Scorecard

Yarcombe & Stockland v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 30 Sep 2018 at 1.00pm
Erratics Cricket Club Won by 18 runs

Match report This was a most enjoyable match, keenly contested and played with a cheerful camaraderie under skies that flickered between summer and autumn.

The game began with an absorbing tussle between Yarcombe’s young swing bowlers and the Erratics opening pair of Nigel Rutherford and Danny Williamson. These batsmen look to score but they could not do so safely here, such was the movement found by Jeacock and Trynor. Jeacock was particularly impressive, swinging the ball in and moving it away off the pitch with controlled, attacking intent. It was only due to a couple of edged boundaries that the score exceeded 20 from the first ten overs.

The wicket of Williamson fell at the end of Jeacock’s spell but run scoring was no easier after the bowlers were changed. As the Erratics tried to push on, first Rutherford and then Martins Wright and Weiler drove to extra cover where Siva Subramanian, playing as a guest for the home side, completed a notable trio of catches. At least Wright had the distinction of hitting the game’s first six with a characteristic swat down the ground, a stroke played with the satisfied air of a schoolmaster smacking a daydreaming pupil on the back of the head.

The innings was now in the hands of two doctoral students, Roshan Singh (biology) and Ben Pullan (classics), both in their first season with the club. Singh celebrated his chance to bat up the order with an elegant check-drive over long-off, but when he was out the score had reached only 80 for 5 from 20 overs and another 100 runs were still needed to make a good game. Happily, the shortfall was made up by Pullan and Chris Ferro who benefitted from some gentler bowling and a worn-out ball to compile a century partnership in even time. The stand was dominated for the most part by Pullan, a tall man who hits a heavy ball; his pummelling drives live clearest in the memory. Ferro gave a catch with three overs remaining, so it was captain Jonathan Kirby who helped Pullan to close the innings at 207 for 6.

(Here, Jonathan will think that I’ve decided not to mention his slapstick stumble and full-body slide when taking his first run, but I do so to highlight the sportsmanship of Yarcombe’s captain, Oli Smith, who declined to take advantage of Jonathan’s helpless state and run him out. Maybe Oli was having exotic sprisms like the rest of us.)

Ben Youngman and Krupakar Nallala took the new ball after the interval and it was heartening to see Youngman find some of his old form. His second delivery was almost perfect, moving away from off stump and past a groping edge. It was Nallala, though, who drew first blood with a swinging yorker that the batsman played across and missed. Andy Pulman came out to join Trynor senior and, notwithstanding the lurking menace of Sean Morris down the order, it was soon evident that this partnership would decide the game. Trynor had begun hitting hard through the off side and Pulman looked as though he might do similar damage on the leg side if he could find his timing. Kirby brought on his reserve seamers, Rutherford and Singh, and the match entered its decisive phase.

Singh was unlucky: Ferro failed to hold a booming drive at mid-off and a couple of mis-hits fell short of fielders. Rutherford was his probing best. From four paces, he bowled delivery after delivery on a line just outside off stump, the fuller balls swinging in late, those back of a length moving away off the pitch. It was a superb display, and yet the breakthrough would not come.

Kirby trusted to patience and in the first over after drinks was rewarded with the wicket of Pulman, caught behind off Rutherford. (Some Erratics thought that the ball had hit only the batsman’s leg but others, including the umpire, were certain that the ball had hit a glove.) Rutherford dealt a further blow soon after, bowling Trynor with an in-swinger that earned a muttered ‘well bowled’ from the departing batsman.

The Erratics were breathing easier and seam gave way to the off-spin of Weiler and Jeff Haynes, who was playing his first match of the year following a back injury. Yarcombe needed to score at seven runs an over for the last 15 overs and had Smith and Subramanian at the crease. Their energetic partnership, founded on good running, slowly brought Yarcombe back in to contention. Their teammates began to cheer the boundary hits and as the pressure mounted on the Erratics their fielding grew ragged. The match was not over.

The final act saw Youngman and Nallala return to the attack and it was Youngman who ultimately decided the game with two quick wickets. Nallala helped to extinguish any smouldering embers and the Erratics won by 18 runs.

The players repaired to the Sidmouth Arms in Upottery, where Andy Pulman pulled the pints and the Stockland locals told how they have bought the King’s Arms (the pub that has lain dormant in the heart of the village for several years) and are planning to re-open it in 2019. A friendly cricket team and a community-owned pub – two very good reasons for the Erratics to look forward to returning here next season.

Chris Ferro

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 6 wickets
0
207		        
Danny Williamson Lbw  11 2 1
Nigel Rutherford Caught  15 2
Martin Wright Caught  7 1
Martin Weiler Caught  0
Roshan Kumar Singh Bowled  20 1 2
Ben Pullan Not Out  78 10 2
Chris Ferro Caught  34 2 2
Jonathan Kirby Not Out  13 1 1
Jayakrupakar Nallala  
Ben Youngman  
Jeff Haynes  

Yarcombe & Stockland Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Yarcombe & Stockland Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
189 (40.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Ben Youngman8.0037312.334.62
Jayakrupakar Nallala8.0027213.503.38
Roshan Kumar Singh8.004500.005.63
Nigel Rutherford8.031133.671.38
Jeff Haynes4.002500.006.25
Martin Weiler4.003200.008.00