Match Results and Reports
THE RADLEY FESTIVAL
v MCC
Cryptics got the Radley Festival off to an excellent start with a hard earned 3 wicket win over MCC, who brought a strong side including West Indian legend, Courtney Walsh. His presence certainly helped to make this a special occasion and was appreciated by all.
MCC won the toss and elected to bat and were soon in trouble after the loss of two early wickets thanks to a run out and a Dom Pike off cutter which the MCC opener failed to read. Opening bowlers Marcus Sharp and Dom Pike maintained the pressure on MCC throughout the first hour but gradually MCC steadied the ship although runs remained hard to come by on a pitch offering some assistance to the bowlers. The introduction of spin brought the next break through with the score on 60 when Joe Porter had R. James caught in the covers. This brought the hard hitting Ollie Clayson to the crease who took the attack to the bowlers but he was undone when he misread a flighted Porter delivery and was stumped for 38. Further excellent spin bowling from Joe Ireland (2-41) and Tom Cox (2-20) ensured that the MCC batsmen never really got on top with wickets falling at regular intervals as MCC tried to pick up the pace. The re-introduction of accurate seam bowling in the form of the evergreen Sharp (2-30) ensured that MCC were eventually dismissed for a below par 207. The fielding was also impeccable, encouraged by fine wicket keeping by Chris Barras and every chance which came the Cryptics’ way was taken. MCC's opener Salisbury was the pick of the MCC batsmen with a well crafted 62 although special mention must be made of Walsh's entertaining cameo of 23.
Cryptics in reply made a steady start before Simon Halliday was caught behind for 9 off the bowling of Walsh (still a very useful performer at this level even off his short run!). Cryptics looked to be in trouble when Tom Cox and Joe Porter were both dismissed cheaply with the Cryptics score still in the 30s and things were looking bleaker still when opener Darryl Redhead was bowled by Walsh for a fluent 27. David Page and Dominic Pike set about rebuilding the innings but again suffered a set back when MCC opening bowler R Craig had Page caught behind for 15. Cryptics 89-5 with everything to play for. Skipper Andrew Lewis then joined Pike and together they put on 61 runs before Pike was dismissed for a classy 64. Cryptics looked well set now at 150-6 and despite the loss of 6 overs to a rain shower looked favourites to win the match. Christian Elsdon (28 not out) and Lewis (40) together put on a partnership of 55 and almost got Cryptics across the winning line before Lewis became Walsh's 4th victim of the day, attempting to pull the former West Indian pace man in front of square for 4. It was then left to keeper Chris Barras and Christian Elsdon to scamper the final runs completing a memorable victory with an over to spare.
Chris Barras
v President's XI
We were privileged to be matched against a President’s XI composed of one representative of each of eleven teams that we play year in year out, among them the Gloucester Gipsies, the Worcester Gentlemen, the Sussex Martlets, Old Rubberlubbers and the Bloxham Blockheads. A lovely bunch of fine men they were too, most gracious in their role as cannon fodder for disposal by eleven crack Cryptics cricketers.
Commander Halliday won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch that put the ‘flat track’ into ‘flat track bully’. He and prolific country doctor Alban, whose first wave of the willow it was, got us off to a good start, although Alban was dropped behind on 2. A succession of bowlers was seen off, with one belted for six over square leg by the doctor, but the searing pace of Traitor Hodgson was too much for Alban, who went first for 32, of which nine came in the form of three threes. Ready Redhead, in at three, didn’t last, and Slapper Armstrong provided the usual cameo: some big shots, including a six over midwicket, and then out. For 34. At lunch the Cryppers were 183-3, Halliday on a sedimentary 64.
The writer spent the first 40 minutes after lunch discussing ‘100 not out’ with the author, the Lord Blackshaw of Brighton and Hove Albion, and didn’t pay much attention to the merriment, looking up only to appreciate Halliday also reaching 100 not out and to take note of Skipper Lewis (non-playing) going for an inaugural run. When interviewed afterwards, Halliday confessed to having scored more hundreds than Umpire Williams, estimating his lifetime tally at about 150. Fine achievement that, quite simply a stunning performance by the Harrow man.
The Cryppers finished on 289, with Traitor Hodgson bowling seven overs for 31 runs and two wickets, comfortably the best figures for the President’s. It was only he that kept us below 500.
Moon Mooney and Lanky Buckland opened up for the Cryppers. Both bowled magnificently, although Buckland was unaccountably taken off after just four excellent overs in favour of Slow Joe Ireland. Despite the unforgiving pitch, Mooney snaffled a couple of wickets in his ten overs before retiring to the long grass to nurse his damaged quadriceps.
The key moment of the day came when Slow Joe beguiled opposing captain Mark Semmence into miscuing one to mid-off, where Lanky just managed to pull off a simple catch. Semmence’s two was at least 98 fewer (Robert, it is ‘fewer’ rather than ‘less than’, isn’t it?) than expected, and the match was, while not quite in the bag, only just managing to poke its head out of the aperture. Doc Alban, at mid-on, ventured to the writer that Slow Joe would take six for 40. The writer agreed.
