Scorecard

Spreyton v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 31 Jul 2005 at 2pm
Erratics Cricket Club Won by 1 run

Match report Report: John Somers.

Following several cancelled games due to rain, a rusty Erratics side arrived at Spreyton relieved to play on an elevated pitch which gave wonderful views of Dartmoor. This turned out to be a quintessentially ‘Erratics game’.
Doughty captain Jonathan Kirby won the toss and chose to bat.

Erratics were off to a fine start with both Al Brunt and Joe Kember handling the young opening bowlers with skill and the odd dollop of luck. Shortly after this author’s encouragement (from his neutral stance as umpire) ‘not to get out’, Brunt dollied one to mid-off. This was a pity as, scoring a brisk 22, he looked in good form.

Erratics then indulged in lemming-like batting with Kember (25), Kirby and Simon Orpen following each other to the pavilion in short order. The reason was that the change bowlers, including a ringer from Plymouth, were better than the openers and the scoring rate died. Phil Power stayed in well then, frustrated by the lack of runs, had a dip and was caught in the covers.

Nick Birbeck brought some stability to Erratics with a deft innings, glancing and cutting both bowlers, well supported by Peter Hinds. Erratics ended on 108, a total which looked very shaky, confirmed when Orpen was heard to remark that we were going to be ‘marmalised’.

The mystery of why McKenny, the ringer from Plymouth, encouraged Spreyton bowlers with the cry of ‘Get at him big dog’ was solved when he explained that he had roomed with a Hampshire player who used the expression, only confirming Erratics fear that this man could make the 109 needed on his own.

Power opened the bowling with his deceptive mix of spinning loopers and the faster ball pushed through. John Somers opened from the other end and after 14 overs, Erratics had unexpectedly restricted Spreyton run-making. Power had taken two wickets and Somers got two more in his seventh over, both caught by the reliable and courageous Kirby whose first catch rebounded from hands, to knee before he scooped it up just short of the grass.

Orpen replaced Somers and, following his recent ‘five fer’, bowled accurately. Erratics crowded the bat as Orpen pushed for a hat trick (denied) but he finished with excellent figures of 4 overs, 1 maiden, 3 for 9.

As the Spreyton wickets fell, Erratics began to sense they could win. They had great difficulty dislodging Alex Scoughill, a tail ender who was pushed up the order. He only had one shot – the pull to leg – but he got 17 valuable runs. Then in came Chris Filor, the Spreyton captain. He had put himself down the order to give others a chance to bat – presumably in the expectation that not all Spreytonians would need to. He batted confidently, and with 9 wickets down and ably supported by Bob Unsworth who mostly dead-batted everything, Filor moved, apparently inexorably towards the winning run. Filor went to 33 and the Spreyton total to 106. Kirby, admirably, as there was no restriction on number of overs an individual bowled, had used six bowlers. With Filor playing so safely and protecting Unsworth, Erratics saw an unlikely victory disappearing.

And then came the moment of madness that made this a truly Erratic game. Filor hooked to leg and took an easy single (his call). Unsworth called for a second to tie the match and a wonderful throw from Kember allowed Hinds the run out. Jubilation amongst the Erratics at winning by one run.

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 19w 4b 2lb 
for 9 wickets
26
108		        
Al Brunt Caught  22
Joe Kember Lbw  25
Phil Power Caught  5
Jonathan Kirby Caught  0
Simon Orpen Caught  2
Nick Birbeck Lbw  11
Peter Hinds Not Out  14
Simon Topping Bowled  0
Ed Thomas Caught  1
John Somers Caught  0
A.N. Other Not Out  0

Spreyton Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Spreyton Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
12w 1b 3lb 
for 10 wickets
16
107 (32.4 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Phil Power12.0227213.502.25
John Somers7.031226.001.71
Simon Orpen4.01933.002.25
Peter Hinds5.4020210.003.53
Simon Topping2.00818.004.00
Ed Thomas2.001600.008.00