Janmohamed named Cricketer Cup captain

Abeed Janmohamed has been named as the club’s Cricketer Cup captain, replacing Eds Copleston who is heading for a two-year sabbatical in New York.

“Abeed and I have both captained counties at all our respective age groups, captained the school and then gone on to captain in Surrey championship leagues – which makes him the obvious choice,” Copleston said. “I put my full trust in Abeed and believe is the right man for the job. The first round away tie at Malvern is about as hard as games come and I hope Abeed and the boys can win that. It would be a terrific achievement.”

He has a hard act to follow. Since taking over as cup captain in 2002, Copleston has led the OCCC to four Brewers Cup finals, winning three of them, as well as victory in the 2007 Cricket World Trophy.

“It’s a true privilege to be given the honour of captaining the OCCC following in the footsteps of legends like Chetwode, Watkinson and Copleston<” gushed former Kenya international Janmohamed. “I am surprised given that i am yet to score an OC hundred or distinguish myself in OCCC colours.” He added his captaincy would be “less methodical and more spontaneous” adding he would be looking to get the best from the younger players.

OC trio in first-class action

A remarkable day for Cranleigh and Old Cranleighan cricket on April 10 with three players in action in first-class matches.

At The Oval, Stuart Meaker was in action for Surrey against Derbyshire, taking 2 for 58 as Surrey struggled at the start of the County Championship season.

At Canterbury, Alan Cope was captaining Loughborough MCCU against Kent, while at Durham, Seren Waters took his debut first-class wicket for Durham MCCU against Nottinghamshire.

New awards unveiled at annual dinner

Around 50 Old Cranleighans and a few current Cranleighans attended the annual-when-the-committee-remembers dinner at The Alma in Wandsworth. For the first time three awards were made - Batsman of the Year, Bowler of the Year and Player of the Year. There was also an auction to raise money for the Friends of Tim Evans Trust and in all more than £1100 was collected.

After drinks and an excellent meal, Michael Chetwode gave a rare and very witty speech, honouring Martin Williamson for his contribution to the club over the last 30 years, both on and off the field. Suffice to say tales of losses on shares, Coppers Doggers and other embarrassing escapades were dusted off. Peter Shelley, who as captain in 1980 recruited both Chetwode and Williamson into the club, then read out a highly amusing, largely fictitious, and repeatedly libellous letter from Williamson to him asking to play in the 1980 cricket week. Williamson was then presented with a cricket bat signed by many club members and mounted in a wooden case. He gave a short speech of thanks.

Club president David Bugge, steadfastly wearing a traditional OC blazer, gave a brief speech highlighting the success of recent years and flagging Rick Johnson would be proposed for inclusion in the Hall of Fame at the next AGM.

Before the awards came the fines. With Eds Copleston sidelined with a painful disease, it fell to the far more aesthetic Sophie Cook to dish out the punishments to the usual suspects. Several people noted it was Copleston’s least badly-behaved evening in recent memory.

The Batsman of the Year was a product of our youth policy, Henry Watkinson; the Bowler of the Year went to Ed Henderson; while the Player of the Year, again looking to the future, was a rather staggered Chetwode.

The evening ended with a raffle and auction for the Friends of Tim Evans Trust. John McDermott acted as auctioneer, making a trademark speech and crossing a new boundary by describing the headmaster’s wife, who was in attendance, as a “a little bit of crumpet”.

Hume closes on finish, Langmead soldiers on

Fifty-five days at sea and Red Arrow, the boat containing Rich Hume (2 North, 2000), has gone 2012 miles and has 554 to go before reaching the finishing line in Antigua. Heart of the Warrior, which is co-rowed by Sam Langmead (2 North 2002) still has 1130 miles to go.

In his latest blog, Rich writes: “I spoke to Sam, an Old Cranleighian as well yesterday, and he is doing well despite still having 1130 miles to run. That must be hard. But he told us that he had heard that many of the boats ahead of us had or where running out of food. If your reading this as friends of the boats ahead, we took all 90 days with us and although we have chucked a lot of the food that goes off in June overboard, we still have about 35 days of food each left. If they want some, they can come and get it.

“It’s also very very hot and even hotter in the cabin. About 100 degrees i would say and maybe 110-115 in the cabin. Thank god we can jump into the sea, which is becoming a regular for both of us, maybe tomorrow we will see if we can touch the bottom! and thank god we have a water maker that makes 25 litres an hour as we are drinking loads. Some boats have machines that make 4 litres per hour! Different ball game.”

Place your order for new OCCC sweaters

Ed Henderson writes: -

I will be putting in an order for OCCC cricket sweaters in the next month. As we need to have a minimum order then please take this opportunity to think long term and put in an order as there is unlikely to be another opportunity for several years.

They will be the standard sweaters that many of the longer standing members of the club will have - OCCC coloured stripes with no breast logo. The prices are as follows:

Long sleeved: £55
Short sleeved: £47

These are the prices for the best quality wool. There is a lesser quality wool for cheaper but I think that it is worth going for the best quality with things like this that should last a career.

If you would like to order then I must have the money up front so please pay the relevant amount to me at:

Natwest
Sort: 50 21 01
Acc 22111166

And email me (edhenderson88@hotmail.com) to let me know you have paid giving me your desired size (40,42 etc - it is advisable to order a size too big to allow for shrinkage)

I have requested a quote for club caps - hooped in blazer colours and will email about this in due course.

Snow causes Dinner postponement

The OCCC Dinner, which was set to take place on Friday, January 8, at the Alma in Wandsworth has been postponed because of the continuing bad weather.

“The weather has left a lot of people unable to make it,” said club captain Eds Copleston.” Wandsworth Town trains are running infrequently (as I know only too well after this morning) and I don’t want to hold this OCCC dinner with under 30 people when we had expected nearly 50.

“The good news is the Alma has agreed to roll the deposit over for a date in March, at present Friday March 5 looks like the date it will be held.

“Sorry chaps but we will rise again. Let’s get over 50 people there on March 5 please! This does give me longer to compile the fine list as well (bad news for you after your dropped catches this season Damien Hill).”

Rich Hume sets off across the Atlantic

Richard Hume, the former School and OCCC opening bowler who has turned his back on cricket to pursue some un-Cranleigh fitness ordeals, sets off his most crackpot scheme yet on January 4 when he begins to row the Atlantic.

The closest most Cranleighans get to water is Gatleys, but Richard and colleague Tom Barnes are taking part in the Woodvale Challenge Atlantic Rowing Race 2009.

Follow their progress by visiting their website at http://www.rowingtheatlantic.com/ where, thanks to wonders of electronics, you can even email or text them as they trundle from the Canary Islands to Antigua, a distance of approximately 2,500 nm (2,876 statute miles).