Scorecard

Newton Poppleford v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 28 May 2017 at 2.00pm
Erratics Cricket Club Lost by 8 wickets

Match report
Report by Jeff Haynes

Were we really approaching the end of May already? The polls seemed to be suggesting that this might possibly be the case. The calendar – a more reliable indicator – confirmed that the Newton Poppleford fixture would indeed be the Erratics’ last match of May. May had certainly been a strong and stable month for us. With four wins, one draw, and just the one defeat, our final May fixture would take place on what had the potential to be a momentous weekend for Exeter.

In sporting terms, Exeter has almost become synonymous with teamwork. It was not the efforts of any single ‘star player’ who secured the Exeter Chiefs their place in Rugby’s Aviva Premiership Final at Twickenham. Similarly, it was a sustained team performance that saw Exeter City Football Club claw its way from being bottom of League Two last November to contesting the Play-Off Final at Wembley. And the third formidable force in Exeter sport (that’s the Exeter Erratics, in case you weren’t sure), have shown that even without the individual match-winning skills of Matt Cook, they are still a team with the breadth and depth of talent to see them comfortably through timed, 40-over and T20 matches.

Beginning on Saturday, the Chiefs contributed to the most amazing Premiership Final against Wasps. When facing defeat, with less than one minute remaining, they forced extra time and then edged it in the last five minutes, winning by 23 points to 20. The first of the weekend’s great sporting wins was in the bag for Exeter.

On Sunday, we were scheduled to take to the field at Newton Poppleford at 14.00. With so many Exeter folk decamped to London for the weekend, the Erratics had struggled to put out a full team, but the one player who deserved to be excused from this fixture was Martin Weiler, who, as Chairman of the Exeter City Supporter’s Club had a significantly more pressing engagement. The Grecians were scheduled to kick off against the Tangerines (Blackpool, to the uninitiated) just an hour later. Mrs May had reduced the national terror threat level from Critical to Severe, but the Met Office had responded by issuing a Yellow Weather Warning for rain, beginning in mid afternoon.

With one player short, we had been offered Matt Bauer, Broadclyst’s South African ‘overseas pro’, who, if the rumours were true, could singlehandedly win a match for us. We will never know for sure, as a back injury caused him to drop out. Danny Williamson had also picked up an injury, so we were down to nine players. Newton Pop kindly loaned us 13 year-old Chloe Adey to swell our ranks.

The Chave and Chave opening partnership could not repeat their Rackenford performance. Duncan went in the first over, falling to a direct throw at the stumps after calling Fraser for a single which probably wasn’t ever there. Mark Hailwood skied the ball to backward square, and Dan Thistlethwaite misjudged a straight ball, Fraser provided some stability before he was caught for 18 and the Erratics were wobbling at 27 for 4. Numbers 5 and 6, Nigel Rutherford and Nick Walding were both yet to score, and Newton Pop’s opening bowlers were pinning us down. At this point, Blackpool scored first at Wembley and the omens were not good. There were a few spots of rain … but it never looked like the promised torrential storms would come to save us.

Suddenly Nigel and Nick started to make batting look easy. There were two runs in every direction, boundaries for the taking, and Nick repeatedly took the aerial route over the boundary, including a six to bring up his fifty. He was even outscoring Nigel in a partnership of 131, eventually broken by Alex Raistrick’s third ball, which Nick skied back to the bowler. Nick’s imperious 68 was his lifetime highest score, and he looked like a natural. More pressure from Newton Pop saw Nigel removed for 58, soon to be followed by Ben Youngman and Rob Scott. Jeff Haynes and Chloe Adey were left to see out the 40 overs, the Erratics turning in a respectable total of 181 for 8. And at Wembley, Exeter had equalised!

Throughout our innings I had the delightful company of three young ladies in the scorebox … Chloe, who quickly picked up the basics of scoring, Talulah, and Mollie. Even Nick and Nigel’s big hitting couldn’t wake Mollie from her sleep – but then she was only 4 months old. Everything was still on track for a successful completion of Exeter’s sporting weekend as we went in for a typically generous tea from our hosts.

Blackpool had taken the lead again and as we emerged from tea, time added on was rapidly running out for Paul Tisdale’s boys. As we took the field, and Moore and Clay set about our opening bowling, news arrived of defeat at Wembley, and a sense of impending defeat began to spread among the Erratics. I promised not to write too much about the Newton Pop innings, so I’ll let the scorecard speak for itself. Duncan bravely sported the keepers pads and gloves, and will no doubt feel the effects tomorrow. Nigel was already feeling the effects of his long stint at the crease and could only complete 4 overs, though he did secure one of our two wickets. The other went to Chloe who had Moore caught by Nick for a fine 98. Mark did his best to juggle the bowlers, but with Newton Pop racing to their target off less than 24 overs there was little he could do.

So, at the end of this extravaganza weekend of Exeter sport, the Chiefs are riding high, the Grecians are left thinking about what might have been, and the Erratics are licking their wounds, having been out-bludgeoned by Newton Pop’s big hitters. The Erratics looked a little less strong and stable today than at the beginning of their May campaign. The end of May is a day closer … and we look forward to whatever June has in store.

Thanks as always go to Newton Poppleford for the match, the tea, and the copious portions of sausages, chips, onions and bread, offered at the Cannon.

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
181		        
Duncan Chave Run out  1
Fraser Chave Caught  18 1
Mark Hailwood Caught  6
Daniel Thistlethwaite Bowled  1
Nigel Rutherford Bowled  58 7
Nick Walding Caught  68 8 3 1
Ben Youngman Caught  12 1
Rob Scott Bowled  2
Jeff Haynes Not Out  0
A.N. Other Not Out  0
N.O. One  

Newton Poppleford Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Newton Poppleford Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 2 wickets
0
183 (23.4 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Mark Hailwood4.003700.009.25
Ben Youngman3.003000.0010.00
Nigel Rutherford4.0030130.007.50
Fraser Chave5.004200.008.40
A.N. Other4.01919.002.25
Nick Walding3.002700.009.00
Jeff Haynes0.40700.0010.50