Scorecard

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics v Isis (tour team) on Sat 23 Jun 2018 at 1.30pm
Erratics Cricket Club Lost by 16 runs

Match report It is good that I was nominated as report writer for this match, as there will be no danger of any immodesty creeping into the report. My own contribution amounted to a missed catch and being out second ball (my first duck of the season, though). Teammates opined that the catch had been very difficult and the bowler very good for the two respective cases, but my actual dismal performance has to speak for itself. The rest of the report will now concentrate on good performance.

For our second annual visit from Isis (based in Oxford, not the Middle East) we were able to host them at our new “Home” ground of Lustleigh. The visitors had asked in advance if we could start at 1.30pm and also make it a 35-over match, so that they could get back to their accommodation in Exeter early enough to enjoy a night on the town. However, they must have had some traffic problems on the way, as, by 2.00pm, there were only the beginnings of a team at the ground, whilst all Erratics (at least the 9 of us that were available) were all present and correct. This led to some comment, particularly as being a Home game we were providing the tea. Martin Wright had travelled back that morning from a stay away and in his dedication to get to the game punctually had had to miss a family lunch and, horror of horrors, had to purchase ready made supermarket sandwiches for the tea! Perhaps some satisfaction was gained when punishments being issued to the tour team were overheard. Their captain, still with only 5 or 6 players, commented that none of the remaining car load of 4 still to arrive would be batting above number 6, whatever their normal expected position.

With only 9 players, we were kindly lent one or two fielders throughout Isis’ innings. They got off to a strong start with their opening pair, their captain especially at No.1 building a steady innings and playing through at least half the side’s innings as his partners came and went. One of these proved to be a powerful striker of the ball, particularly scoring boundaries towards the leg side and we thought that we were in for a massive run fest. However, George Greaves, fielding at deep midwicket took a splendid catch from one of these shots on its way to the boundary. A batsman or two later, George took a similar and evening more stunning catch in the same position but this time running in and intercepting the ball perfectly on its low trajectory. Sean Webb bowled especially tightly and constrained the batting well, being unlucky in not taking any wickets until he took two on the very last two balls of his maximum allowable seven overs, which left him on an uncompleteable hat-trick situation! Presumably, if he takes a wicket on the very first ball that he bowls in his next game, he will be able to award himself a moral one?! Whilst on the subject of bowling, we need to mention that of Nick Walding. His was an excellent spell, with many good length balls on or outside off stump, giving him figures of 26 for 3 off 7 overs. He pleaded with the captain for ever more slip fielders, but the most he was given was, if I remember correctly, two and a sort of gully! Fraser also bowled extremely economically, with figures of 18 for 4 off 4.2 overs. Final point of note on our fielding was a first time wicket-keeping for George Cockburn. Isis finished on 194 all out off 33.1 overs. This looked a challenging score, but not unachievable for us on a lovely hot sunny afternoon with a fast outfield and shortish boundaries.

And so, after the supermarket and homemade treats had been sampled, including Annie’s excellent Victoria sponge cake, we retook the field to tackle the target, with Duncan and Martin opening and building our score steadily but rapidly, with many early boundaries. One of Martin’s boundaries was especially memorable, looking as though it would land on the scorers’ table, but in fact dropping just short of the boundary as a four. That reminds me that I need to recount a tea interval conversation. Apparently there is an unofficial Erratics competition for the most sixes hit in a season. Perhaps this will be formalised in future years. The main contenders at present, and all of whom were talking about it are Martin Wright, Nick Walding and Fraser Chave. At the time of this match I took note of the current league situation and was going to report it. However, in the regrettable but unavoidable delay in my writing up this report the situation will have moved on and so I refrain from giving any facts. Perhaps the state of play on this harmless sparring can be included in reports once in a while? Back to the game in hand, Martin was caught after a rapid 31 to be replaced by George Cockburn, who went on to score, so I believe, his best Erratics innings (29) and stabilising the overall innings as partners arrived and departed. It was a treat to watch as he seemed very settled and confident. No doubts about one other batsman, of course, with Duncan in for a rock solid 57 until he started off for a run and somehow pulled a ligament, leaving him in agony and unable to play further. The other batsman who gave us hope was Nick Walding, belting his way to 37 in no time at all, and I mean belting, with 32 of that 37 being in boundaries including 4 sixes. You get the idea about the afore-mentioned competition? Whilst Nick was there and with the score accelerating, we had hopes of reaching our target, with many recalculations of the required runrate being done around the scorers. However, Nick was caught and bowled slightly mistiming one of his big hits and despite valiant attempts by Ben and Sean and with George Cockburn now also a casualty, we finished 17 runs short of a win. During this last phase of the match, there was talk of it being polite to allow a touring side to have a close win. Well, we did do that, by design or otherwise!

Isis will return – they are as yet undefeated!

Mark Phillips

Isis (tour team) Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
194 (33.1 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Ben Youngman5.012300.004.60
George Greaves5.004000.008.00
Nick Walding7.012638.673.71
Sean Webb7.0040220.005.71
Duncan Chave5.002500.005.00
Fraser Chave4.201844.504.15

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
178		        
Duncan Chave retired not out  Hurt 57 9 1 1 1
Martin Wright Caught  31 5
George Cockburn Bowled  29 4 1
Mark Phillips Bowled  0
George Greaves Bowled  0 2
Fraser Chave Stumped  8 1
Nick Walding Caught  37 2 4
Ben Youngman Bowled  1
Sean Webb Bowled  0
N.O. One  
N.O. One  

Isis (tour team) Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.