CtCCCC now sit in second place in the London-South (Wednesday) league - 5 points behind league leaders Bambers Bandits but with two games in hand.
July has seen CtC take 29 points from a maximum of 30 with victories over Bambers Bandits, Platinum Ducks and HCS Wanderers. Hammond and Skinner have both scored two unbeaten fifties, whilst Dillon and Cassels have scored one each. We also welcomed Naseer Dawlatzai to the club who made a very promising debut, scoring 12 runs before being caught on the boundary and bowling four overs of good pace, which was unfortunate to not be rewarded with a wicket.
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Baggo’s new fixture, the summer solstice cup such a success that this forty over match was added to the CtC roster for 2018. This game was excitingly to be played on Whitgift’s First XI pitch - a First Class ground that has hosted numerous Surrey games in the past, and not a bad place for the club to have an outground. After Baggo had a long negotiation with the groundstaff following heavy rain the previous day, eventually the game was declared on, but with a shorter game starting after lunch. This allowed Dillon to wake up (his 11 am wake up would have meant he would have missed the start if we’d started on time), but perhaps more importantly for Baggo allow Whitfgift staff to ensure the services after their West Indies Under 19 international who had finished his morning A-Level revision session to make it for the later start. Despite the overnight rain, Pearson spots a good track and wants first use of it. CTC have a bat. With rumours circulating about the Windies gun clocking high 80’s in the Under 19 World Cup, Pearson sends in Rudkin H & Hammond, shifts himself down to 4 and pushes Pemberton up to his usual gun bat slot of 3. To which Pemberton accuses him of “doing a Root”. Dillon of course in at number 5, where else, for the ginger genius? CTC start slowly, with Windies quick too good. Hammo successfully farms the strike to ensure strike off the lad with the yips at the other end. Rudkin H then doesn’t see a full toss from the yipper and loses his stumps. Hammo plays some nice shots before departing after a cameo. In comes Pemberton. Brilliant backward defence to World Cup gun, but he doesn’t last long. Pearson in at last at a timely moment and begins to fill his boots with some brilliant shots. Dillon nursing a big hangover together with no cricket kit of his own, walks in saying “brilliant, I can’t play left armers”. Two balls later the ginger genius returns to the pavilion with a wry smile. Pearson made 67 before falling to grandmaster Baggo, sharing a partnership of 40 with Sherwin and 68 with Rutt, who was the only other batsmen to contribute with 40, helping CtCCCC to a competitive looking 200-9 from 35 overs. With Sherwin & Fairbank taking the new nut CtCCCC believe this is defendable. However what follows is a complete onslaught with the Windies gun going berserk and making the CtC duo look like slow-medium journeyman. Chances are offered though with numerous going down in a sloppy fielding performance. Special mention to Dillon for almost an inspired one-handed leaping grab (once a backward point always a backward point). The game drifts away from CTC very quickly after this flying start from the West Indian who has them going at about 10 an over. Meanwhile his partner is barely off the mark when the West Indian had been retired and had already taken the game away from CtC. In this innings, the first ball of Rutt’s spell was hit straight over his head for an enormous 6. CtC quite simply had no answers and Baggo was being accused of bringing the fixture into dis-repute. Some spirited bowling from the likes of Rutt, Gimson, a return spell from Fairbank, Rudkin R and Pearson follows, but the game has lost its edge and became akin to a testimonial match. Notably Baggo came and went quite quickly and Pearson decided to bowl some leg spin that coincided with the arrival of the Chairman (the Club legspinner). Whitgift cantered to the win with an ugly looking 50 being reached just before victory which was secured with 5 overs left and 5 wickets in hand. A brilliant fixture though so thanks to Baggo for facilitating. Henry Rudkin, Director of Cricket CtCCCC convened for a fourth renewal vs The Moose XI, at a gloriously sunny Barn Elms Oval in optimistic mood, despite a chastening loss to a West Indian Under-19 gun last time out. Spirits were further buoyed by the prospect of “The Big Three” turning out together for the first time since school (Ed - Coe not playing, for avoidance of doubt, Hammo not 'big') and the memories of a glorious victory vs The Moose last year.
