is who should be keenest to detect the batting weaknesses of opposing players, using his bowling and moving his fieldsmen accordingly. Even good batsmen have their foibles … the captain of the fielding side should watch carefully for the necessary indications, if he does not know his opponents already, and change his bowlers (and his fieldsmen) as circumstances demand.” That is exactly what Matt did throughout the innings. 109 was not a large total to protect, but he superbly engineered another sound, final over victory.

The pre-season poll revealed a mixed response to our participating in this ‘competitive tournament’. The Erratics traditionally play ‘friendlies’ and some understandable concern was expressed that we might be led into sacrificing our unwritten principles of friendly play in pursuit of victory. We decided to give it a try this year and I am pleased to be able to say that the first two matches of this tournament have been every bit as friendly, inclusive and good-natured as the other Erratics matches I have played over the last seven years.

Jade clearly enjoyed her first experience of watching a cricket match. Perhaps she can be encouraged to pick up a ball or put on some pads … we could do with some more women in the team!

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
11w 2b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
15
109		        
Jonathan Kirby b M Lester 24 3
Martin Wright ct Berry 4
Matt Cook ct T Lester 34 3 2
Jayakrupakar Nallala ct Vigus 14 1 1
Matt Crawford b M Lester 0 2
Fraser Chave ct Vigus 2
Andrew Forrester ct and b Vigus 5 1 1
Danny Williamson  M Lester 1
Mark Hailwood b Vigus 4
Gareth Oughton ct Strong 4
Jeff Haynes Not Out  1

Rackenford (mini-league) Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Strong3.0012112.004.00
Berry3.0017117.005.67
T Lester2.3015115.006.00
R Lester3.011800.006.00
Rodgers2.002300.0011.50
M Lester3.001033.333.33
Vigus3.001042.503.33

Rackenford (mini-league) Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 2w 2b  
for 9 wickets
5
99 (19.3 overs)		     
R Lester lbw F Chave 13
Vigus ct Williamson b F Chave 18
Sibley Not Out  30
Berry b Williamson 1
Sidlow st Forrester b Haynes 14
Hare lbw M Cook 4
P Lester Run out  11
Strong b Haynes 2
Rodgers Run out  0
M Lester Run out  1
T Lester  

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Gareth Oughton3.01400.001.33
Mark Hailwood3.001900.006.33
Danny Williamson3.0012112.004.00
Fraser Chave3.0020210.006.67
Jayakrupakar Nallala2.302400.009.60
Jeff Haynes3.001326.504.33
Matt Cook2.00616.003.00