London Erratics Cricket Club

Founded 1974 for recreation and refreshment

Sunday 27 August 2006
London Erratics v Beamers
at North London Cricket Club

A thriller lost by one wicket
Click on (Þ) symbol for photo images
LONDON ERRATICS — batting 4s  6s 
Andrews bowled 45 3  1 
Pedersen B lbw 0    
Coales lbw 1    
Gotay caught 41 5   
Rennell bowled 5 1   
Rosson bowled 13 2   
Stephenson bowled 13 2   
† Pedersen R lbw 1    
John lbw 14    
Truscott NOT OUT  1    
* Heller run out 0    
150 all out in 38.4 overs
Fall of wickets:  1(PedersenB)–7, 2(Coales)–10, 3(Gotay)–100, 4(Andrews)–104, 5(Rosson)–120, 6(Rennell)–124, 7(PedersenR)–125, 8(John)–149, 9(Stephenson)–149, 10(Heller)–150
Erratics were hard to get on this Bank Holiday weekend, and we were grateful for young local talent recruited by Richard Heller’s ex Mail on Sunday colleague Bob Rosson, and two other guests. A 40 overs game.
We played on a much smaller pitch than last year. The Beamers looked ominously fitter and more professional than they did last year, and sent us into bat in difficult seamers’ conditions against difficult seamers. Two guest players departed quickly but Peter Andrews dug in, characteristically (Þ) . With Rob Gotay (a local under-17 signing), he prevented further inroads and restored the innings (Peter’s six came courtesy of an overthrow). Never dominant, both batsmen had gradually accelerated to take us past 100 at around 4 an over, when both departed — Peter for 45, Rob for 41.
Arriving late, John Truscott had to watch as wickets fell steadily thereafter. There were flurries of hitting from Matthew Rosson (the recruiter’s son, on his 14th birthday), Mike Stephenson, and Binu John — a welcome new signing by Tremayne Rennell. When at last John came to the wicket, at No. 10, Richard left him high and dry on 1 not out, with a suicidal run out for a non-existent leg bye.
BEAMERS — batting
1   c & b b John 20
2   lbw b Rosson 14
3   c Pedersen R b Rosson 1
4   b John 26
5   c Truscott b John 0
6   c Pedersen B b Heller 4
7   c Stephenson b Heller 4
8   lbw b Heller 0
9   c Stephenson b Truscott 2
10   not out 37
11   not out 4
153 for 9 in 27 overs
Fall of wickets: 1–30, 2–37, 3–64, 4–67, 5–89, 6–93, 7–99, 8–100, 9–149

LONDON ERRATICS — bowling
Stephenson 8 1 30 0
Rosson 7 0 32 2
John 6 0 40 3
Heller 5 0 29 3
Truscott 1 0 5 1
Although the Erratics had scored 150, 149 was put up on the scoreboard as the target (Þ) . Either way, the total seemed impossible to defend, especially when Mike found trouble adjusting for the strong slope to leg. But he and Matthew (given the new ball in lieu of a birthday present) suddenly began to bowl some really testing deliveries. Mike was desperately unlucky in missing the outside edge repeatedly. Matthew obtained an lbw decision (from his father, who had given two against us) against our old adversary Christian Wolmar, but the new rules for cottonwooling teenage fast bowlers forced Richard to remove him after his fifth over. (In my day, kids bowled 20 overs nonstop and then did a shift down the pit, etc. etc.) For his final delivery he bowled a well-concealed slower ball, which was edged and caught very neatly low down by the 14-year-old locally recruited wicketkeeper, Ralph Pedersen. This set an Erratics record for the lowest ever combined age for a joint dismissal (28).
Binu relieved Mike with brisk inswing. Cursing himself volubly for the occasional loose delivery, Binu obtained three quick wickets — one a leaping catch by John at gully (the previous delivery he had complained of acute pain in both legs). The Beamers were rattled. Richard relieved Matthew and elected to bowl the Even Slower Stuff. Cursing himself volubly for the occasional loose delivery, Richard too obtained three quick wickets and the Beamers were eight down and a long way from home.
But they had kept back their big hitter, and try as we might we could not keep him off the strike. A few big overs from him (several sixes over short cover boundary) brought them very close to our total. Richard threw the ball up even higher and Mike at long off missed an incredibly easy catch only 30 yards away from him running at full tilt.
At 149, the scores were level (or at least thought to be). Richard replaced himself with John (a tactful suggestion from Peter), bowling to their captain and No. 10. Richard placed a mid on (another tactful suggestion from Peter); No. 10 obligingly swiped the ball directly to mid on (Mike). We crowded the No. 11. Our young keeper missed a sharp stumping (perhaps unsighted by his compulsory helmet — more cotton wool — in my day, etc. etc.). No. 11 heaved the next ball over mid on and the Beamers were home.
A genuine thriller in a good spirit. A mixed Erratics team worked very hard for each other.
Oscar nominations: batting, P Andrews; fielding, J Truscott; helpful suggestions, P Andrews
[RH]
Erratics lost by 1 wicket
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