Dean strode out for the toss, on a pitch was which could be described as "green, seriously green in places". “Tails never fails”, except when it did. We were to bat first. The Seamers Stable of Davidson, Gimson and Rutt chomped at the bit, the prospect of bowling with 300 runs on the board felt a certainty. Facilitating this the powerful union of Hammond and Shaw made their way to the crease only for Shaw to fall early, having wafted at a lot and middled not much. A predictably short and sweet innings from Cassels followed, no doubt he was caught MOMO, batting at 3 still not enough to sort out his enormous swede. The Big Three would come through for The Stable then. Hammond was the first of the triumvirate to fall, for 18, missing a straight one. Hesketh and Pearson combined and started to travel well. Hesketh’s innings was typical of the main making it look very easy as he flayed the supposedly First Grade Indian to all parts, only to fall short of a comfortable looking 50, “if only he’d applied himself” someone muttered (Ed: Coe, still nowhere to be seen). Pearson’s innings was similarly typical, making it look very easy as he caressed the ball to all parts. After the fall of Hesketh what followed was surely too cruel. Roberts run out from the first ball he faced for the second time of his CtC career. This correspondent feels it unnecessary to say any more, apart from that it was probably Davidson’s fault, despite Pearson being at the other end. What followed certainly was Davidson’s fault, his extremely dour 17 off 41 in the final furlong failing to capitalize on the the excellent position the middle order had put us in. Stablemate Rutt joined Pearson after the loss (read grateful loss) of Davidson, showing the sort of lusty hitting a man with a great salad is capable of. Stablemate Gimson was left in the stable, no doubt with his nosebag on. CtCCCC finished with 232 from their 35 overs. After a meagre tea the boys took to the field, The Stable fondly recalling days gone by when they routed batting line ups without the likes of Sherwin or Fairbank. These memories clearly clouded their vision as The Moose came out the stalls like a rocket. The Skipper cracked his whip and fired Gimson up the hill, combined with a change of ends for Davidson meaning some control was restored, though a distinct lack of threat prevailed. Desperate times. Dean, supposedly suffering from the yips, and eager to "move upstairs" brought himself on and immediately burgled a much-needed wicket. Davidson dropped another one. More shuffling of the pack. Cassels bowled a tight over. The spin twins of Pearson and Rudkin, R were brought on and managed to shut the stable door, with Pearson picking up a couple and Rudkin, R a single wicket and both bowling well, but the moose had already bolted. Rutt and Davidson returned to try and make up the gap, Rutt picking up a solitary wicket, but the gap was too large. The inevitable win for the Moose came in their 33rd over, deserved winners. Numerous dropped catches, missed run outs and probably being 20-30 runs short of something defendable were all to blame for another loss for CtCCCC. It is with great sadness that CtCCCC learned last week of the passing of Rwandan batsmen Prince Uwimanishaka at the age of 21. Pictured above Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) General Manager Emmanuel Byiringiro presents a donation on behalf of CtC and the RCA to Prince's family.
Prince played three times for The Rwanda Schools Association against CtC, scoring memorable 70 in the first match - and was also a lovey lad off the field. His talent had been recently recognized with appearances for the Rwanda senior side, and he undoubtedly had a very bright future ahead of him. Our thoughts go out to Prince's family and all at the Rwanda Cricket Association in this difficult time. “The best things in life are free,” so said Neale Donald Walsch (and others)- American author, screenwriter and speaker. Walsch, however, much like many other ignorant Americans has never traveled many miles by TFL, on a crisp (bloody cold) May evening, to participate in a mildly competitive game of the most amateurish standard of God’s own game- the ten pound match fee a token charge for the experiences and stories that follow in this report.
