Scorecard

Mount Edgcumbe v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 25 Aug 2013 at 2pm
Erratics Cricket Club Won by 178 runs

Match report Report by Martin Wright

Until at least the 14th Century, I’m told, it was customary for English monarchs to begin their proclamations by addressing “All Our Peoples: English, French, Cornish and Welsh.” Which, by historical predecent if not current usage, means this just about qualifies as Erratics’ one and only foreign fixture.

Close on two hours’ journey certainly makes it feel that way. By the time we crossed the Tamar we were strangers in a strange land, where – at least according to Kirby the Navigator – our best hope lay in striking away from what remained of civilisation, bumping over grass tracks festooned with bracken, sheep and god knows what other weird Cornisheries.

After that brief foray off-piste, we eventually crested the last rise to find that familiar but spectacular view stretched out before us – Plymouth and the estuary alive with sailboats, the looming mass of Dartmoor, the softer folds of the Cornish hills… This has to be a contender, along with Lynton and Harberton, for the most panoramic ground graced by Erratic feet.

We arrived to find Skipper Rutherford had lost the toss and we’d been invited to bat. (A bit, as it turned out, like the Romano-British inviting the English over for a little light work on the eastern defences, which led inexorably, of course, to the eventual conquest of Cornwall, sometime after medieval tea...).

Cook, M and Heaton opened, and wasted no time in laying about themselves: Heaton displaying a particularly fine, feathery late cut, while Cook took a more robust approach, of the ‘see ball, lift bat, hit ball’ variety. His first scoring shot was a six, and a few balls later he followed with two consecutively: a short arm pull over the fence, then, as the bowler over-corrected, a mighty front foot drive into the long grass.

After six overs we were 50-0.

Heaton played back to a good length ball and was bowled for a solid 14, which brought Ferro to the crease. He looked as elegant and precise as ever, until he elegantly and precisely played on. Wright joined Cook, and the two kept the scoreboard moving briskly, Cook reaching a quickfire, confident half century, before lofting a drive which went straight into the hands of mid-on. And out again. With Wright dithering at the non-striker’s end, Cook advanced halfway down the pitch, watched the drop, made a decisive call of ‘wait’, and sauntered back to his end, only to find the ball had got their first. Run out for a superb 70.

Wright thumped a couple of fours, then presented a solid front pad to Ware, R – by far the pick of the Edcgumbe attack – and was plumb dead for 15.

Kirby played the briefest of all possible innings, Krupakar barely stayed longer, and suddenly we were wobbling on 127-6. Edgcumbe looked springy, scenting the tail. Where before they were teapots, now they looked almost tigerish, sniffing an early tea. But their noses were about to be put out of joint: this was perhaps the strongest Erratics side to take the field all season, and as felines go, we were more Manx than moggy. The batting line-up was based largely on the old adage of “if you’re up for a bowl, you go in down the order”. A polite cricketing convention for which your correspondent is deeply grateful. In this case it meant we could have reversed the order without a trace of embarrassment.

Hailwood joined Cook, C, and the ship was first steadied, weathering a testing spell from Ware, and then flung forward at speed. Hailwood started streakily, making full use of a copious edge, before settling down into a solid mix of defence and attack, with some powerful pull shots. Cook, meanwhile, had enough confidence to score symmetrically at will: 4, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1... prompting speculation as to whether some Bangalore bookie was counting lakhs of rupees at the end of a line. Then, as if tiring of such precision, he launched a huge six into the sheep, followed by the shot of the day, a perfectly timed drive – a straight caress - for four.

With the field scattering, both batsmen ran well, and had put on 90 in just over 14 overs before Cook aimed one drive too many and was bowled for a thumping 53, by which stage we were 217-7, and within range of Skipper’s 250 goal.

Enter Lucky Bandhu. Not since the early days of Hick and Pietersen has there been a less appropriate No. 9. Your correspondent, umpiring at square leg, enjoyed hearing one Edgcumbian proclaim, “Come on, boys, we’re through to the tail”, and enjoyed even more letting slip to a nearby fielder that Lucky’s last innings was 123. Not out. For Clyst. In a league match.

He struck a lightning 17, including a sumptuous straight six, before being selflessly stumped; a fate which also befell Hailwood. The happy absurdity of our batting order continued with Rutherford at No. 11 – who, as rabbits go, is decidely more Thumper than Flopsy (let alone Cottontail) – and who wrapped up proceedings with a brisk pull for four, ensuring we comfortably exceeded his target.

Over tea, we learned that the last day of the Ashes had sparked into life, with England chasing a tempting total thanks to an admirably sporting Aussie declaration. Would our match also be a close run thing? 257 in 40-ish overs could be gettable with some clean hitting on this fast outfield.

Rutherford, with an embarrassment of bowling riches to hand, rightly gave himself a few overs, and struck second ball: a neat catch by Kirby off a sharp delivery that lifted, moved away, and took the edge of an attempted cut. A pure cricket wicket, and one that removed Deane, by repute a promising young bat. Bandhu promptly caught and bowled Farley, and when he cleaned up Shattock a couple of overs later, Edgcumbe were reeling on 19-3.

That they didn’t crumple completely was largely down to Ware, R, who followed his tight bowling with some defiant batting, mixing solid defence with some clumping boundaries. Together with Allatt, he took the score to 41 before Bandhu struck twice. First he induced an edge from Allatt, very well taken by Cook, C, falling backwards at slip, then unleashed a pearler which cleaned up Ware, ending his resistance for a stubborn 29.

Edgcumbe were on the ropes at 44-5, and this time there was no way back. Cook, C, came on for a tight, testing spell, and the scoring rate first slowed to a trickle, then virtually dried up altogether, despite the introduction of Curtis’s tempting twirlers. They proved either too tempting, or too straight. A couple of ambitious slogs ended up in the safe hands of Ferro and Bandhu respectively; Cook bowled Grigg, and when Curtis pinned Deviell it was all over. Mount Edgcumbe had barely made the foothills: 78 all out – a stonking 178 adrift.

We celebrated quietly outside at the eponymous pub, bathed in evening sunshine. Like a tableau from the 1950s, we were clustered round the radio, with the ever excitable Blowers and Tuffers counting down England’s run chase, till the drama was snuffed out by bad light and dismal regulations.

As invasions go, ours had been easy; it would be tempting to say almost too easy, but that would be to discount the skills and panache of Bandhu, Curtis, Hailwood and, above all our brace of Cooks. Without them, it might have been a much tougher encounter.

Anyway, before the English came, what are now the rival counties of Devon and Cornwall were a single Kingdom of Dumnonia. History’s all hindsight. Not so foreign after all.

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
256		        
Matt Cook Run out  70
Jan Heaton Bowled  14
Chris Ferro Bowled  1
Martin Wright Lbw  15
Jonathan Kirby Bowled  0
Chris Cook Bowled  53
Jayakrupakar Nallala Bowled  0
Mark Hailwood Stumped  42
Lucky Bandhu Stumped  17
John Curtis Not Out  0
Nigel Rutherford Not Out  5

Mount Edgcumbe Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Mount Edgcumbe Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
78 (25.3 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Nigel Rutherford6.0214114.002.33
Lucky Bandhu8.012345.752.88
Chris Cook6.0111111.001.83
John Curtis4.302245.504.89
Mark Hailwood1.00400.004.00
 
Photos and video of Mount Edgcumbe v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 25 Aug 2013 at 2pm

Mount Edgcumbe.jpg

The Erratics versus Mount Edgcumbe, 2013.