Sunday 19 June 2022
SCCC 218-7 (40 overs)
West End Esher 184 – all out (38.1 overs)
Won by 34 runs
40 over match
SCCC negotiated the toss on the day with that nice man who captains West End Esher
Scorecard
Club legend and statto, Peter Andrew, writes:
Ten Cryptics rocked up to West End Esher at 1:00pm in order to get a 40-over game in. Richard negotiated the toss, and elected to bat. Not exactly Cryptics tactics of yore, but apparently batting first gives more folk a change to be involved, given the trend for diminished duration games. [Yeah? Ask Hugh. Ed] Plus in these days of DIY teas, it’s easier to run around in the second half.
The match was significant in providing a full debut for 15-yr old Archie Goss, the opposition also including three of comparable age in their side.
In the absence of recognised openers, Seeckts and Goss (senior) stepped up. Entirely unrelated to skipper having recently been informed that all his ten Cryptic 50’s to date have been scored against teams in the top half of the alphabet.
A bright start realised 30 runs from the first six overs. By the time Richard, on 25, lifted to cover in the 18th over, we had progressed to 77, with half of all scoring shots yielding boundaries. An interested spectator had already initiated a discussion wherein he had equated Richard’s batting style to that of former England great, Colin Cowdrey. We queried whether he meant Colin Milburn, and was thinking in terms of physique, but he was quite insistent, so we gave him his white stick back, and he calmed down.
Richard’s dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, with Ricky the Duck being awarded in quick succession to Archie and, after a two-ball tenure, to Hugh.
The ship was then stabilised by the season’s second-best partnership, 121 between the Goss and Grindrod patriarchs. This consumed a further 18 overs, whereupon Paul, having just moved into the 90’s with a monster maximum, played across a straight one. Wickets then fell in each over until the close. David was caught for a classy 66, also replete with boundaries, Scotty came, started 4,4, and soon went, and Sam Gibb staying alive for a couple of runs before giving West End’s skipper his second catch in six balls.
Our final total of 218 challenged West End to meet a run rate just below 5.5 an over.
We opened with Archie Goss and Sam Gibb, an attack as brisk as any since the McLoughlins, and probably the youngest ever (39 combined). Archie began with a tidy maiden, Sam with three wides and a wicket, snaffled by gloveman Ingo. After ten overs, West End had 39 runs, Sam had a second wicket.
The next 14 overs saw lefties PAJA and Scottie have a go, trundling and spinning respectively. This resulted in the accumulation of another 70 runs, a run out for Archie’s arm and Ingo’s gloves, and with the final ball of his seventh over, Scottie bowling West End’s top scorer. So Seeckts took him off.
With half the runs still needed from the last 16 overs, enter family Grindrod. David promptly took two in an over, catches for Goss (senior) and Ingo. Ed then moved to centre stage, having one leg before and one bowled, sandwiching his taking of a catch for David’s third. It remained only for Archie to return and pick up his debut Cryptic wicket by clattering the West End skipper’s stumps to complete a 34-run victory.
This was never as easy as it might sound, several of West End’s more vigorous batsmen looking as though they might be able to take the game away from us, not least since we were a fielder short. But it’s testament to skip’s youth recruitment policy that balls racing to the boundary now have fielders racing after them, rather than ushering them by.
A good game against a friendly opposition who understand Sunday cricket, and laid on an excellent post-match barbecue. What’s not to like?
Statfest:
- David’s innings takes him past 3000 Cryptic runs, and with his three wickets he overtakes Jimmy Greenhough’s total. Only 28 to go, unless PAJA spikes his beer first
- Paul Goss takes 11th position in aggregate runs from Dwight with his second score in the 90’s, and now has Puppy in his sights in a quest for a top 10 slot