Sunday 3 August 2025
SCCC 220-7 (40 overs)
Claygate 221-6 (36.4 overs)
Claygate won by 4 wickets
40 over match
Claygate won the toss
Scorecard
Richard Seeckts writes:
A bright day for the future of the Cryptics with three teenage tearaway bowlers and four allrounders in their twenties on parade. Claygate, by contrast, had only one promising youth and a bundle of wise, experienced heads on bodies still perfectly capable of playing their shots. Hot pizzas AND chips with the sandwiches and brownies for tea made it a bat second day but yet again the toss was lost, this time by Ed. His penance was to settle down with the scorebook and etch his own name in at No10, below four other purpose-bred second generation Cryptics.
Reidy, the first Northern Irish Cryptic since Mark Blamphin, opened the batting with Ingo who didn’t last long. A few sumptuous drives and pulls gave one to believe that Reidy might pass Blamphers’ 15 year career aggregate 81 runs in under an hour but he fell tamely for 46 to dodge a debut jug. Toby was solid at the other end while Dom briefly blossomed, followed by Keith, triggered by Archie G for clouting the ball onto his pad, and Nick Beresford on his annual outing, not least because he can walk to Claygate’s ground. 132-5 off 27 against largely docile bowling saw Daddy Seeckts join junior and, to the surprise of many, outscore his progeny 32-8 in a rapid partnership of 41. Toby’s stumps were splayed as he teed off on 61, making way for Olly Hoggers, now 16 and illustrating the benefit of coaching. He struck four cultured boundaries in a knock of 24 before falling in the 40th over which gave Archie the chance of a quick 5* before tea. The old man was left stranded on 48, failing to hit the last two balls of the innings and thus actually buying a jug for avoidance.
With tea done, Archie and Olly took the new ball. Combined age 34, more rapid than Rod running to his car after taking a five-for and menacing to Claygate’s openers in finding interesting areas of the pitch. Fingers and ribs were hit, helmets summoned and veterans in the office were relieved that the edges flew to the boundary. The fluffing of a simple run out proved costly. All very exciting but the score was already 49 when Nick got an LBW in the tenth over, his first. Enter 13 yr-old debutant Oscar Ingo with very tidy medium pace, another beneficiary of better coaching than his Dad. Claygate’s veterans were in no mood for charity though, scoring throughout at the five-and-a-bit per over that would see them home. Skipper Ed’s spell was the only tight one, reaping 3-24 off his eight overs with the hereditary mean streak, neatly offset by Reidy’s tasty servings, clattered for 22 off two overs, helping Mike Roberts to a fifty following last year’s century in the same fixture. (A special mention as Mike thought Daddy G’s 2024 match report was a touch harsh on him. It was.)
Oscar’s return over leaked a few but he got his family’s maiden Cryptic wicket with his last ball, a moment to treasure.
Few would have put money on (probably) the first Cryptic family to produce two jugs in the same match, which is this year’s opportunity to once again recall a match when it could have occurred, but didn’t: https://www2.cricketstatz.com/ss/w?club=20798&mode=100&match=166908
Claygate is our longest standing fixture, this game being the 31st encounter since records began in 1990. Results are won 16, lost 8, drawn 5, tied 1, abandoned 1. Most of those games have been high scoring, frequently with close finishes and always eventful. Total runs scored in the matches is 14459 for 448 wickets lost, an average game producing 466 runs for 15 wickets. A fine testimony to both clubs. Long may it continue.