Sunday 31 August 2025
SCCC 281-3 (35 overs)
Cranleigh CC 254-9 (35 overs)
SCCC won by 27 runs
35 over match
Cranleigh won the toss
Scorecard
Richard Seeckts writes:
In years to come, aficionados of the game will talk of Laker’s match, Botham’s match, Brooke-Webb’s match and this, the Grindrods’ match which occurred on the 28th anniversary of Pippa’s match (as a bowler).
A new and likely unbeatable family record was set in that 234 runs were scored by Daddy David (71) and sons James (94) and Ed (69 retired). Chosen as the top three, chiefly because the bowlers haven’t had much opportunity with the bat this year, they made hay on a decent pitch. Stars tend to be aligned for extreme batting achievements at all levels of cricket, but the shots still have to be played and there are myriad occasions when the stars are aligned and no such success occurs.
Cranleigh CC entertained us royally on our first visit to the village green, and played Sunday cricket in true Cryptic manner. They used 10 bowlers including the wicketkeeper, dropped all bar one of catches offered – estimates range from eight to 10 – and chased more than eight runs per over expertly until victory for them became mathematically impossible with only five balls of the match remaining.
It started relatively tame, David and James ushering us to 50 off the first 10 overs and 87 at halfway drinks. Then DG went bananas, from 45 to 71 in five scoring shots, attacking the short boundary and England’s foremost amateur cricket photographer in the process. Stumped by several yards, Ed arrived to continue the assault while James used the lesser spotted concentration genes in a more sedately compiled innings, becoming the second Cryptic, after Paul Harley, to be dismissed twice in the 90s without having a hundred to his name. That ton will surely come soon enough.
Ed’s four sixes included one “Pippa style”, namely a two that went for four overthrows. It was a great spectacle until James was given LBW by novice umpire Freddie Guy, any potential debate being crushed by James acknowledging he was ‘absolutely plum’ in the 30th over. Ed magnanimously opted to retire after 32 overs, ostensibly to give others a go and coincidentally to take his career average from 31.2 to 33.7. Roly (25) and David M (10*) slogged most of the final 18 balls while non-striker Seeckts chatted with umpire Goss in notching yet another insignificant red inker. 281 is the fourth highest Cryptic score ever.
It takes creative captaincy to make a decent game in these circumstances and the result shows Gossy’s absolute success in a/ keeping Cranleigh in the hunt and b/ ensuring no overs were bowled by a Grindrod, while still winning the match. ‘Rusty’ Freddie, in his only outing before a debut tour, became the latest of several bowlers this summer to mix Jaffas with rotten eggs. Burgled 2-31 off his 7 overs though and introduced a new Cryptic WAG who, never having watched cricket, spent the final hour gratefully swaddled in a long sleeved pink and black jersey. Rory’s darts were never far from the bullseye in a tidy spell of 7 overs for 19.
Bridges induced a dramatically celebrated caught and bowled but Cranleigh’s young McVicar (100) took a shine to his out swingers and David M’s (3-61) allsorts. Many disappeared in the name of keeping the contest alive. Gossy sent down a few overs of ‘spin’ for the cause but, in truth, he was the only bowler actually happy to be belted into neighbouring postcodes. Cranleigh scored at 10 per over from the 15th to the 30th, by when the skipper had resorted to bowling properly to avoid potential embarrassment. Cranleigh’s third top scorer was Extras with 43, whose aggregate in 2025 is now 292, considerably more than any SCCC batsman has scored this summer.
Jingle Bells, a fun start with new opposition and bonus photos by Martin Williamson.
