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After the Lord Mayor's show
Click here for full reports and scorecards from the 2003 season
The 2003 season promised to be the most demanding in the club’s 113-year history with possibly as many as 27 fixtures, including entry to two cup competitions. As it was, cancellations and bad weather clipped four matches from the schedule, and poor performances meant that we played only three cup games. In such a long, hot summer that was probably just as well.
Our success in the 2002 Brewers Cup led to us re-entering the Cricket World Trophy, a competition we had taken part for five years in the early 1990s. Eds Copleston’s confidence that we would be among the leading sides was dashed in the first round when we fielded a weak side and were crushed by the Old Roffensians by 135 runs. Only Michael Chetwode, with the remarkable figures of 10-5-5-0 travelled home with pride intact.
In the Brewers Cup we received a bye in the first round (as holders) and overcame Sutton Valance in the second when they were unable to raise a side. Our quarter-final opposition, Old Aldenhamians, were weakened to such an extent by a stag weekend in Morocco that they were bowled out for 52 in 100 minutes - we won by 10 wickets before lunch. Rabbit-hunter Chetwode polished off the tail with 7.5-4-3-5, but the figures of the day were Ed Henderson’s. Bowling against the top order, he took 8-7-1-2, with the only run conceded being a wide with his fourth delivery.
In the semi-final we travelled to Old Johnians and were let down by a poor fielding display and a lack of early-innings impetus. Johnians’ one class player, Joe Porter, scored 90 but not before he had been dropped before he had got going, and although we reached 134 for 1, we had used too many overs and the innings collapsed in a flurry of heaves and slogs. What the defeats showed was that we cannot compete without key players – several were missing on both occasions – and we lack strength in depth.
Away from the serious stuff, we enjoyed a good season on hard and fast tracks that broke the hearts of the bowlers. We started with a limited-overs warm-up against Esher and Rick Johnson smacked an unbeaten 65 and then took two wickets (it could have been worse – he was on a hat-trick) as we won by 22 runs.
There followed a close encounter against the School, where over-confidence and poor shot selection resulted in us being skittled out for 83. But Tim Evans (3 for 15) and then Henderson (6 for 27) put such pressure on the School batsmen that they crumbled to 79 to give us a four-run win. The following day we entertained the touring Bradman Foundation XI in a thoroughly entertaining match. We cruised to 163 for 1, with a maiden hundred from Will Howard (118), but thereafter lost our way despite a cultured 30 from the headmaster. Bradman were reduced to 6 for 3 by Chetwode and Evans, but then our limited bowling options were further reduced by an injury to Henry Watkinson and we eventually lost by two wickets with five balls remaining. We entertained the Jesters at the end of June, a late replacement for the absent Sutton Valance, and won by six wickets thanks to a OC-best of 81 from Abeed Janmohamed.
And so to the week. A pluperfect Jubilee track and blisteringly hot weather at either end of the week made it a slog for the bowlers, a slow outfield made it hard for the fielders, and some silly drinking games made it hard for the batsmen. The docile nature of the wicket was highlighted by the fact that only one side was bowled out all week - a below-strength Aldenham side on the second Sunday.
We kicked off with the second annual match against the Sam Watkinson XI and for a time it looked as if we might be in with a chance of victory chasing 230, but then Sam took four wickets in three overs, including a hat-trick, and we had to shut up shop, ending on 185 for 8. On the Sunday we beat Celeriacs, the last-minute replacements for the cup-tied Etonians, by seven wickets.
On Monday we had the best game of the week against the Grasshoppers. They declared on 260 for 6, built around 90 from Kiwi international Hamish Marshall, and our chase was led by a entertaining 60 from Johnson and a solid farewell 40 from Clem Williams. We slipped well behind the clock until Henry Watkinson blasted a quickfire 50, but we called off the chase at 250 for 9 with four balls remaining.
We travelled to Georgians on Tuesday and were kept in the field in 90 degree heat by a declaration which was delayed as the Georgians weren't ready to take the field! The offer of extending the match by 15 minutes to make up for the delay was declined - wisely as it turned out as our last pair held firm as we scraped a draw.
On Wednesday the weather turned and the match against Tonbridge was washed out at lunchtime after less than 70 minutes play. Out inaugural fixture against Charterhouse on Thursday never got going after overnight drizzle left the square too wet to play.
The sunshine returned on the Friday but, sadly, the game against Wanderers was one best forgotten. Zimbabwe Test opener Trevor Gripper made a hundred - aided by some glaring drops - as Wanderers batted on, and then any chance of a positive result was snuffed out when they kept their opening bowlers on for far too long. We needed eight an over at tea, and started the last 20 overs requiring 208 to win. Opening the game up consisted of getting Gripper to seal up one end with his offbreaks. In the end we almost capitulated as two batsmen committed suicide through boredom (Pete Hobbs and Richard Seeckts) and one through insanity (Graeme Brown), as we ended on 109 for 8.
