Sunday 2 July 2023
Banstead 239-9 (40 overs)
SCCC 240-4 (38.5 overs)
SCCC won by 6 wickets
40 over match
Banstead won the toss
Scorecard
Ingo writes in the first person, three weeks after the event:
Coinciding with an exciting Day 5 Ashes test at Lord’s (where a dozy Ginger keeper was exposed by quality Aussie wicket keeping), I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this was one of the most hungover teams the Cryptics have raised for a non-tour match. Puppy, Toby and Scotty in particular were looking less than fresh from the first four days at Lord’s and your correspondent was still throwing up on arrival, after a punishing black tie school event the night before. (Quite some school -Ed) My memories of the day are somewhat patchy, but I’m going to credit the skipper Ed G with winning the toss (incorrect – Ed) and sending us into the field for a brutal 40 over match at 2pm.
The outfield went like lightning and the local openers took full advantage of it, racking up something like 100 without loss. After dropping a sitter at midwicket, yours truly finally managed to stick a second sitter and then the wickets started flowing regularly. Scotty led the wicket taking with 3/42, Herman 2/36 and 1 well-earned wicket a piece for Toby S, Witto and Gibbo. Quite a few comedy balls in that lot though too, particularly from the more hungover Scotty and Toby, as Banstead put on a Bazzball-esque 9/239 (that’s 239-9 in English, cobber – Ed) from their 40 overs and setting us 6 an over to win.
Ed wasn’t listening to my pleas of useless hangoverness and told me to man up and “get it over with” by opening the bat, alongside Toby. The rest of the innings is a blur apart from Toby departing to one of my trade mark cross bat shots, Pup making sure Ricky the Cryptic duck could extend his stay at the kennel, Scotty telling me to “concentrate and don’t f*ck it up now” every over on the way to his superb 75* while actually making sure I couldn’t break his club record innings of 150, falling flat on my face trying & failing to cut a wide bouncy ball somewhere after chalking up my maiden Cryptics ton and eventually getting out bowled to another Ingo trademarker for 135, before Keith & Hugs kept Scotty company for the winning runs in the final over with 4/240 (240-4, Bruce – Ed)
Jingle Bells, Ingles smells, Crypos won again!
Stats footnote: Ingo and Scottie set a new club record of 171 for the fourth wicket.
Scottie became the eighth Cryptic to take 100 career wickets and the thid toachieve the double of 3000 runs and 100 wickets. Ingo became the 24th man to score a century for the Cryptics (since records began), only six of whom have gone on to score another.