London Erratics Cricket Club

Thirty years of recreation and refreshment, 1974–2004

Saturday 11 September 2004
London Erratics v Kilndown & Lamberhurst
at Kilndown

Head turner

LONDON ERRATICS — batting				4s	6s
	Head	caught	4
	Cobham H	caught	62	7
	Cobham R	caught	5
	Holder	caught	4
	Prasad	caught	5	1
†	Khawaja	bowled	4
*	Andrews	bowled	25	3
	Coetzer	caught	10		1
	Beckles	NOT OUT	30	3	2
	Soanes	NOT OUT	2
	Langley
173 for 8 dec
Fall of wickets: 1–9, 2–18, 3–24, 4–59, 5–62, 6–125, 7–127, 8–144

Our special correspondent writes:

The Kentish Weald looked at its early autumnal finest on the day of Lord Mayhew’s 75th birthday, but the rain of the preceding days made it a bad toss to lose for Peter Andrews, as the President’s XI / Erratics were inserted with ill-concealed glee by the villages’ captain. It was a sticky dog. With the ball rising well-nigh unplayably from all lengths, the Erratics struggled to 62 for 5 in 19 overs. Jim Head, Parag Prasad (a centurion the week before), Nasir Khawaja and South Oxford Amateur Ralph Cobham all found the pitch made forcing shots impossible even to venture. One of our three South African guests, Eddie Holder, adopted a different approach, flat batting what would have been a wide to point.

At this moment, though, the arrival of our devout captain Andrews coincided with a mysterious easing of the pitch, an event which might have been deemed miraculous in earlier times. Peter set about the counter-attack with unaccustomed violence, while at the other end Ralph’s son Hugo, having skilfully survived the early demons lurking in the wicket, also began to cut loose. These two doubled the score to 125, before both heroes of the partnership departed exhausted, Hugo after 113 minutes, Peter more shattered in 40. However, it was the opposition’s morale which had been terminally doused, and the fierce hitting of Ed Coetzer (recording his first ever six) and, most brutal of all, Rawle Beckles, with two giant blows over the pavilion, lifted the Erratics to 173 for 8 at tea. Even though Kilndown had only bowled 39 overs in nearly two and a half hours, the psychological balance had swung decisively.

KILNDOWN — batting
1	lbw	b Head	61
2	c Beckles	b Langley	11
3		b Soanes	0
4	c Cobham H	b Head	4
5	c Cobham R	b Head	2
6	c Beckles	b Head	10
7	run out		1
8		b Head	0
9	c & b	b Holder	5
10	not out		0
11	[absent]
107 all out
Fall of wickets: 1–51, 2–73, 3–82, 4–90, 5–91, 6–96, 7–96, 8–107, 9–107

LONDON ERRATICS — bowling
	Beckles	6	3	8	0
	Coetzer	8	0	30	0
	Langley	4	0	27	1
	Soanes	4	1	10	1
	Head	7.1	3	13	5
	Prasad	3	1	8	0
	Holder	2	1	5	1

Our special correspondent continues:

Despite an effective opening partnership of 51 against accurate bowling by Rawle and Ed, Kilndown and Lamberhurst were behind the clock; and after wickets had been taken by Richard Langley and Jason Soanes, Peter produced what he himself described afterwards as a moment of inspiration. He put Jim Head on to bowl. After a first over lacking in confidence, length, and indeed direction of any kind, Jim then settled down to weave figures of 6.1 overs, 5 for 4. When Eddie Holder caught and bowled the final batsman still present (one having stalked off in high dudgeon after an internal village dispute), the seigneurial victory had been won. Lord Patrick capered joyfully, afforded even more liberal donatives, and despite Peter’s attempt to promote his own case, Hugo Cobham was declared man of the match. [RW]

Erratics won by 66 runs

2004 Season

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