Eds Copleston with the cup

Click here for full reports and scorecards from the 2002 season

The success in the Brewers Cup was unexpected, given that we had been so comprehensively routed on our debut in the tournament in 2001. On the way to the final we beat Old Johnians, Old Leightonians and Old Dunstonians, the last in the semi-final after a trip necessitating a 7.30am start from London, all by comprehensive margins. The final itself was something of an anticlimax for the neutrals, but that was only because of the clinical bowling and fielding of Eds Copleston’s side.

The season was a marked improvement over 2001, and despite the poor weather we only lost two matches to the rain – Lancing and the Cryptics – and the week was blessed by sunshine throughout. The only blemishes were the late cry-offs by some of our better opposition. Three matches – Old Wellingtonians, Old Rugbians, and Fettes-Loretto – were cancelled at short notice, and given that two were in our cricket week, it left us in limbo when earlier notification would have given us a chance of rearranging

We again played with the approach that we would go for any target right until the death – we drew just one match during the season. Of the six matches we lost, two were comprehensive defeats (Tonbridgians and Sam Watkinson’s XI) while the other went down to the wire. The School beat us by one wicket with a scrambled single off the final delivery in a pulsating contest, we lost to the Buccaneers by six runs with three balls remaining, and to the Georgians by two wickets in the final over. By the same margin we pulled off a dramatic win over the Frogs when we chased 250 and got them in the penultimate over.

At Headley we tried a new idea, fielding an over 40s side, which was great success. Faces from the past reappeared – it was fun to see Messrs Shelley, Webb, Wells (times two), Corp and Ballinger together again. One of the younger oldies – Mike Chase – won the game with a belligerent unbeaten 94.

The progress in the Brewers Cup was at first surprising and then gripping. Eds Copleston – surely too organised to be an OC – ran a tight ship. The Johnians were routed in the first round by 10 wickets, and we then bludgeoned 306 in 50 overs to cruise past Leightonians – Mike Chetwode returned the remarkable figures of .11-7-8-3. In the semi-final we eased past Dunstonians by five wickets and ,as already mentioned, the final proved a memorable day out at a glorious ground in Milton Keynes.

The bowling was again spearheaded by Chetwode, whose 24 wickets were almost double the next highest wicket-taker (Abeed Janmohamed with 13) and he sent down almost three times as many overs. The run-up is usually only a few paces, but he remains as parsimonious and modest as ever. Janmohamed’s flightless offspin came on in leaps and bounds, as did his batting, and he now looks to be a genuine allrounder. He scored almost 1000 runs during the summer, but frustratingly still has to go on and make a big score for us. It will come. Chase continued to get better, defying the ageing process, and Simon Copleston returned to form and played more than any other person (both he and Chetwode turned out 12 times). Eds Copelston had a disappointing season by his high standards but his captaincy in the Brewers Cup meant that he was forgiven.

What was particularly heartening was that the younger players were coming through from the school. Sam Worthy, Sam Langmead and Ed MacGregor from this year’s XI played, and Johnny Gates from next year’s U6 showed that he has the potential to be another attacking opener when time finally beats Chase. We will continue to try and attract the young players and make no apologies for pestering the life out of the school leavers.

Off the field the club functioned thanks to the unsung efforts of the few. Rick Johnson, slimmed down, was at the heart of the week and his BBQs and early morning sarnies off the pitch were matched by a remarkable innings of 150 against Georgians on it. Sometimes we overlook how lucky we are to have him in our midst. Janmohamed and Eds Copleston ran many of the sides in the absence of Steve Bailey, sometimes in love and sometimes sidelined by a propensity to break fingers more often than Nasser Hussain. Simon Copleston made sure our fixture list worked and made a hard job look ridiculously easy. Lastly, John McDermott, our president, who bemused social scientists by charming all and sundry using abuse and mockery. He is at the heart of the club and things genuinely wouldn’t be the same without him. That said, he is for sale to the highest bidder.

The one sad note during the summer was the death of Dick Heard, our oldest surviving member and a captain of the side before the war.

In January 2003 the club sets out for Australia, its fourth and most adventurous overseas tour, where we will play five games, and then we return to start our defence of the Brewers Cup. All OC of any age are welcome to join in the fun.