London Erratics Cricket Club

Founded 1974 for recreation and refreshment

Sunday 7 July 2002: EVENLEY FUN DAY TOURNAMENT
London Erratics v Evenley Red Caps
at Evenley

We are the Champions!
In MATCH THREE, the Red Caps won the toss and elected to field.
The Erratics had worked out that if they scored 80 runs, they would earn the three bonus points they needed to clinch the championship, regardless of the result of the match. James Rivington and John Truscott, who had shared a profitable partnership in MATCH TWO, were sent out to build a platform for the innings. They did well to keep at bay one of the opening bowlers who fizzed the new ball down with great pace. However, their running lacked its earlier sharpness and imagination, and the run rate tailed off; when James was second out in the 9th over, he had long outstayed his welcome.
Jeremy Walker and Felix Meller hit the ball cleanly, and got the scoreboard ticking over again. They might have scored more if Jeremy hadn’t been so conservative in his running (protecting his dodgy knee, or protecting his unbeaten status this season?). Felix perished nobly in the last over. But the feeling among the Erratics was that 63 was a poor score (and worth only one bonus point), and that we would have to take quick wickets to have a chance of the title.
LONDON ERRATICS — batting 4s  6s 
Rivington caught 11 1   
Truscott caught 14 1   
† Walker NOT OUT  20 2   
Meller bowled 15 1   
Andrews NOT OUT  1    
Riedel    
* Evans    
Bush    
Middleton    
McKay    
Heller    
63 for 3 in 15 overs
Fall of wickets:  1–26, 2–26, 3–60
Giles Middleton’s first ball, a full toss hit for three, did not suggest an instant repeat of the miracle in the previous game. Both opening bats looked disturbingly competent, and the Erratics were extremely fortunate that the first was given out having thrust his leg well forward and outside the line. When the No. 2 fell, one could sense from the body language of the Red Caps that the Erratics had already made deep inroads into the batting line-up.
The next two bats played shots, but both were caught and bowled — Felix held on to a bullet fired back at him, Giles flattened James with a forearm smash to claim his catch. The Erratics were now taking a wicket per over, and when John’s second ball was caught by Giles at deep mid-off the team celebrated the seventh wicket and the vital third bonus point. But who needs bonus points when you’re about to win the match anyway? After a welcome over from Max McKay, John brought to a close an excellent Erratics performance — fine bowling, sound catching and fielding.
Strangely most of the Evenley faithful had slunk off by the time skipper Michael Evans received the Fun Day Tournament trophy and the team huddled round for a photo. Final table:

Team Played Won Lost Points
Erratics 2 2 0 30
Blue Caps 2 1 1 17
Red Caps 2 0 2 2

EVENLEY RED CAPS — batting
1   lbw b Meller 3
2   lbw b Middleton 1
3   c & b b Meller 9
4   c & b b Middleton 3
5   b Middleton 1
6   b Meller 1
7   c Evans b Truscott 13
8   c Middleton b Truscott 0
9   b Heller 0
10   not out 8
11   b Truscott 1
48 all out in 12.1 overs
Fall of wickets: 1–7, 2–7, 3–14, 4–21, 5–21, 6–25, 7–26, 8–36, 9–36

LONDON ERRATICS — bowling
Middleton 4 0 11 3
Meller 4 1 10 3
Truscott 2.1 0 8 3
Heller 1 0 7 1
McKay 1 0 8 0
Erratics won by 15 runs

CHAMPIONS !

The triumphant London Erratics, at Evenley, 7 July 2002.

Back row:
Robert Waller (scorer), Felix Meller, John Truscott, Max McKay, Jeremy Walker, James Rivington, Bill Bush.

Centre, holding tournament trophy:
Michael Evans (captain).

Front row:
Peter Andrews, Giles Middleton, Richard Heller, Nick Riedel.
2002 Season
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