Headley CC hosted a sleepy game on Sunday in contrast to the dramatic
events at the Oval.
Early plaudits went to Mark Hopper, who turned up for the Chapman XI
game over a week early. His keenness for the game must surely send out
warning signals to the Headley side next week.
With Hopper assuming a scouting mission on the bench, Headley skipper
James Midmer lost the toss, and started mental preparations for a long
hard spell in the field. The Cryptics stand in skipper thought
differently however, and became the latest in a long line of visiting
skippers to put the home side in.
The Cryptics, a national touring side with branches all over the
country, started well, clearly out to enjoy their afternoon in the sun.
Their opening bowlers initially produced some accurate stuff and
after a breezy cut stroke, Andrew Pickering was on his way back to
supervise the kitchen staff
His opening partner, Ben Ashworth looked determined to have some fun;
after a watchful start the Headley wicketkeeper batsman produced
some Caribbean style leg side hooks and clips to set the scoreboard
motoring. Ashworth was joined by the powerhouse middle order of Chapman
and Midmer W, and with these three at the crease, scoring looked easy
and Headley were set for a total of 250 plus.
Unfortunately this score was not to be, as Chapman obligingly handed
the opening bowler a wicket in his final over, hitting one down long
on's throat . Following this breakthrough, the Cryptics then brought on
a 'liquorice allsorts' seamer. With a range of deliveries ranging from a
slow bouncer, to a loopy beamer, to a decent pitch up delivery, the
allsorts bowler proved a wicket taking, if slightly expensive option,
and Ashworth and Midmer W soon succumbed to his Cryptic randomness.
100-4
There was work still to do when Banks and Midmer J arrived at the crease
in quick succession, but the Headley numbers 5 and 6 put together a
decent partnership to take the home side past the 150 mark. Flash, with
his front foot nailed firmly to crease, produced his typical array of
unorthodox hits including a wristy hook shot that drew several onlookers
minds to a young Sourav Ganguly . With Headley threatening to get away,
the opposition skipper brought himself on to bowl some gentle left arm
seam and promptly ran through the rest of the Headley order with nothing
more than accurate line and length. There was some brief resistance from
Mark Hopper, who had been recalled once it emerged Headley only had 10
men. Hopper looked determined to enjoy himself with some
crashing drives boosting the total to 200, but he couldn't keep it
going and when he was out, the Headley innings came to a close at a
reasonable 205 all out. All 10 batsmen were caught, 9 of them in front
of the wicket, in what was surely an example of the need to be patient
on a slow track.
Due to the frenetic nature of the Headley innings, the Cryptics had bags
of time to chase down 206, but the ir start was almost as slow as
the slow slow medium of Alan Clarke , who tied them down before picking
up one opener via an unlikely caught and bowled; a straight
drive parried up into the air by Gordon Banks at silly mid off, and
caught by Clarke in his follow through. At the other end Alex Mearns
took a while to work up a rhythm, but once he had the mercurial left
armer produced two decent deliveries to send the remainder of the
Cryptics top order back to the pavilion.
With the visitors at 40-3, the stage was set for Mark Hopper to fire in
some offbreaks on a dry and dusty pitch. Hopper was looking to repeat
his heroics of Presidents Day, but on this occasion found the turn and
bounce of early July elusive. He still bowled well though, and picked up
two wickets, one of them a superb stumping by Ashworth, who confirmed
his reputation as the best wicketkeeper in the Epsom downs postcode.
With the Cryptics now well into the 20 overs with only 110 on the board,
the game effectively became a stalemate, although Scott, the cryptics
star bat, batted superbly to make 66*, leaving onlookers wondering what
might have been had he been sent in earlier.
Next week Headley host the Chapman XI in what promises to be a highly
competitive clash. Chapman has lost the fixture two years on the bounce
and looks set to bring a strong side to even the balance. Headley will
be ready though, with chuckling Chairman Andrew Pickering heard to say
behind the bar: "he can bring who he likes, I'll just have to get on the
phone to the groundsman..."
