Sunday 2nd May 2021
SCCC 209-5 (35 overs)
Cobham Avorians 210-5 (34.4 overs)
Lost by 5 wickets
35 over match
SCCC won the toss
Scorecard
Peter Andrew writes:
New season, same constraints. DIY teas, visitors’ gazebo safely distanced from pavilion, toilets, bar, etc. Handy for the nets, which most of us sorely needed. Same set of veteran Cryptic faces – 1,631 caps between nine, plus Youth Policy rep Ed Grindrod, and one-hit-wonder Dave Jewiss, looking to improve on a duck and no bowling at Banstead a couple of years ago. He did.
Seeckts returned from the toss, and announced we were batting. Despite having won the toss (WTF?). And despite Scottie already having arrived (OMG!). The opposition made much of the quality and resilience of the batting strip, which had already been used for several matches and had yielded some hundreds of runs in that time. This had nothing to do with it being on the edge of the square, and a mere sand wedge away from the boundary.
Anyway, Wright and Grindrod major milked it for 17 from the first five, before David was castled for 11. A couple of boundaries for Philip, and we had moved on to 28 when Hugh put one into the air, which was safely taken. If you had nominated him for first duck of the season, apply to the club funds for your prize. [Good luck with that – Ed]. We then bimbled our way to 43 from 12, before Keith departed for 10. Scottie took an over or two to get his eye in, then took 20 off Avorians’ third change bowler’s first over, including three into the road on the leg side. He put on 74 off 11 overs with Philip, whose anchor role closed when caught for 35. An entertaining stand between Scottie and Dave Jewiss then yielded 81 in 10 overs, which included one monstrous maximum from Dave that Seb would have been proud of. Having reached his 50, Scottie’s next objective was finishing with a not out, which he failed to achieve by three overs, caught for 70. It only remained for Dave and Gossy to completely cock up the strike in the last over, and leave Dave stranded on 49*.
Grindrod (D) and Goss began our defence of a target of 210. After just five overs, skipper Seeckts, aggravated a pre-existing war wound and retired to the side-line. He was replaced by 14-yr old Archie Goss, taller, faster, more agile. What was not to like? He threw himself around like a good ‘un, and we are grateful to him. Avorians’ innings rumbled along much as ours had. Runs were accumulated, wickets fell. Grindrods took three between them, including a stumping by Ware which could have been deemed runout, so far stranded was the batsman. Dave Jewiss took a maiden Cryptic wicket in a spell of tasty seamers. PAJ picked up a C&B before pulling a calf muscle. ‘Don’t worry, just bowl through it. You’re here to enjoy yourself and play a part in the game’, advised trained physiotherapist and stand-in skipper Goss. The next five overs, delivered off a two-step ‘run’-up, got utterly spanked. At this point, Avorians’ #6 was pushing the boat out, regularly clearing the fence but also putting up steepling chances which dropped between fielders, or through their hands. No names, no pack drill. They know who they are. So it was that we approached the 35th and final over with Avorians needing four to win. Three excellent dots from Ed took us so close, but it was not to be and we went down with two balls remaining.
At least the bar was open, and we took due advantage. We’ve only played six other teams more often than Avorians, and this was our fifth defeat in 13. Good fun as always.
Cryptics v Avorians 2021 top, 2016 bottom
The growth of Archie Goss (next to his dad)
Some things never change however. Hugh got a duck in both matches.
