Scorecard

Tipton St John v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Thu 07 May 2026 at 6.00pm
Erratics Cricket Club Lost by 34 runs

Match report Mark Hailwood reports…

Ah, cricket. My journey time had just ticked past the one-hour mark when I finally turned off the A3052 to make my way into Tipton. I met a ‘Road Closed’ sign. As I doubled-back to find another way to access the Otter Valley interior, I found myself wondering how far was too far to travel on a weeknight to bowl 3 or 4 overs and bat, if at all, at number 11 in the cold and dark in a lost cause.

Dave Roberts, the highly successful manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, likes to say that ‘if you honour the game, the game will find a way to honour you’. I like to think the Cricket Gods subscribe to this mantra.

I had honoured the game by undertaking a very long drive across Devon, on an empty stomach, to play it, and despite my grumpiness and lack of time for a warmup, dutifully agreeing to my skipper’s request to take the first over. As it happened, an ambitious call from the facing batsman John Buckland and some slick work from Matt Crawford effected a run out on the very first ball, leaving poor Matt Brewster, the Tipton opener, with both a Diamond Duck (out without facing) and a Platinum Duck (out first ball of the match). I felt for him. Matt Cook had skewered me in the same way against the Beer Engine back in 2012. And I had given him a lift.

But this run out was not my reward. That came at the start of my second over, when I clean bowled Buckland – so often our nemesis in recent years – with a ball he later described as ‘one helluva nut’. Did a bit of everything, drifting in then swinging away to kiss the top of off stump. Ball on a string. It was well worth the drive. But don’t worry, I won’t go on about it, that isn’t my style. For instance, you have probably never heard me mention that I twice dismissed that other East Devon scourge of Erratics bowlers, Phil Tolley, on this ground. No? Thought not. #notjustahattrick

On the subject of honours, big name signing Tom Joshi-Hartley has been on a mission to sow-up the Newcomer of the Year award in record time. Very sadly, Tom’s time with the Erratics has already come to an end, as he now moves to Paris to take up a post-doc. But in just four games he has staked his claim with a match report and a captaincy debut (here), and entered this match as our leading wicket taker. Tom is such a natural Erratic it is hard to believe his stint has been so brief, and it is a testament to him that he will be missed even after so few games. This did not feel like a captaincy debut, with his infectious positivity and instinct for inclusion creating a quintessential Erratics atmosphere. The game, and the evening, was a lot of fun, and the skipper did much to set that tone.

I don’t think the award is a foregone conclusion though, as this game was packed with green shoots of future promise. Bill Gilmour-White picked up his first Erratics wicket with a good over of well-directed, on-the-stumps sidearm, and Will Luscombe, on debut, sent down two respectable overs for just seven runs, and affected a cool run out. In just his second game of proper cricket, he professed to already feeling ‘battle-hardened’. Matt Crawford found some teasing flight, and Kyle Wedgwood bowled a beautiful spell of consistent line and length that earned him his first wicket since returning from a very long spell on the injured list.

Combined with some uncharacteristically committed fielding, we were on top of Tipton throughout, despite being a relatively inexperienced Erratics side. The old guard made their mark too though, and the final ball of the innings saw a Hailwood slower ball deceive the batter and present keeper JK with a stumping – one that saw him move into second place overall in the Erratics stumpings list (behind Peter Thomson, obvs). All told, we had restricted Tipton to 104, a competitive but gettable total on a tricky pitch.

Our reply started confidently, with possibly the tallest ever combined opening partnership for the club, in the form of Rick Lindsay and Brad Causey. They were cruising along with some glorious strokes, when all of a sudden Rick got a shooter that crept under his bat. From there, we never really got going again. Still, Brad made it chancelessly, as ever, to his 30*, and there were more milestones for the newcomers. Lefty Liz Fernandes opened her Erratics’ account with a fine paddle behind square on the leg side; Bill firmly punched his maiden run between midwicket and mid-on; and Will collected three debut singles with some kitchen-sink swings.

Matt Crawford had arrived without kit, and had to stride to the middle in a borrowed ensemble: a vintage Kukri short sleeve Erratics T20 shirt courtesy of JK, a pair of trousers in the fashionable ‘skinny fit’ style lent by Tom, and a pair of battered, grip-free black and yellow timeless Adidas Samba trainers from the Hailwood wardrobe. Clad in the clothing of others, Matt seemed somewhat liberated, and cruised breezily to 13, even throwing in a deft switch hit for good measure. But the momentum didn’t last, and a glance at the scorecard will tell you that we limped along after Matt’s dismissal in the descending gloam.

To rub salt into the wounds, JK was run out at the non-strikers end in a freak dismissal when a lusty Will blast clipped the bowler’s finger and then the bails, leaving JK stranded out of his crease. It had turned into one of those nights. To be fair though, Tipton had won it rather than us lost it: in the middle overs the wily bowling of Buckland – getting his revenge – and Phil Wright – so often a tormentor of Errati-batters – had strangled us out of contention. We finished on the chuckle-inducing score of 69.

And so, I had trudged out to bat at number 11 in the cold and dark in a lost cause. But I was not downhearted. It had been a lovely game, played in good spirits packed with milestones, moments, and a bit of mayhem. Both teams had played the game the right way, and been honoured with a thoroughly enjoyable evening. And it only took me 45 minutes to get home.

Tipton St John Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
103 (20.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Mark Hailwood4.001334.333.25
Lee Grant3.0024124.008.00
Matt Crawford3.002000.006.67
Tom Joshi-Hartley4.0024124.006.00
Kyle Wedgwood3.00919.003.00
Will Luscombe2.00700.003.50
Bill Gilmour-White1.00212.002.00

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
69		        
Bradley Causey Not Out  30
Richard Lindsay Bowled  12
A.N. Other Bowled  1
Bill Gilmour-White Bowled  1
Tom Joshi-Hartley Bowled  3
Matt Crawford Caught  13
Kyle Wedgwood Bowled  0
Lee Grant Stumped  0
Will Luscombe Bowled  3
Jonathan Kirby Run out  0
Mark Hailwood Bowled  0

Tipton St John Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.