Scorecard

Met Office v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Tue 14 May 2024 at 6.00pm
Erratics Cricket Club Lost by 9 Wickets

Match report WEATHERMEN RAIN ON ERRATICS' PARADE

Spring 2024 has seen more than its fair share of yellow warnings from the Met Office, yet nothing could have prepared the Erratics for the heavy defeat inflicted by their cricketing division at Newton St Cyres last Tuesday.

Fretting about the downpours of recent weeks and unwilling to trust the opponents' forecast for fair weather (14 °C, sunny intervals, 10% chance of rain, light northeasterly, Beaufort scale 5, pollen count low), the ever-dependable Mark Phillips made a special reconnaissance trip early in the day to inspect the pitch, reporting back with welcome reassurance that (a) yes, it was still AstroTurf and (b) no, he still couldn't get his car keys down any of the cracks.

The Met Office fielded first, scattering to the four winds as Erratics Richard Lindsay and Matt Crawford walked out to bat. Opening bowler Phil Hope showed a good deal more accuracy than is common in the weather-forecasting trade, while from the other end Adam Thornhill gusted in like a brisk southwesterly from the North Atlantic, inducing several plays and misses but also permitting Crawford some sweetly struck boundaries. Together with Lindsay he weathered the storm nicely, until Thornhill snuck one through onto his stumps to end a handy 17.

That brought new recruit Brad "Braddo" Causey to the wicket, soon joined by Harry Everett after first Lindsay (5) and then Daniel Lobb (an unlucky first-baller) perished in the last over of a fine spell from Hope. Causey and Everett both settled in quickly and slapped some thunderous boundaries, accelerating the Erratics towards a very promising 71-3 after 10 overs. But their retirements (30 n.o. each) seemed to take the wind out of the Erratics' sails, precipitating some less assured strokeplay from the lower order that -- despite brief cameos from Mark Phillips and Fraser Chave -- ended up yielding a sub-par 110-6 from 20 overs.

After the innings break, the Erratics took to the field eager to build some early atmospheric pressure, revved up with an assortment of intimidating new nicknames (thanks Braddo!): Kirbs, Fraze-O, Crawfster, Chavey D, Lobbo, Evster, Philly and Lindo.

Tim "Gale" Force-it (your correspondent) and Mark "The Hailstorm" Hailwood both opened from the playground end, lest the meteorological nerds be unfairly distracted by the spectacle of evening sunbeams breaking through the stratocumulus stratiformis from the west. But there was to be no early breakthrough with the ball, both bowlers giving little away but unable to penetrate the batters' occluded front.

Slowly but surely the Met Office openers gained in confidence, their light drizzle of runs giving way to a steady downpour through the middle overs. Everett and Fraser Chave each nearly pulled off spectacular diving catches that they did well to get anywhere near, but soon enough both openers had passed 30 and were being applauded back to the dugout.

Without a single wicket on the board, the Erratics had gone worryingly quiet in the field. In a valiant attempt to revive flagging spirits, 'keeper Jonathan Kirby cheer-led his way through all eight E-R-R-A-T-I-C-S initials, but by that stage the thunder had been well and truly stolen. A consolation wicket by the Chaves provided a shaft of sunlight in the gloom, before the storm clouds descended once more and some lusty blows took the opposition home with 3 overs and 9 wickets to spare.

A deflating scoreline in a game that felt much closer in parts, the wily weathermen ultimately proving a force too strong for the Erratics.

Tim Fawcett.

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 10w 1b  
for 6 wickets
12
110		        
Richard Lindsay b P Hope 5 17 29.41
Matt Crawford b A Thornhill 17 12 4 141.67
Bradley Causey Retired Not Out  30 26 1 3 115.38
Daniel Lobb b P Hope 0 1 0
Harry Everett Retired Not Out  30 22 4 1 136.36
Mark Phillips ct R Barracliffe 5 15 33.33
Fraser Chave b R Barracliffe 7 14 1 50.0 1
Jonathan Kirby Not Out  2 10 20.0
Tim Fawcett b K Yadu 1 3 33.33
Duncan Chave Not Out  1 1 100
Mark Hailwood  

Met Office Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Phil Hope4.001427.003.50
Adam Thornhill4.0038138.009.50
Nathan Creaser2.00900.004.50
Andrew Groves4.002800.007.00
Russell Barracliffe4.011527.503.75
Krishnan Yadu2.01515.002.50

Met Office Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
10w 5b 3lb 
for 1 wickets
18
114 (16.5 overs)		     
Jamie Mitchell Retired Not Out  32 40 6 80.0
Richard Chatfield Retired Not Out  34 36 5 1 94.44
Andrew Groves Not Out  8 12 1 66.67
Andrew Creswick ct F Chave B. D Chave 1 2 50.0
Nathan Creaser Not Out  21 12 1 2 175.00
Adam Thornhill  
Bates  
Krishnan Yadu  
Stuart Webster  
Russell Barracliffe  
Phil Hope  

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Tim Fawcett4.011400.003.50
Mark Hailwood2.501500.005.29
Daniel Lobb4.003900.009.75
Fraser Chave4.001800.004.50
Duncan Chave2.0020120.0010.00