London Erratics Cricket Club

Founded 1974 for recreation and refreshment

Sunday 12 August 2007
London Erratics v FC London CC
at the Fuller’s Club, Chiswick

Suckered at the toss; or, a tale of one batsman
LONDON ERRATICS — batting 4s  6s 
Truscott bowled 22 2   
Berrigan caught 30 2   
Poulter bowled 1    
Green T c & b 5    
Ward NOT OUT  44 2  1 
Moss lbw 2    
* Dunabin caught 16 1   
Stephenson bowled 8 2   
† Green S bowled 6 1   
Bush NOT OUT  10 2   
Green J    
174 for 8 in 35 overs
Fall of wickets:  1(Truscott)–57, 2(Poulter)–58, 3(GreenT)–70, 4(Berrigan)–80, 5(Moss)–96,
6(Dunabin)–131, 7(Stephenson)–148, 8(GreenS)–162
Ten Erratics gathered at 1.55 — shortly to be joined by Michael Stephenson — on a day of sunshine and clouds, at the congenial Fuller's Club in Chiswick, well lubricated by the local brew (the club not the Erratics at that stage). Its one demerit, its location under the flight-path into Heathrow, was courteously fixed by Air Traffic Control switching runways after a few overs.
FC London proposed a 35-over game. Chris Dunabin and Dom Hayes, the FC London captain, inspected the pitch — dry and flat, though with one venomous-looking spot — and tossed. When Chris called correctly he expressed a mild preference for fielding first, but Dom interjected that we'd get a longer game if we batted! Chris, mindful of Michael's non-arrival and that the limited-over format would neutralise the Erratics' draw specialists, let himself be persuaded. Was this the decisive moment? Had he been had?
John Truscott and Brian Berrigan accumulated steadily against a lively left-arm quick from one end and more varied medium pace from the other. John produced some characteristic cover drives, and Brian a most delicate late cut between slip and gully. The left-armer, stirred by Chris's refusal to give John caught at the wicket off his pad, fired in a fierce bouncer that prompted John to call for a helmet for the first time in anyone's memory. Soon after, the change bowler surprised John with one that moved in. Tony Poulter squeezed out two yorkers but was beaten by a third; and Tim Green, after a couple of good-looking blows, failed to get on top of a pull.
Time for Tristan Ward, who had been talked up by the opposition beforehand as a class above any of their batsmen. He and Brian continued to accumulate, against tight quickish off-spin from the captain at one end and a mix of good balls and loose ones from the other, until Brian also mistimed a pull and fell at square leg. Stephen Moss looked elegant and commanding, but fell victim to what some thought a dodgy decision by John (despite a comprehensive tutorial from Chris on the lbw law before his reluctant umpiring stint; perhaps Robert Waller's message — "If you're not sure of the law, you can't be sure it's out" — was more prudent).
Chris played a few brisk shots until he drove a ball that wasn't there for it and skied to extra cover. Michael unleashed a couple of fierce drives before — as too often — he played round a straight one. Meanwhile Tristan was accelerating, including one fierce pull for 6. Simon Green was unluckily bowled off his pads. Bill Bush came in to the unfamiliar sight of a 7–2 offside field — evidently they hadn't seen him bat before — but managed only two fours, one a trademark pull-drive, before the innings closed with Tristan on 44 not out. No batsmen had dominated the attack, but 174 for 8 seemed a comfortable target to defend.
FC LONDON — batting
1   b Green T 11
2   b Stephenson 1
3   b Truscott 6
4   c Moss b Green T 2
5   b Truscott 17
6   not out 99
7   b Moss 0
8   b Ward 17
9   c Green S b Berrigan 1
10   not out 14
11  
175 for 8 in 33.1 overs
Fall of wickets: 1–11, 2–13, 3–18, 4–33, 5–60, 6–66, 7–120, 8–145

LONDON ERRATICS — bowling
Stephenson 7 2 18 1
Green T 6 0 28 2
Truscott 7 0 35 2
Moss 3 0 26 1
Ward 5 0 44 1
Berrigan 5.1 0 18 1
Erratics' optimism was further buoyed by the first few overs of FC London's innings. Both Michael and Tim bowled straight and found some movement. One opener looked good until we realised the cut was his only shot. Michael bowled him with a lovely inswinger, and Tim the other with a ball that seemed to lift off the bails with the draught of its passing. Tim had another well caught by Stephen diving at slip; and when John replaced Tim, he quickly settled into a rhythmic loop and drew two men forward with flighted deliveries that would have provided stumpings for Simon if the wickets hadn't intervened.
When Stephen, replacing Michael, bowled the No. 7, the score stood at 66 for 6 after 17 overs, and perhaps some complacency entered the Erratics' thinking. But the No. 6, who had already shown signs of aggression and was now joined by his adhesive captain, took a liking to Stephen's occasional loose balls, and to those of Tristan who replaced him. Brian had expressed a desire to rest his shoulder, but Chris — who had been thinking of filling in with a few overs from himself or Bill — was already sufficiently worried to urge him to sacrifice himself for the cause. But the No. 6 continued to tuck in to Tristan, and pepper Bill on the square leg boundary while somehow avoiding Tim, our lithest fielder by far. Chris was perhaps too slow to appreciate that every run was coming between mid-on and square leg — or too ready to accept the bowlers' assurances that they would bowl outside off stump.
Tristan finally lured the captain into a false shot — 120 for 7 with 10 overs left, and a lot for FC London still to do — but this just prompted more aggression from the No. 6. By now all our efforts were focused on keeping him off strike and breaking through at the other end, but they ran well and rode their luck, and no chances went to hand. Tris in his final over drew the big hitter down the track with a near-wide outside off stump: too wide alas for Simon to take cleanly. The batsman scrabbled and stretched, so did Simon, and the umpire gave the batsman the benefit of a close decision.
Brian was giving little away and removed the No. 9, but when Tim returned to replace Tris the target was down to 5 an over, and the hitter went on unchecked. Brian began his last over needing to take two wickets for no runs to tie — surely not beyond him — with the No. 6 requiring a four for his century. Neither quite succeeded; and the Erratics had lost a game they had thought won.
Would fielding first have made a difference? Who knows. Dom revealed afterwards that the near-centurion was playing only his second game for them and had failed with the bat in his first.
A reasonable all-round Erratics performance — some ground-fielding errors excepted — despite the result, at a congenial venue by London standards against well-matched and amiable opponents. Most disappointing for Jonathan, who didn't get to bat (sorry!) or bowl (not sorry!) but also lost his watch [it turned up in the kit later — Ed]. Oscar nominations? No. Honourable mentions at most, for Brian's and Tristan's batting, Michael's and John's bowling, and Stephen's catch.
[CD]
["I think the match report should include the phrase 'complete debacle', at least once." — Brian Berrigan]
Erratics lost by 2 wickets
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