Scorecard

Marldon v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 17 Aug 2025 at 1.00pm
Erratics Cricket Club Won By 23 runs

Match report If you’d wandered into Marldon on Sunday, you might have thought you’d stumbled into a village fête. Children darting along the rope playing ‘stomp the rocket’, then batting footballs to each other, Bella the dog with only her head poking out of Jon Perkin’s cricket bag. Another slightly larger dog is waiting to be called into service to hunt out the cricket balls buried in the hedges. The said dog did its job well and, as a result, had the remaining gravy kindly provided at the Church House Inn as a well-earned reward. And, in the middle of it all, two cricket teams were at work, with the hedges leaning in, and the air smelling faintly of cut grass, and we tried to remember the local rules at the ground. Don’t lift the ball square as well as the six might look, it’s a dot ball.
Erratics batted first, it wasn’t the best start as we were quickly 5 -2, the two opening protagonists, Jon Kirby and yours truly supposed to follow captain Hailwood’s script and have a battle within a battle, we didn’t read page 2. Fortunately, this brought Matt Crawford and Jon Perkin together to bring us to 70-3, Matt making an entertaining 31, until he was bowled by a ball that ‘rolled’ under his bat. Jon carried on forming partnerships with Lee, who was on his way with two fours in two balls, until the pitch fought back to induce an edge. Hugh ‘cut and hook’ Sheridan was strolling along nicely until being given out LBW, I’m not sure Hugh agreed. Jon carried on to a lovely 54, with 10 fours (it would have been more if he’d remembered the local rules), taking us to 145 – 6. This brought Dhruba and Chris C together as we reached 228. Dhruba always looking safe whilst watching Chris stroll serenely on to a beautiful 61, finding the gaps with ease. Dhruba commented as we left the field, it was just a delight watching CC. A particular mention for 13-year-old George Russell, who bowled a mixture of googlies and leg breaks, turning the ball a long way, which is an achievement, even better realised that in his age group, he bowls on shorter pitches. The Erratics finished 228 – 6 (was this a good score?) and we headed off to our personally prepared teas.
The chase began, and Marldon also lost an early wicket as Fraser struck. Sean Rowsell settled in using his local knowledge to help himself to mostly leg side fours. Dhruba taking a lovely running catch of Mardon;s number 3, for Mark’s wicket, do I mention Dhuba’s drop whilst guesting for Marldon, oh I just did. We dropped a few catches; however, Matt caught 3, one caught and bowled from his first ball. Mark marshalled his bowlers, ensuring Marldon remained in the game. ‘Hockey’ player Claridge was taking a particular liking to Lee, until he got his own back and bowled him for 37. George Russell, demonstrating he is a good bat too, quite a prospect, took himself to 33 until he became one of Matt’s catches. Sean Rowsell had earlier got his customary runs against us with 47. The wickets were shared around with Lee, Duncan and Matt all taking 2 wickets. George’s 33 gave Marldon something to cheer; there were murmurs: “Maybe… just maybe.” But it was the kind of chase that never quite convinced itself. One wicket too many, one partnership too few. And so it ended at 205. The Erratics by 23. The game had been lively but never heated. It finished with handshakes, pats on the back. As the shadows stretched and the ‘Electronic’ scorebook was closed, you could see the story of the day in fragments: tidying up the ground, laughing over the dropped catches. Marldon pleased to have reached 200 +. They’re not playing many games now, and it seems even more important for us to support them, because cricket, in Marldon on a Sunday, is never just numbers. It’s the smell of grass, the chatter from the boundary, and a contest where even 23 runs short can still feel like part of something worth remembering.
I’m adding a postscript here as I’ve resisted reading Mark’s report at Ottery St. Mary until now, as I’d been told it was a ‘declaration’! Embarrassed, yes of course, but an Erratic knows how to be teased and complimented in equal measure. But in danger of this becoming a ‘Netflix’ series, Mark is a man who carries Style with Substance. I’d earlier declared him merely a man of Substance at JK’s party. It’s important to enjoy a game of cricket, particularly Erratic’s cricket. I’m blessed it found me. Mark must go to sleep each night remembering how he has just knocked out the leg stump of an annoying batsman, Me I’m off back to my place of birth, Mumbles, and I will return to a schoolboy member taking in splendid views across Swansea Bay in 1968 (I was on the East Terrace, where I witnessed Gary Sobers score six sixes off Malcolm Nash). I fell completely for the game. I had already fallen for the place.

Another footnote added here by Duncan to remind Mark of the Bob Dylan lyric he was singing (seeking) while scoring…

My Back Pages (the missing page)

In a soldiers stance they take their chance
Those Marldon boys who bat
Fearing not I’ll be hit for six
‘Cos it will not count as that
Black trainer down the pitch but then
They contrive to get out somehow
Ah, but they were so much older then
They’re younger than that now

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
7nb 15w 16b  
for 6 wickets
38
228		        
Jonathan Kirby ct S Rowsell b P Foot 4 2 1 200
Phil Power ct C Lamming b O Knox 0 5 0
Matt Crawford b N Knox 31 44 6 70.45 3
Jon Perkin ct N Knox b G Russell 54 60 10 90.0
Lee Grant ct N Morris b N Knox 8 4 2 200
Hugh Sheridan lbw C Lamming 13 16 3 81.25
Dhruba Jyoti Goswami Not Out  19 36 2 52.78 1
Chris Cook Not Out  61 50 12 122.00 1
Fraser Chave  
Mark Hailwood  
Duncan Chave  

Marldon Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Peter Foot7.0324124.003.43
O Knox6.0036136.006.00
J J Reece4.005400.0013.50
N Knox5.0035217.507.00
Cameron Lamming5.0131131.006.20
George Russell4.01919.002.25
Adam Claridge1.001300.0013.00
Sam Rowsell3.001000.003.33

Marldon Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
16w 1b  
for 9 wickets
17
205 (35.0 overs)		     
Sam Rowsell b P Power 47 56 10 83.93
Nick Morris b Unsure 2 4 50.0
Sean Scott ct D Goswami b M Hailwood 13 18 2 72.22
Cameron Lamming b L Grant 18 27 3 66.67
Adam Claridge b L Grant 37 25 8 148.00
George Russell ct M Crawford b D Chave 33 38 7 86.84
O Knox ct M Crawford b M Crawford 12 8 3 150.0
J J Reece ct M Crawford b D Chave 1 3 33.33
N Knox ct C Cook b M Crawford 9 10 90.0
Peter Foot Not Out  12 13 1 92.31
Mark Bennett Not Out  3 7 42.86

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Mark Hailwood7.0041141.005.86
Fraser Chave7.0130130.004.29
Phil Power7.0046146.006.57
Lee Grant5.0132216.006.40
Duncan Chave4.0028214.007.00
Matt Crawford3.0020210.006.67