Scorecard

Beer Engine v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Fri 06 Jun 2014 at 6.00pm
Erratics Cricket Club Lost by 8 wickets

Match report When I first started playing for the Erratics a visit to take on Newton St Cyres CC was confirmation that the season was underway. It was almost always either the first or second game on the fixture list (it was the first game of our 50th anniversary season for example and hence the match report is recorded for posterity in our ‘The Erratics 50 not out’ publication). Then in the mid-Eighties the game disappeared and it is only in more recent times that the pink army has once again visited this quiet spot next to the River Creedy (the peace only disturbed by the occasional train on its way to or from Barnstaple). Nowadays we make several visits each year playing at least three different teams – The Crediton Inn, The Beer Engine and Heads and Tails. Tonight it was the Beer Engine hosting us on the square’s artificial wicket.
One expects a little bit of help from the Captain when carrying out the extremely onerous reporting duties. When I asked Jonathan Kirby who won the toss (we were batting) he told me it was “confidential”. Luckily I didn’t have to go down the Freedom of Information route as their skipper was a much more open and transparent fellow. He informed me Jonathan had won it. Jonathan was willing to divulge his negotiating skills having persuaded the opposition to agree to a maximum of three overs a bowler rather than their preferred two. There were to be no mandatory retirements and we would be using a white ball. So much to sort out before we even began!
We made a slow start but (certainly for your reporter) proceedings were enlivened by an ‘incident’. Maybe not quite up to the quality of some Erratics ‘previous’ (Mark Searle run out while ‘gardening’ vs Manaton; Bill Parker sending Steve Berry off at Bickleigh to name but two) but entertaining nonetheless. What happened was this: a Beer Engine bowler approached the wicket and his hat fell off. Clearly distracted he continued to bowl but made a terrible hash of it – both throwing it and sending it down for a wide. Confusion reigned but facing bat Jan Heaton was called for a run. Jan believing the ball to be dead didn’t rush and was run out. This, of course, in the immediate aftermath of the Jos Buttler incident at Edgbaston. Thankfully the fielders were adamant that Jan should stay and peace was struck with the umpire signalling a Dead Ball.
We continued to find runs hard to come by, only hitting our first boundary in the ninth over (Chris Ferro) and struggling to 38-3 at the halfway stage. Jonathan tried to use some basic psychology to prepare himself. “I am trying to visualise my innings like a Boy’s Own comic – 6-4-6-6-4-6”. But then sadly the self doubt: “Or maybe I’ll take a swipe and be out for a duck”. Sadly it was the latter.
The only real excitement as we battled on (this bit is for you Scoobie!) was the invasion of the pitch by a previously tethered dog. Dog stopped play. Newton St Cyres is an interesting ground for animals. Last week we had a swarm of bees to contend with!
Ferro went on to score over half our runs (41) but only Jan (10) gave any double figure support. We stuttered to 79-9 – ‘below par’ as one of the home team put it.
The Beer Engine openers obviously wanted the pub badly. They started off in ruthless form and had reached our ten over score in just 4. Things got even worse when Guy Clarke damaged his hand stopping a blistering shot off his own bowling. There was a quick consensus that he needed a hospital visit and your truly was deputed to drive him there. The Beer Engine provided two substitute fielders and just as we were leaving the ground one of them held an excellent catch in the deep to give Danny Williamson the opening wicket.
I now had a bit of a problem as match reporter! But what I can say is that Guy is a brave chap keeping the pain at bay by the diversion tactic of giving me a detailed run down on the organisation of Girl’s cricket in Devon while I headed for the RD&E. Massive respect to the NHS. Guy was quickly booked in and seen in under half an hour. There was no break but enough damage to consider stitches. In the end he was ‘glued’ up and given an attractive plastic glove to cover the injury.
In no time we were back at Newton St Cyres. In Jonathan’s Boys Own comic world we would return to find that the Erratics had stormed back to take the last nine wickets for no runs. But sadly no. The hosts had done the storming and reached 80-2 (the only other wicket being a George Pritchard inspired run out) off just 9 overs.

Martin Weiler

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
79		        
Andrew Forrester Caught  4
Jan Heaton Bowled  10
Guy Clarke Caught  5
Chris Ferro Caught  41
Martin Weiler Bowled  3
Jonathan Kirby Bowled  0
Danny Williamson Run out  5
George Pritchard Bowled  1
Daniel Thistlethwaite Run out  0
Mark Phillips Not Out  0
Jeff Haynes Not Out  0

Beer Engine Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Beer Engine Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 2 wickets
0
80 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Jeff Haynes2.002100.0010.50
Guy Clarke2.001900.009.50
George Pritchard2.001700.008.50
Danny Williamson2.0017117.008.50
Jan Heaton1.00800.008.00