|
LONDON ERRATICS
— batting
|
4s |
6s |
|
Head |
25 for 0 |
in 5 overs |
2 |
|
|
Stephenson |
41 for 4 |
in 5 overs |
4 |
3 |
|
Andrews |
27 for 1 |
in 4 overs |
5 |
|
| *† |
Bush |
21 for 1 |
in 3 overs |
1 |
1 |
|
Davie |
10 for 2 |
in 3 overs |
|
|
|
Berrigan |
24 for 1 |
in 3 overs |
2 |
1 |
|
Green J |
17 for 2 |
in 3 overs |
3 |
|
|
Eltringham |
13 for 0 |
in 2 overs |
1 |
|
|
Towers |
9 for 3 |
in 2 overs |
1 |
|
|
|
187 for 14 |
in 30 overs |
= 13 runs |
|
| With the Withered Lilies struggling for players, this game was always going to be an eight-a-side
knockabout at best. A horrendous traffic jam getting into Oxford rendered even this modest ambition impossible. With more than half
the Erratics (including skipper Bill Bush) still not arrived half an hour after the scheduled start, the Lilies skipper
recommended that the game got under way with those present, following special rules apparently devised by Mike Goldacre
(a one-off Erratic in 1999) — with the rules settling down as the final players arrived. A 30 overs match. Batsmen would bat singly,
each facing up to 5 overs, regardless of how many times they were out. The total runs scored in the 30 overs would be divided by the
total number of wickets lost. Eventually there were ten Erratics and five Lilies, so James Rivington became a Lily to make it
nine versus six. Confused? — we were! |
| It did work out in its own way: when everyone was there, we were able to have eleven in the field,
two umpires, one batsman, and one padding up. We used a short boundary, apparently defined for a recent match between Americans.
An inexperienced but game female scorer simply recorded the total number of runs and wickets in each batsman’s ‘innings’,
so batsmen’s scores include any extras. |
| Jim Head benefited from the lack of fielders at the start, but had to face a good fast bowler
who (though not a full Blue) had played for Oxford University. Michael Stephenson relished the idea of not being able to be out and
heaved at everything. He participated in one very special over: six, six, caught, bowled, caught, six. He would later be caught and
bowled by James. Bill had the satisfaction of hitting John Redwood for six, but was then bowled by James. Brian Berrigan also hit a six, but
had the honour of being bowled by Redwood. Jonathan Green batted well against the returning quick, but was caught by James off
Redwood. |
|