Woking & Horsell CC
Sunday 5th September
40 over match
W&HCC won the toss
W&HCC 204-8
SCCC 99-all out
W&HCC won by 105 runs
Scorecard
Hugh Greenway writes:
Woking is normally the last game of the Cryptic summer, although not in this exceptional Covid year. The other traditions of this fixture were, however, duly observed. Woking and Horsell showed up in various states of disrepair and borderline alcoholic poisoning following their awards dinner; before biffing the ball to all parts between bursts of acid reflux. Someone always gets hurt and the Cryptics collapse like soggy souffle.
Woking won the toss and elected to bat, as several of their players would probably have struggled to convince an undertaker his services were not needed at the official start time of 1.30pm. Their opening pair crawled to the crease complaining loudly about the depth of their hangovers before making 40 off the first 12 overs, taken almost exclusively in boundaries and singles. Ed Grindrod eventually broke the partnership with a lovely delivery that bounced and turned taking the top of middle and off. Gossy removed the other opener via the top of his off stump in what was the only wicket of the innings not taken by a member of the Grindrod family. Seven Grindrod wickets with Ed taking three and Daddy G and James sharing two apiece was a good day in the field for the clan perhaps only marred by Grinders Senior palming one over the boundary for six off Ed’s bowling.
In line with the rest of the country there was a marginal return to work in the office with Puppy and Hugs actually taking a catch each. Stu also took a sharpish one at midwicket and Gossy completed the collection having positioned himself at short midwicket off James Grindrod. Although there were a number of efforts put down on the boundary, of which Gossy’s was probably the most amusing, it wasn’t a terrible day in the field for the Cryptics and 204 seemed like an eminently gettable total.
Pippa set about building his perennial picket with the pace and purpose of a glacier. James Grindrod missed a straight one and Keith, Hugs and Puppy all spooned catches before reaching double figures. This brought Tommy to the crease who had a look, tapped a single and then smacked one for six over the bowler’s head and attempted a repeat that broke and dislocated Jon Ayling’s finger at long off [there’s been a lot of that this season]. Unfortunately Tommy’s next heave was held and he too fell for single digits. Although he maintains he was robbed by the scorer (Jon Ayling’s wife) who may have overlooked a pair in her concern for her spouse. Pippa then fell for 33, the top score of a lacklustre Cryptic chase.
Daddy G. was run out by his son Ed, to much amusement off the field, bringing in Stu to maintain his own noble tradition. Stu inspected his first two deliveries closely and was warmly congratulated by umpire Hugs for his circumspection. On the arrival of the third delivery Stu took a step to leg and carved a hoick of huge expanse through thin air and was comprehensively bowled. But the award for comedy dismissal must go to Joe Muldoon who managed to be bowled through his legs backwards whilst executing some kind of agricultural pirouette. Gossy was the last wicket to fall with the score on 99, given LBW. (Pretty filthy decision, you can’t hide by writing the report, umpire – Ed). This prompted Puppy to give Hugs an extended lecture on the nature of doubt in umpiring Sunday fixtures, which was in turn much eased by the presence of beer and a cheerful Saffa barbecuing burgers on the boundary. Now there’s something CLR James didn’t mention.