Scorecard

Wombats v Erratics Cricket Club Erratics on Sun 23 Aug 2026 at 1:30pm
Erratics Cricket Club Lost by 8 Runs

Match report Reporting by Matt Crawford

Sunday started off with a photoshoot in front of the pavilion. Erratics in their whites, perched over the steps down to the field. We had time to burn, despite the request to bring the game forward 30 minutes, the ground prep was in its final throes, several gentlemen in shorts with implements including a leaf-blower completing their groundskeeping duties.
And a glorious ground it is too, not so much the scorched grass we have become accustomed to this season, but the surroundings, like the row of apple trees, the adjacent cornfield and the Quantocks poking out above the changing rooms, visible if you're fielding in the right positions.

The toss was more or less agreed, Captain Fraser recognising the hosts were not yet changed or perhaps even present, put them in to bat. Two athletic types strolled to the middle, like Laestrygonian giants from the recent blockbuster The Odyssey, and they set about their work in 5th gear. Punching and carving, swiping and thumping, the man eaters tucked into everything within reach.

Thankfully Jessep retired at 50, but with only 7 and bit overs gone, it looked like we could be set for a long afternoon. The following batters didn't really take their feet off the gas, and the Wombats were still careering at 10 runs an over. 

Fraser took over from Lee, who couldn't settle into his usual excellent stride. Fraser also took over getting carted around, before George made the breakthrough in his 6th over with Chapman caught behind, and soon had another with Martin Wright taking a good catch. Fraser claimed our third wicket; "just bowl nonsense" he remarked after taking his first.

With Phil taking the 4th 5th and 6th wickets of the innings he claimed it was beginning to look like a game. Wombats slapped two up to be caught by a wide mid-on, and it would have been three but for a clash of fielders, with both your reporter and Kyle staking a good claim to go for the catch but ending up bumping in to one another.

At this point the opposition recognised we were a player light and lent us a fielder for the remainder of the innings, which was much appreciated and certainly saved us quite a number of runs.

Return of the Jessep, he continued as he left off, if not striking it even more brutally, like a shop's closing down sale it was Everthing Must Go! Finally he was well caught by George on the boundary at deep extra cover, out for 98 but the general feeling from the fielding side was not of empathy for the failure to reach the milestone, but instead we were casting our minds back to That Game against Broadclyst in July 2025. A chase of 260, in 35 overs? Beyond a menacing target, it would have to be the largest ever chase in Erratics history. It didn't feel like a friendly, especially after a good 2 hours under the sun.

98 off 38 balls, "Are you Galdorph in disguise?" chanted the fans as we trudged off.

A good tea cheered us up.


And to the rescue came Harry Everett, fresh from a spell of commentating at The County Ground just a stones throw away, slotting into number 3, he was soon required after umpire Kyle gave out Rick dubiously early on. A Wombat after the game approached us to confirm it was never out, Rick with one of his huge steps down the wicket making it a tough decision to swallow. 

Harry provided exactly as expected, a swift 50 red-inker and setting a nice platform with Duncan, who retired almost in unison, possibly after consecutive balls. We were up with the rate which was 8 an over, at 101-1.
Martin and I did our best to continue the good work, and at one point the Erratics were 160-1 off 20 overs. 110 of 15 required. Maybe we could do it after all?

Two quick wickets, of course, duly came and with them brough Lee who played the perfect innings, supported ably by first Fraser and then Kyle. With the last few overs coming into sight, it was still around 8 an over required. Lee with 52 off 38 balls saw him to retirement and kept us in the game. Now we were 20 behind, with 2 overs to go.

Phil and Kyle ran well, collecting singles and twos nimbly but in the end Jessep Senior bowled tightly enough to prevent the boundaries we craved.

We lost, in the end, but what an all round performance. Everyone contributed with either wickets, catches or runs, and the Erratics made a great game of one which looks destined to result in a heavy defeat at the break.


As the Erratics drifted off from the clubhouse, Harry stuck around to reveal some interesting insights about his life. A regular two meals a day of packed lunches, he rarely has hot food: "Waste of time". Doesn't like sitting down except in the car, and if he does he needs to be watching sports on his phone, even if catching up with his mum. Eventually we left him to enjoy the last of the sun, to collect some apples and complete an evening walk. 

Wombats Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
6nb 1w 3lb 
for 9 wickets
10
268 (35.0 overs)		     
B Jessep ct  F Chave 98 38 12 7 257.89
A Chapman ct  G Mather 42 40 7 1 105.00
T Parker ct  G Mather 6 14 42.86
S Oxley ct  F Chave 8 8 2 100
Raymond Osmond ct  P Power 8 19 1 42.11
David Jessep Not Out  51 28 9 1 182.14
B Ellingworth ct  P Power 19 13 4 146.15
Tristan Stone ct  P Power 4 4 1 100
J Burbidge ct  K Wedgewood 11 23 2 47.83
I Dryland b  K Wedgewood 2 9 22.22
Paul York-Smith Not Out  9 15 1 60.0

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Lee Grant7.007000.0010.00
George Mather7.0036218.005.14
Fraser Chave7.0064232.009.14
Phil Power7.0046315.336.57
Kyle Wedgwood7.0049224.507.00

Erratics Cricket Club Erratics Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 10w 3b 4lb 
for 4 wickets
18
260		        
Duncan Chave Retired Not Out  50 48 9 104.17
Richard Lindsay Lbw  0 1 0
Harry Everett Retired Not Out  51 28 9 1 182.14
Matt Crawford Caught  28 24 4 116.67
Martin Wright Caught  27 29 3 93.10
Lee Grant Retired Not Out  52 38 7 1 136.84
Fraser Chave Caught  12 17 1 70.59
Kyle Wedgwood Not Out  17 20 1 85.00
Phil Power Not Out  5 6 83.33
Jonathan Kirby  
George Mather  

Wombats Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Tristan Stone6.004100.006.83
I Dryland6.0055155.009.17
J Burbidge6.0051151.008.50
B Ellingworth6.0134134.005.67
B Jessep6.0034134.005.67
David Jessep5.003800.007.60