Scorecard

Sunsets v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Tue 07 May 2019 at 6.00pm
Erratics Cricket Club Lost by 15 runs

Match report Sunsets Eclipse Erratics

A 16-over contest on a cold, wet and windy Tuesday night in May at the Coaver Club is the sort of early-season test that reveals much about a team’s mettle, and its prospects for the forthcoming campaign. Whilst the Erratics failed this test, in the sense that they finished a comfortable second, there were nevertheless several positives for them to take out of it.

First, in the field…

Skipper Chave lost the toss (I presume, otherwise I will have to rewrite this report with a paragraph of critiquing this decision), and was left with the famously unappealing prospect of chasing under lights at the C. Club. This prospect was looking no more appealing, when, after 5 overs, the Sunsets’ score read 48-0, most of which had been scored off the bat of Miszka (an impressively quick 25 ret.), and off the bowling of Youngman (I’ll withhold the figures…) Nevertheless, at the other end (and this is where we get to positive #1), experienced campaigner Rutherford, coming back from an injury-plagued 2018, was bowling as cannily as ever, and finished with impressive figures of 4-0-23-2.

After such a fluent Sunsets’ start, skipper Chave wisely followed the modern-day consensus and went for ‘pace off’, practised in different forms by journeyman medium-pacer Crawford, and marquee over-winter signing, that most priceless of assets to a modern 20/20 team, leg-spinner Wilkinson. Both bowled excellently (positive #2), the latter extracting such bounce from the artificial wicket that he often beat both batsman and keeper, and together they reduced the Sunsets’ run-rate to something more manageable. In need of a couple of extra overs, skipper Chave turned to Pullan at the death, who in a bid to avoid ‘second season syndrome’, had sought, over the winter, to add another string to his bow, dealing in part-time leg breaks. These came out surprisingly well (positive #3), and at the halfway stage, the Erratics could feel reasonably happy with themselves (given the Sunsets’ start), having restricted their opposition to 124 off their 16.

Onto the batting…

If we are being honest, the Erratics did not give the best account of themselves with the bat, finishing 14 runs short, but the innings had its moments. Sadly, none of these came from opener Nallala, who chipped one up early on, nor did any of them come from banker Ferro, out-foxed for once by the wily Wilson; some of these came from Greaves, who, despite looking a little rusty, hit a few gorgeous shots in an innings of 20, some from Pullan, who hit a quick-fire 23 before getting run out. But the highlight of the innings for me was the partnership between club veteran Phillips (11) and freshman Wilkinson (27 ret.), the former lacing square drives for ones and twos, the latter pounding straight ones for fours and sixes. Nevertheless, the required run rate began to creep quietly upwards, until Crawford and Chave were left with a tough ask of 25 to win off the final over. Despite some inventive shots from the latter, we finished, as mentioned, a little short.

Just as the sun was setting (geddit) on our evening, sporting light years away one of the great nights of European football was kicking off, which many of us enjoyed over several pints at the club bar. Jürgen’s boys showed that they certainly can go toe-to-toe with, and triumph against, footballing titans, but I was left wondering whether they would be able to do it on a cold…

Ben Pullan

Sunsets Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 4 wickets
0
125 (16.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Ben Youngman3.004000.0013.33
Nigel Rutherford4.0023211.505.75
Michael Wilkinson3.0016116.005.33
Matt Crawford4.003100.007.75
Ben Pullan2.00616.003.00

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 6 wickets
0
110		        
Jayakrupakar Nallala Caught  1 1
George Greaves Bowled  20 3
Ben Pullan Run out  23 2 2
Chris Ferro Caught  3
Mark Phillips Bowled  11 1
Michael Wilkinson Retired Not Out  27 2 2
Nigel Rutherford Caught  6
Matt Crawford Not Out  3 1
Duncan Chave Not Out  8 2 1
John Curtis  
Ben Youngman  

Sunsets Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.