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”.

A stunning memorial

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Although the official opening of the renovated Jubilee pavilion is not until OC Day on June 14, it is already in use, and on May 22 a small dinner was given by the school to those who were involved in the rebuilding.

Suffice to say that the interior is stunning, and for the first time we have a genuine cricket pavilion, right down to honours boards listing all school and OC cricket achievements back to 1866. The most stunning feature is the glass-fronted balcony.

Guy Waller gave a short speech on behalf of the school, to which David Bugge, as OCCC president, replied. John McDermott then gave a more lengthy but , as ever, entertaining speech which covered subjects ranging from the driving skills of the headmaster's wife to smoking in the pavilion during the 1950s.

Pop-gun OCs draw with Headley

Headley 284 for 6 (J Midmer 72*, W Midmer 52, Bugge 4-46) drew with OCs 229 for 7 (Copleston 66, Hill 43*, Fawcett 37)

The annual Golden Oldies side was not, due to some late cry-offs, not altogether old and certainly wasn’t gold. We came away from a sunny, if windy, Headley with an honourable draw but paid for turning up with a bowling attack for which the label pop-gun would be overplaying its strength.

We fielded well, especially the indefatigable Damian Hill who seemed to be permanently charging around the boundary on the road side and diving to save fours. We held almost all the catches that came our way, and batted solidly. But with no front-line bowlers, and not many from the second string either, we were always up against it.

Tristan Rosenfeldt, with the hairline and girth of a Golden Oldie if not the sharp wit or tactical know-how, fielded on winning the toss. He had no option. We couldn’t have bowled out a blind school. John Wells and Hill shared the new ball but with enough loose stuff for a strong Headley line-up to feast. The change bowlers failed to stem the flow, but David Bugge did roll back the clock with some brisk offspin and he grabbed four wickets. Rosenfeldt risked his life by taking Bugge out of the attack when he seemed set for a five-for. Men have died for less, but he got away with it.

He then underlined his naivety by opting, against advice, to toss it up and invite Headley to have a go. The challenge was accepted with glee. Eds Copleston took two overs to pitch one on the cut strip, by which time several hours had been lost searching for the ball in the undergrowth, but when he did he took an immediate wicket, probably because the batsman was in a state of shock. Rosenfeldt rather interestingly brought himself on and only sped up the flow of runs. In the end Headley called off the slaughter at 284 for 6 off 41 overs.

Our reply got off to a poor start when Tom Merry was caught behind off a snorter in the first over, and then Iain Wilkie was bowled after some crisp leg-side shots. Copleston, unleashing some super drives, and Will Fawcett, playing from instinct and hammering a remarkable straight six, took the score to 106 and at a rate that had us right on course. It was hard work on a pitch where the ball never came onto the bat.

But Fawcett was undone by a straight one and then the game turned on a quite remarkable catch in the deep to remove Copleston for 66, the boundary fielder taking a one-handed diving catch an inch from the turf as he ran in at full speed. The outstanding legspin of Josh Pickering, a delight to watch, further applied the brakes and we were left needing double figures from 15 overs out.

Hill’s encounter with Pickering was beauty and the beast. Confronted with guile, flight and real turn, Hill leant back and heaved to good effect. Legbreak and googly were all thumped over midwicket with equal disdain and ignorance, and at the end John Wells joined in the fun as well.

On paper we were within 50-odd runs of the target but the reality were that we never seriously in the hunt as the strongest Headley side for several years always had the depth to shut things down. To their credit, they didn’t.

Bugge, White and Wilkie join Hall of Fame

Three new OCs have been elected to the Hall of Fame. All three are former captains – Colin White, David Bugge and Iain Wilkie.

As per the rules, nominations were considered from all current Hall of Famers and the final decision was made by John McDermott, himself elected in 2006.

Colin White’s heyday was in the 1960s, by which time he had already played for Cambridge University and Surrey 2nd XI. Generally regarded as the most stylist batsman to have come out of Cranleigh since the war, Colin was an archetypal left-hander, whose every stroke seemed to rely on timing rather than force and to who an ugly shot was an anathema. His chances of a Blue were wrecked when he was hit in the mouth and hospitalised by when playing against the New Zealand tourists. In contrast to the safety needed in his as a banker, as a batsman he looked to attack from the first ball, with the drive over extra cover his favourite stroke. He was also an quite outstanding cover fielder, his speed and agility being further strengthened by an ability to pick the ball up and throw with either hand. He captained the side in 1966 and went on to become president. In 124 matches he scored 3633 runs at 33.33 including 21 fifties and four hundreds. “I am very touched and honoured,” he said. “It's frightening to realise that it was 50 years ago that I first started to help Nigel with the cricket weeks at the School, liaising with Arthur Germany re food and drink in the pavilion, selecting the sides, etc. No e-mails then, just lots of phone calls!”

David Bugge was the most successful OC captain, leading the side between 1982 and 1986 from the front and hardly missing a match - he holds the club record of playing in 42 consecutive games between 1982 and 1984. The highlight of his tenure came in 1984 when we won all nine matches in the cricket week. An utterly dependable batsman, capable of either solid defence or whirlwind aggression as the situation demanded; a deceptively penetrative bowlers who looked little more than medium pace but disguised a nagging accuracy and a little more nip than the batsman expected; and a fearless and reliable close fielder (although less assured under boundary steeplers!). As captain David gave his all and expected others to do the same, and he brought out the best in many players. Still playing occasionally, he has made 125 appearances, scoring 3585 runs at 41.21, including 20 fifties and three hundreds, and taken 124 wickets at 20.08. “This is an honour for all of us,” he said.

Iain Wilkie was the foundation of many wins during the 1980s and early 1990s with his unique approach to batting. Strong off his legs, adept at driving and fearless against fast bowling (his duals with Johnny Bass at Ardingly are legendary) his reputation as a slow scorer was underserved; more often than not he shouldered the burden of responsibility for scoring runs in a weak side. The surprise was that he only scored two hundreds - they came within a week of each other in 1983 and were, at the time, the two slowest in the club's history. Taking over from David Bugge as captain, an unenviable role after the success of the early 1980s, he often did not have the comfort of having several more than capable batsmen in the side. Aside from the burden of captaincy and opening the innings, he also had the added task of having to keep wicket in the absence of any other regular. Indefatigably cheerful, he has made 158 appearances scoring 3883 runs at 27.15 with 19 fifties. “Thank you so much,” Iain chirped. “This is an unexpected, but hugely welcome, honour. I feel very proud to be recognised in this way by my fellow OCs.”

Click here for the Hall of Fame site.

Old hands see us to victory at Headley

Old Cranleighans 214 for 7 (Morgan 46, Bugge 45, Vickers 27*, Chase 26*) beat Headley 213 (Pickering 48, Moss 45, Chase 3-61, Watkinson 2-27 Bugge 2-35) by three wickets

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Our annual Golden Oldies match at Headley was not quite as oldie as in previous years because of some last-minute cry-offs, but we got the required number of players to the ground and pulled off a three-wicket victory with two overs to spare.

After Henry Watkinson opened the door, the bowling was dominated by two old timers. David Bugge, operating on one knee, and Mike Chase. Bugge, once fast enough to bowl for Oxford University, now sends down offspin with a fast-bowler’s temperament; Chase, once a good slow left-armer, sends down grenades. They proved effective.

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