Even before a ball was bowled, the players were reveling/left reeling due to a unique quirk of the away ground. Having trudged a good mile from the changing rooms to the green, green, grass of the paddock (and wicket) the players began to de-strip from various work clothes and Thursday lounging gears (Chairman) only to be greeted by a tirade from a rather batty, old white man declaring that he ‘did not want to see underpants’ and that players should make the short trek back to the ‘new and very expensive (‘crispy’ clearly not in his linguistic armory?!?)’ changing rooms. This wasn’t the sort of warm up that some of the players in the ranks were expecting and messers Alex ‘John’ Carew (recently discovered Five Guys), Mark ‘Conners has put on some timber’ Conway (think Samit Patel said an unimpressed director of cricket- H.Rudkin) and unnamed others were reeling as CTCCC took the field after the Chairman lost the toss. . . What followed was a consistent line and length and some inauspicious batting from the opposition- who somehow managed to plink their way to a respectable 140ish from their 20 overs. . . . (Yawn). And so followed the chase. “Gorgeous hair is the best revenge,” so said Ivanka Trump – American businesswoman, fashion designer, author, reality television personality and offspring of the world’s most feral humanoid. Mrs Kushner, however, has never recovered from a long lasting mental battle against her own technique and the deepest darkest mind games that can ensure with a propensity to chase a wide one early on. H Rudkin, knowing himself that his chances of maintaining a ‘gorgeous’ salad might be slowly failing him took on the challenge of raining in his natural instincts and challenged his mental frailties head on. It was an innings, which had shades of the mighty Steve Waugh at Melbourne 2003, who despite a lengthy barrage from Caddick and co. declined to play a hook shot all day. In this case, Caddick and co., was replaced by a man the opposition called ‘weirdo’ (think ET goes home) bowling what can only be described as grenades alla G. Dean (but far far slower). He sent down half volley after half volley only for Rudders to shoulder arms. 55 of the reddest runs followed. Triumph was, of course, secured by elegance personified, Ed ‘the Head (boy)’ Pearson, who made a mockery of the oppos’ dire attack and Shaws’/ Sherwins’ dismal dismissals to dispatch the bowling to all parts and send us to a local pub with the first victory under our belts. CtC today passed a further £70 to Cricket Builds Hope which was gratefully received by project director Geordie Morrison. This is in addition to the £13,000 raised earlier in the year.
Fresh from a pre-season tour to Rwanda CtC approach the new season with some optimism as they seek to improve on last season's run to the final.
The 16 man squad from last season has been retained in full, despite rumors of wide scale defections to And That's Lunch. In addition two new members have been added in an official capacity to the LMS squad, though both are well known to the club, and indeed played several times in the format last year - Ed Pearson and Tom Sherwin. With Hammond now officially ahead of Cassels B in the world rankings, perhaps the biggest question is whether Cass can respond, or how many others could power past him with Henry Rudkin, Jack Dillon and Jamie Rutt all within touching distance. The bowling is even closer, with Rupert Rudkin still ahead, but Davidson, Hammond and Rutt all in hot pursuit. At the request of the Director of Cricket we have moved from the Kennington Thursday league to the Wednesday renewal which gives us five new teams to face. Bamber's Bandits appear to be the strongest of the bunch with a world ranking of 1759, though their 8 wicket win over LMS debutantes Grays Inn Old Giffers last week suggests they may have strengthened over the winter. HCS Wanderers are also new to the format whilst The Jiminy Crickets are also in their first season, but have played a warm-up, a defeat to our old friends Zapoi by racked up 217-1. The league is completed by The Platinum Ducks complete league and will surely be looking to improve on their 0/10 record last season (which did feature a draw, to be fair). Director of Cricket Henry Rudkin commented "This season presents a whole new array of challenges on the pitch, with the club fighting on numerous fronts, 8 aside LMS, and a strong mix of 40 over red ball cricket together with some conventional white ball cricket. And we also play 7 aside knockout cricket [on tour in Frenace]. CtCCCC inadvertently are becoming innovators of the game and are leaving the ECB behind" Social Sec Ben Cassels took a more cautious tone "I'm concerned that the move to Wednesdays will destroy the valuable drinking culture that I heard developed after many games on Thursdays. Moving to Wednesday to accommodate the Rudkin brothers summer property drinks seems a real shame. This coupled with the closure of our favorite Burgess Park our makes me nervous for the season ahead" Hugh Pemberton simply added "FIREUPBEYYYYYYYYYS" |
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October 2023
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