The first match after the week against the Buccaneers was victim of an overnight storm and poor pitch covering which made the toss vital. We lost it and on a drying and underprepared wicket were bowled out for 91, losing by eight wickets.
The game against the Cryptics took place on the hottest day recorded – the temperature topped 100 degrees F – and having lost the toss we were left in the field for 65 overs as the Cryptics’ captain made a painful and slow hundred. To our credit we never wilted, fielded superbly, and then chased until the end. Eds Copleston finally found his touch with 70, Harry Jupp made 52, and we were left needing six to win with the last pair at the wicket off the last ball. We managed one, and the Cryptics, who sent down 53 overs, paid for their late declaration. Two days later, in equally scorching weather, we faced Radley Rangers for the first time. Again we fielded first and our feeble bowling attack was smacked to all parts. Set 312 to win, we took up the challenge, and fifties from Bob Hume, Rick Johnson, and Nathan Ross put us in touch but we ran out of batsman and lost by 41 runs.
Despite the presence of Graham Webb, Blackheath were no match for our depth of batting, highlighted by 56 not out from Gareth Starling, and the astute captaincy of Johnson who made a game of it to such an extent that he almost allowed Blackheath’s last pair to snatch a remarkable victory. Johnson claimed it was brilliant leadership …
We ended the season as we had begun it, at Esher, but this time in a heavy eight-wicket defeat. We batted poorly, excepting Simon Copleston’s patient fifty, and then fielded quite dreadfully. Freddie Hood, who struggled to score a run in Australia and this time was playing against us, was dropped twice before he had reached double figures and went on to score a match-winning 91.
Our other two games, against Headley in June and Surrey Cryptics in July, were run as Golden Oldies matches with the emphasis on giving reunion outings to the over 40s. At Headley we bowled fairly poorly, but Iain Wilkie (62), David Westcott (51), and David Bugge (46) proved that class in permanent, and Steve Isaac completed the six-wicket win with two typically massive sixes (shortly after Rick Wells had untypically holed out to mid-off trying to get off the mark with one). Against the Surrey Cryptics, Westcott again scored a fifty but tore a hamstring trying for one of his trademark swoop and throws in the covers … Sam Watkinson made 68 and Henry 46, including being dropped four time sin five balls! We again failed to make inroads with the ball and lost by six wickets.
The season was notable for the emergence of several youngsters of ability. The outgoing School captain, Johnny Gates, looked to be a class opener but sometimes suffered slightly from not having been to bed; Harry Jupp also gave signs that he will be a more than useful batsman, and Sam Langmead showed indications of being a capable allrounder, albeit with a heavy reliance on paracetamol to get him through those difficult morning sessions. With a brace of Humes, Dom Lewis, Rob Merry, Damien Hill and others all playing their parts, the future looks promising. Special mention must go to Gareth Starling for his efforts in getting the younger players out (of bed).
No one batsman stood out, which is surprising during a summer which saw pitches often resembling the flatter parts of the M25. Henry Watkinson played several hard-hitting innings, Simon Copleston several important ones, and Johnson some cavalier ones. Howard made the only hundred and looked set for another when he was cut short at Georgians, but was inconsistent otherwise. The biggest disappointment was Eds Copleston who suffered from poor form early on and never really found his touch of old. His problems were eased by the attentions of a good woman towards the end of the season, even if his availability declined to such an extent that people starting asking if he had retired.
The bowling was again centred on Chetwode, although injuries limited his appearances during the week. Unkind souls suggested that his tweaked hamstring owed more to advance notice about the state of the Jubilee wicket, citing Chetwode’s lack of any defined muscle as proof that he couldn’t have strained one. Henderson bowled with accuracy and venom on occasion, and Evans defied logic by continuing to perplex with his gentle awayswing. Martin Williamson was another with unexpected success with his unique dart-style deliveries. The real hero was Graeme Brown who week after week filled the void and kept one end up with his offspin. He joined a select band of bowlers who have gone for 100 in an innings early in the season and so enjoyed it that he repeated the feat on two more occasions. But he also dismissed most of the good-quality batsmen we faced.
Off the field, Johnson, the club’s own spiv, continued to do deals, get people to do things they didn’t want to do, and generally run things in his own inimitable style. Henry Watkinson reassumed the captaincy and ran things with quiet efficiency – unlike his predecessor, his form didn’t suffer and he batted as well as ever. Eds Copleston ran the cup outings with clinical efficiency, Simon Copleston organised more fixtures than ever as efficiently as ever, and our president, John McDermott, was acerbic and highly amusing in equal measure. His umpiring, as ever, paid only passing deference to the laws of the game.
In November we travel to Sarasota for our fifth and final Sixes festival, in 2004 we have another demanding season, and in 2005 we tour India. All Cranleighans, past and present, are encouraged to join us in a club where enjoyment is the main aim.
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