London Erratics Cricket Club

Founded 1974 for recreation and refreshment

Sunday 10 June 2007
London Erratics v Fernhurst
at Fernhurst

Age did weary them
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LONDON ERRATICS — batting 4s  6s 
Rivington bowled 41 2   
Andrews bowled 51 2   
Berrigan caught 1    
Eltringham NOT OUT  51 5  2 
Poulter caught 18 1  1 
Truscott run out 2    
Stephenson bowled 4 1   
* Evans bowled 1    
† Dunabin NOT OUT  1    
Padmore    
Heller    
197 for 7 dec
Fall of wickets:  1(Rivington)–97, 2(Berrigan)–103, 3(Andrews)–109, 4(Poulter)–170, 5(Truscott)–178, 6(Stephenson)–183, 7(Evans)–188
On a hot humid day, quite a useful (if not youthful) team of Erratics arrived to join battle at Fernhurst. Fernhurst won the toss and elected to field.
James Rivington and Peter Andrews coped well with the home team's promising young seamers, but the big boundary and the tufty outfield made run scoring hard work in the sultry conditions. As the opening pair easily picked ones and twos off a portly spinner who didn't seem to spin the ball much, the various captains in the Fernhurst side huddled in unnecessary debate: the longueurs were effective in slowing the game, though they did also give the batsmen time to get their breath back. Fifty came and went unnoticed on the boundary — no acclaim, but equally none of the impatient heckling that is sometimes favoured. When the most welcome drinks break was taken after 20 overs, the score was 97 without loss — and James was out three balls later.
Peter (who, according to the locals, looked like John Major) steered the Erratics past the hundred, and negotiated his own half century. But Brian Berrigan top-edged a full toss to square leg, then Peter was bowled, and the innocuous spinner had claimed three improbable wickets.
Matthew Eltringham and Tony Poulter were intent on pushing things along, and Matthew started to find the mid-wicket boundary. Progress stuttered when Tony pulled up with a tweaked hamstring (did he/didn't he want a runner? — in the end Peter did the honours). The two bats competed with each other in their attempts to put the ball into the playground; Tony finally picked out deep square leg, ending a partnership of 61.
The Erratics were now in danger of running out of time: in the final over before the scheduled 5 o'clock tea, John Truscott was called for an impossible single by Matthew (whose running up to that point had been quite conservative). The decision to bat on for two more overs was made more by collective will than by skipper Michael Evans. Michael Stephenson, who had thumped one lovely straight boundary, dragged his second delivery into his stumps. With one over left, Matthew was on 47 and at the wrong end. Michael E was bowled, but Chris Dunabin scampered the requisite single, and with one shot Matthew blasted his way to a fine fifty (Þ) .
FERNHURST — batting
1   b Berrigan 14
2   c Eltringham b Berrigan 7
3   b Stephenson 0
4   b Berrigan 6
5   not out 40
6   c Stephenson b Eltringham 21
7   not out 0
8  
9  
10  
11  
117 for 5
Fall of wickets: 1–44, 2–46, 3–52, 4–52, 5–112

LONDON ERRATICS — bowling
Padmore 8 1 17 0
Berrigan 9 5 12 3
Stephenson 5 0 24 1
Truscott 4 0 13 0
Heller 3 0 25 0
Rivington 2 0 7 0
Eltringham 2 0 8 1
Chris bravely took the gloves, and he was kept alert by Alex Padmore's breezy spell. Two members of the Melrose clan managed to keep Alex and Brian at bay for 11 overs, until the more aggressive one was undone by a gem from Brian.
The lad at No. 3 faffed around with his helmet only to be swept aside by Michael S, who had replaced Alex. And in the next over, Brian had the opener chipping to Matthew at mid-off, and then bowled another youth — double wicket maiden, and Fernhurst were 52 for 4.
Alas, that was the high point. A stubborn old bugger was now partnered by the man who had been providing a running commentary thoughout the match (oh joy!). Both were determined to avoid defeat, and all the entertainment in the game dried up. After they had played out two maidens from Brian, he gave way to John; and Richard Heller followed Michael S. John was accurate, but Richard was less so and conceded some risk-free boundaries — and the score reached three figures.
What now? Time for James and the return of Alex: but the lack of batting ambition made even James look tidy. Matthew, who had been feigning weariness, was finally prevailed upon. The mouthy one tonked his first ball straight for four; the second seemed on its way for another, until it was splendidly and satisfyingly caught by Michael S. But with only two overs left there was no time to exploit the open end, and the obduracy of age vanquished all before it.
Match drawn
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