After tea, Deputy Assistant Superintendent Ward was brought on to keep them in the chase and nick a couple of wickets into the bargain. He successfully implemented 48.68% of his orders, according to the Performance Management Unit of the Thames Valley Police and subject to confirmation by the TVP Performance Steering Group (North) for final approval by the Review Board (South). The remaining 51.32% was given back to Ireland. For the President’s, Cryptic Christian Elsden scored an accomplished 60 and Mighty Mike Harrison walloped a quick 40 with two big sixes, but Calamity Joe worked his way steadily through them, taking five for 58 to claim both the match and the man of it.
Cryppers won by 62 runs and went into the Club Dinner with two wins out of two, ready for a bi-directional torrent of drink and the arrival the next day of the Free Foresters.
William Buckland
v Free Foresters
Under gloomy skies, with a bit of drizzle in the air, the Cryptics, who had won both fixtures of the weekend centenary celebrations, were asked to field first. However gloomy the skies were, the Cryptics faces were even darker as the Foresters raced past 100 without loss. Fiskin was particularly dominant, scoring a rapid 69 before falling to Will Buckland. At this point, Buckland and Joe Porter began marathon spells (of 19 and 18 overs respectively, broken only by lunch) to apply the brakes to the batsmen. Lunch was taken at 150 for 1 (off 39 overs), and the Foresters looked set for a big score.
The interval was blessed with good food, and a couple of fine speeches, introducing the Wingers Trophy, presented by his widow Jacquie in memory of Michael Wingfield-Digby, both a Cryptic and a Forester, for which the two sides were competing.
After lunch, the weather improved, but Porter (with two wickets) and Buckland continued to apply pressure. When Christian Elsden came back into the attack and picked up two wickets, the Foresters were in danger of being bowled out at 211-6, but Jim Chaudry completed a quick half century to set up a declaration at 282 for 6. A measure of the control of the Cryptics bowlers was that it took 64 overs to accumulate this total, and we would get just 52 in return.
Before tea, Andrew Lewis and John Hamilton accumulated steadily, but breaking at 41-0, with only an hour and 50 minutes remaining in the game, seemed cautious. Arnie Clarke, captaining the Foresters, kept the fields up for the spinners, and invited a counter attack, which Lewis led in making 54 out of an opening stand of 90. However, the key partnership of the innings came between Dom Pike (105) and Joe Porter (39), who added 74 in just 10 overs. This provided the impetus for a chase of just over 150 runs in the last 20 overs. Pike in particular was brutal through and over the off side, and after Porter fell, Rob Walker kept him company, adding a further 55. At 251 for 4, the Cryptics were now favourites, and Clarke fell back on his opening bowler, Webster. His spell was to prove decisive in the end, but there was still plenty of drama.
First, Walker fell for 10, and he was quickly followed by Will Gilgrass (2), Christian Elsden (6) and Will Buckland (0), but still Pike went on. With two overs to go, and Pike on strike, the total was 266 for 8. 17 needed, 12 balls to go. Pike got five from the first five balls, before Chris Townsend struck a boundary from the last ball of the over to leave him on strike, and only 8 now wanted. Unfortunately, with victory in his grasp, he fell to Webster, who finished with an excellent five wicket haul (5 for 26), and despite six coming from the final over, including an edge for four off the last ball by Chris Fox, the Cryptics ended agonisingly short on 281-9.
An excellent effort by the team, who played some very positive cricket throughout. Dom Pike's innings was quite brilliant, and Andrew Lewis played particularly well at the start of the innings. Buckland and Porter were superb with the ball. It was a pleasure to receive the Wingers Trophy on behalf of the Cryptics, and I have no doubt that it will be keenly contested over the coming years.
Chris Townsend
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Superb victory against Hampstead, the Cryptics' longest standing Club opposition.
Brilliant batting by Francois Vainker and Matt Baggs with good support from Dom Pike, Ed Murray and Kevir Vedd saw the Club home with 6 overs to spare. This was the 82nd fixture since the first one in 1912 and both clubs have agreed to plan for a big event in 2012 to mark the centenary of the first match.
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Cryptics run out victors at Amersham
The Cryptics recorded a comprehensive victory over Amersham on Sunday 30th May by 135 runs and with plemty of time to spare. By wining the toss The Cryptics took first use of a fine looking wicket but with a soggy outfield. After weathering the early loss of Simon Halliday, Andrew Lewis and Matt Baggs combined in contrasting styles to take the initiative. Baggs punished anything loose but was eventually to fall shortly after reaching a half century during an over from which he had previously taken 17 runs. Lewis combined with Dave Leadbitter but he fell for a neatly compiled 42 to the leg spin of Thompson before lunch which was taken with the Cryptics very well placed at 150-3. Leadbitter took a positive approach throughout his knock, he was never shy of taking the aerial route and he too reached a half century on debut. His dismissal bought Chris Barras to the crease who would eventually top score and featured in two highly dynamic partnerships with debutants Kevin Haigh and Stuart Simons. This allowed the Cryptics to declare on 283-6.
The Amersham reply began with some very attacking fields but some slightly wayward bowling from new ball pairing Simons and Stuart Turner intially allowed them to make a positive start. However they both struck back in some style and shared 4 wickets with Simons (2 for 27) looking particularly impressive. After tea wickets continued to tumble with only Thompson (77) showing any stomach for the fight. Will Buckland bowled with impressive control to snaffle 4 wickets in partnership with Nick Hodgson who grabbed a couple of his own. The dominance of the Cryptics performance was summed up when victory was achieved before the start of the final 20 overs.
Stuart Turner
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 20 July 2010 15:31 )