Old Cranleighans 245-4 drew with Headley (243-?)

Headley welcomed Old Cranleighans on Sunday, with the home side keen to keep alive an unbeaten season. The Cranleigh Old Boys are one of the stronger sides on the fixture card and as the car park started to resemble that of Chelsea's training ground in nearby Cobham, it was clear that along with the TT's and Mercedes' had come a decent, competitive side.
 
Mindful of the fact that Headley had needed 270 to beat off a determined chase by the OC's the previous year, the Headley skipper decided to field first and looked to contain. The decision looked defensive but Headley have chased several times already this season and the decision also meant the home bowlers could use whatever pace and bounce an hour of heavy rolling had lent to the pitch.
 
These carefully laid plans were ruthlessly undone however, as the OC's opened with an archetypal "pinch hitter" who flayed the ball to all parts in a withering opening stand of 100 in 10 overs. George Tyson varied his lengths but was flayed regardless. Mearns bowled a good line but was still flayed. Gary Mason came on but his length was too short and he too was flayed. With all sorts of theories flying around, mostly from Mark Hopper, who having dropped the opener on 20 then started advocating the use of his own off spin, Midmer kept faith with Mearns and was rewarded as the mercurial Aussie worked up a decent rhythm and struck three times. With the score just past 100m Means removed both openers in quick succession, both chopping on to their own stumps, before a brutal lifter saw off the OC's No.3 as he gloved behind. At the other end Grant Waller came on and bowled in his usual miserly fashion and got an LBW decision to haul Headley back into it at 150-4. This proved to be Headley's final wicket but with the OC's hiding several useful batsmen down the order, it was perhaps not such a disaster, as a slow and limited 5th wicket partnership from the OC's saw their momentum drain away and the innings close at 245-4 after 42 overs. Mearns was the star of the fielding show for Headley for a monumental spell of 16 overs of left arm seam for 3-50. Bowling at a decent lick, with accuracy and controlled movement the Aussie gave a masterclass and showed why the team miss him on his frequent jaunts abroad.
 
The target was a stiff one but Headley are believing in anything these days and had a strong top, middle and lower order to chase. They were given the best possible start by Steve Tyson and Mark Hopper, who gave the OC's a caning equal to the one they had dished out earlier. Tyson oozed class as he worked the ball around with an array of drives and clips, whilst Hopper was savage on the bowling and smashed a succession of boundaries in the opening stages. The OC's had a decent left arm spinner who bowled almost unchanged from the Cock Inn end, but the bowling at the other end became more and more generous, and as Hopper moved to 49 with two towering sixes in a row over the pavilion, Headley were right in the hunt. Unfortunately Hopper departed almost immediately after, but Tyson continued to time the ball superbly and in partnership with Gary Mason took the score past 150. Tyson recorded a debut 50 but then departed as he unselfishly tried to up the rate. With ten overs to go Mason and Gordon Banks then tried to up the ante, but with the wicket getting slower and slower, and Flash finding the field at every turn, the momentum slowed. Once Banks and then Waller had departed the equation was 45 from 4 overs, which Andy Pickering and Mason kept up with via some crunching strokeplay. The last over saw Mason record a deserved 50, but he was unable to hit the final ball for the 6 that was needed. Headley finished 2 runs short, but given the generosity of the opposition bowling changes throughout, a draw was probably a fair result.
 
Headley remain unbeaten and next week take on the Old Freemen's. Rumours that key man Grant "Boom Boom" Waller is thinking of playing for the Frees on loan were circulating, something the sprightly all rounder refused to confirm or deny. Waller who fell in love with himself at a very young age and has remained faithful ever since said "To have played on this great unbeaten streak is something I am immensely proud of.  Obviously the unbeaten run is really incredible and will be remembered forever but at the end of the day it's just a statistic, cricket is about eating a nice tea, throwing a few balls down the track and having a nice tea......I like my tea".   Waller continued "The call of the Old Freemen's is strong and as we all know I swing for both sides, so it will be a difficult choice for me, we are in negotiations and my agent Heather is handling the situation and indeed will let me know whether I can play at all".

With key matches coming up, including the clash of the season against the Presidents XI, there will be much interest on the performance of key players in the next couple of weeks.