The centenary cricket week was always going to be slight odd, thanks largely to the ongoing Covid restrictions which meant no catering and the pavilion largely out of bounds. The teams were housed in two marquees, which was perhaps fitting as that was how the first week in 1921 would have been as the pavilion was still three summers away.
Covid and unreliability also caused endless headaches for our usually calm and certainly organised captain. Never have there been so many cry-offs, certainly never a week where so many had come so late. Most mornings Eds woke to messages that one or two could not play, the younger members of the club seeming to believe lateral flow tests could only be taken between midnight and dawn. That Eds raised full sides for every day is a credit to his tenacity and pig headedness. Even he could do nothing about the way the week started. Old Malvernians cried off the opening day and that disappointment was followed by our Cricketer Cup exit on the Sunday. Heavy overnight rain led to the cancellation of the Monday fixture against Johnians. But we did eventually get going on the Tuesday …
Old Georgians 211 for 6 beat OCCC 166 (Shanmugavel 64) by 45 runs
The oldest fixture in the week (it dates back to the 1960s) almost bit the dust early as we arrived at Weybridge to find the square soaked and unplayable. A helpful groundsman pointed out the U14 square on an adjoining field was drier and we managed a 40-over-a-side game. OGs batted first and made steady progress to post a good but not imposing total. Archie Freeth (1 for 17), fresh from the Upper VIth, bowled well, more surprisingly, did the veteran campaigner Ed Henderson (1 for 19). The unexpected package of the day (mainly because nobody realised he even bowled) was Lewis Bedford who seamy non spinners took 4 for 47. Bedford also realised the challenges of captaining Will Howard when he discovered the latter had spent an entire over petting a dog on the boundary, oblivious to all going on around him (Howard, not the dog). Our innings never got out of the blocks. Seven batsmen got into double figures but only one – Sachin Shanmugavel (64) made more than 17. Despite this, at 130 for 5 we were in the game, but the quick dismissals of Shanmugavel and Bedford ended the challenge. Shanmugavel, the 1st XI keeper-batsman who has just finished the Lower VIth, made a hugely impressive debut with both gloves and bat.
Lancing Rovers 225 for 8 (Perman 86, Wood 52, Hill 3-49, Bell 3-17) lost to OCCC 228 for 2 (Cope 100*, H Stiles 73*) by eight wickets
This was a very odd game in that we were utterly outplayed for the first two hours before suddenly turning things around to eventually win at a canter. Lancing’s Perman and Wood looked unstoppable, aided by some woeful catching, as they raced to 145 in 33 overs. Then Hill struck to remove both openers and thereafter the innings failed to regain any momentum, the bowlers suddenly looking menacing and the fielders sharp. Max Bell came on to breeze through the lower middle-order and although we did not bowl the visitors out, their eventual total was far less than looked likely just over an hour before. Will Dahl (15) briefly looked in good form, as did Oli Trower (30) who played well against the short ball. At 70 for 2 the languid Alan Cope joined Harvey Stiles and the two of them saw us home. Cope, as only Cope can, played with elegance and ease, while the impressive Stiles (who had also bowled well) grew in confidence, particularly strong square of the wicket. With the finishing line in sight Cope accelerated, scoring 30 of the last 35, including two massive sixes. With two to win and his score on 96, Cope turned down three singles before launching the ball to deep midwicket where the inrushing fielder almost held a super low catch; as it was, the ball went through him for four and Cope completed an excellent hundred.
Wimbledon 163 (T Cooper 4 for 27, E Stiles 3-30) lost to OCCC 165 for 4 (Shanmugavel 73*) by six wickets
Wimbledon arrived with a top four packed with experience and runs. Within 40 minutes all had perished, one to the excellent Archie Freeth, three to wicketkeeper and (very) part time bowled Ethan Stiles who, nonetheless, deserved his success. Their innings never recovered from the poor start, and the tail subsided against one of their own – Tom Copper had been on tour with Wimbledon in the preceding days. David Bugge (1 for 22), 48 years after his OCCC debut and in his final match, rolled back the years with a very impressive ten overs. Bedford (28 off 19 balls) and Stiles (24) gave our chase a good foundation, and that was built on by Shanmugavel (73*) who cut and drove with ease and power to see us home. Cricket, being the great leveller it is, made sure Cope’s heroics the day before were not repeated as he was given lbw to a ball “which would have missed another set”.
OCCC 138 (Shanmugavel 56) lost to Old Millfieldians 140 for 6 by four wickets
The first genuinely hot day of the week produced a game which was sadly over by 4pm. Another decent start saw us reach 91 for 2 before everything fell apart. Only Shanmugavel’s third successive fifty gave us a half decent score. We briefly threatened an upset with two wickets in the first two overs, and a third left OMs 31 for 3. They recovered to 80 for 3 before two more quick wickets brought us back in the hunt. The drinks break allowed Cooper and Bedford to downlarge glasses of chilled rose, and, perhaps, unwisely, both then came on to bowl. Cooper did manage a wicket in between balls flying to every boundary, while in Bedford’s case balls flew over every boundary. It only took another sive overs for the game to finish.
Frogs 270 for 7 dec (McLeod 92, Bugler 2-45) beat OCCC 154 (Brown 43, Bugler 32*) by 116 runs
The cricket week ended in glorious sunshine and a far less glorious drubbing. This was the day the older lags came out of isolation and formed the bulk of the side but ring rustiness was to the fore in much of the bowling and some of the shot selection. Frogs won the toss and batted, the best option for us as a pop-gun attack was never going to bowl a side out although the effervescent Bedford ensured spirit in the field. The senior players fulfilled their usual roles. Gatesy bowled variations on something and picked up a wicket, Shorts batted and bowled decently for a man who now only plays occasionally, Damo fielded like a puppy and talked to anyone within 100m, while Mez used his negotiating skills to avoid having to keep wicket. We lost two wickets before Brown and Shanmugavel steadied the ship and for a time all seemed well. But from 55 for 2 we lost five wickets for 32 runs and from there we had no way back. Copleston struck some decent hits before an ill-advised sweep while Bugler hit out confidently at the end, all the more so as he was very under the weather. The week ended bizarrely when Jack Horsey was given lbw (a long way forward to one looking very leg side) only for the fielders to withdraw their appeal. Two balls later he was again given leg-before and this time there was no reprieve.