Scorecard

Harberton v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 28 Jun 2026 at 1:30pm
Match was Drawn

Match report
Harberton vs. The Erratics: Clafoutis and a Classic Draw
Report by Sam Cook

It’s rare that I get the chance to don my Erratics cap, which patiently waits in the dank depths of my kitbag. It betrayed my absence, as Fraser pointed out, the hot pink of the unicorn is at odds with the pale salmon of those dedicated cricketers who more regularly serve an Erratic cause. Still, it’s a joy to feel part of the team again, and what better Devon setting than Harberton? The ground sits atop rolling hills, like giants lying top-and-tail - bellies full.

A timed game was agreed upon, which I was glad to hear is still a thriving format for the Erratics. I don’t truthfully know whether we elected to bat at the toss, as at least half the team was embroiled in the thick of a shin-splintering slip-cradle session.

Harberton took to the field with the openers Duncan Chave and Martin Wright. A steady start saw off some economic opening bowling from Tom Vowler and Chris Collinson who looked to exploit the bounce in the sunbaked surface. Eventually Duncan picked out Bradley Causey-Watts with pinpoint accuracy, who I’m told is also an occasional Erratic, and a bloody good fielder. Lee Grant was out caught first ball and Mark Phillips survived seven balls without scoring before inside edging one on to his stumps. Martin was then caught in front, LBW for 25 well-made runs shortly afterwards. The innings threatened to unravel.

Tom Vowler was looking menacing with his 9 for 3 off 6 overs. As Matt Crawford and your reporter found each other at the crease, there was a little pressure to steady the ship. A near 100 partnership ensued, when the two of us (aptly on the day Bazball died) decided attacking was our best form of defense. Matt (now on 40) eventually managed to pick out the cat-like Bradley once again.

Chris Cook limped to the middle, disclosing “I’ve done my Achilles, I can’t run”. Four balls in he called me through for a quick single that even the nimblest would have struggled with. Kyle Wedgwood lasted just the one ball, chipping one up off the bowling of young Monty Watts, one of many promising young players. Four ducks in nine innings, yet we still reached 207. Fraser Chave finished on 10 batting at number 9 and your reporter finished on 84.

It was a BYOT situation at the break with one exception: David Sommer (who would yet play a prominent role in the day) had brought a clafoutis to share. It was delicious but David admitted it was a little sloppy. I negotiated some into my mouth over the sink whilst no one was watching. Dramatic shafts of sunlight kept puncturing the pillowy clouds to illuminate what I think are the Beacon Rocks and the Eastern Whittabarrow on the edge of Dartmoor. Fresh gusts were rolling in from the direction of the tors. An eerie shriek pierced the sedate ambiance every so often - a pig I assumed, or some sinister Dartmoor beast.

The Erratics bowled well, Lee picked up a wicket with his very first ball. Bradley stalked to the crease purposefully and smote a few cover drives with the straightest bat I’ve seen. The second wicket came when Chris moved your reporter in for a close catch off Ben Yarde-Buller, the very next ball Chris Salisbury obliged and clubbed it straight at my face (Admittedly moving me close probably made the catch even harder). Ben took 2 wickets in his economic 9 overs, all whilst wearing a long-sleeved wooly jumper in the warm sun.

David Sommer took a phone call whilst umpiring and seemed to deliver both the news that the pub would in-fact be open later, and that Ben Stokes had just Retired as Test Captain, it was an important enough call to pause the game for several minutes. Whether a crestfallen Stokes was on the other end of the line remains unconfirmed.

Whilst Bradley put on a very technical 67 and Tom Vowler made a valuable 26, three wickets the fell in three overs including two ducks. David came to the crease with the game in the balance, and he and Bradley looked to be a solid duo until he decided to break the shackles and picked out Duncan off Fraser’s bowling. At 127-7 things were looking ominous for Harberton with 11 overs remaining. Somewhere in there, Matt took a fantastic catch over his head, and two more wickets fell, both Duncan and Phil Power making use of that Dartmoor drift.

This left the clafoutis-making, pint-pulling, ball-bowling and potential game-saving David to battle out the remaining overs. With the result on a knife-edge, Harry Fitzpatrick and David saw out the last three overs surrounded by a ring of eager close fielders. The defiant pair prevailed, and the game was drawn.

David was the last player in the clubhouse, washing up with his pads on, whilst being urged to get down to the pub so he could open up and pour us all a pint - a true hero of friendly cricket.

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
11nb 13w 11b 1lb 
for 7 wickets
36
207		        
Duncan Chave ct T Vowler 12 29 2 41.38 1
Martin Wright lbw D Sommer 25 47 4 53.19
Lee Grant ct T Vowler 0 1 0
Mark Phillips b T Vowler 0 7 0
Matt Crawford ct M Watts 40 48 5 83.33 1
Sam Cook Not Out  84 71 11 3 118.31 2
Chris Cook Run out  0 4 0 1
Kyle Wedgwood ct M Watts 0 1 0
Fraser Chave Not Out  10 13 76.92
Ben Yarde-Buller   1
Phil Power  

Harberton Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Chris Collinson6.001400.002.33
Tom Vowler6.02933.001.50
David Sommer4.0024124.006.00
Will Squire4.002900.007.25
Harry Fitzpatrick4.004100.0010.25
Joe Skuse3.002000.006.67
Chris Salisbury5.003300.006.60
Monty Watts3.0025212.508.33

Harberton Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1w 4b  
for 9 wickets
5
154 (37.0 overs)		     
Chris Collinson b L Grant 1 6 16.67
Chris Salisbury ct B Yarde-Buller 15 26 3 57.69
Bradley Causey ct F Chave 67 63 6 2 106.35
S Belamy b B Yarde-Buller 5 9 55.56
Tom Vowler ct F Chave 26 34 4 76.47
Monty Watts ct P Power 0 4 0
Elliott Camp b F Chave 0 2 0
David Sommer Not Out  30 50 4 60.0
Will Squire ct P Power 2 19 10.53
Joe Skuse ct D Chave 0 5 0
Harry Fitzpatrick Not Out  3 4 75.00

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Ben Yarde-Buller9.0127213.503.00
Lee Grant6.0045145.007.50
Fraser Chave9.0131310.333.44
Phil Power10.0239219.503.90
Duncan Chave3.00818.002.67