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Wednesday 18 January 2012

St Lucia - Tour averages tell their own story

The averages for the St Lucia trip do not make pleasant reading, but that is hardly surprising after a trip where we lost five of our six matches, were bowled out for our lowest score abroad (44) and only narrowly avoided our heaviest tour defeat.

The form batsmen of recent seasons, Alan Cope and Matt Crump, failed wretchedly, and managed 78 runs in ten innings between them. Crump, who bore the brunt of the new-ball attack, often batted down the order which in matches which were all between 20 and 35 overs in duration meant he never really got a chance. Cope, whose back meant he only bowled three overs, looked in good touch but only twice reached double figures.

Will Howard, who looked at his best when opening, was one of only two batsmen to pass 100 runs, with the other, Tom Crump, was by some way the leading scorer, batting throughout the Twenty20 loss under lights for a fifty. The other half century , earlier on the same day by Henry Watkinson, was in a winning cause.

Paddy Harman and Matt Crump took 21 of the 45 wickets to fall, sharing the new ball with Harman proving especially penetrative in his second spells. Watkinson was economical and skilled at picking up late wickets, while the surprises came from Jonny Gates and Tom Crump, whose short spells proved productive although, in Crump’s case, expensive. Michael Chetwode, who has taken more wickets abroad than anyone, was hard to get away but somehow only managed one wicket.

Tuesday 10 January 2012

St Lucia - No disgrace in defeat

OCCC 170 (Crump T 44, Howard 37) lost to South Castries 204 (Gabriel 69, Harman 3-31, Watkinson 2-18, Crump M 2-41) by 34 runs
Click here for match photos

The sixth and final match of the tour again took place at the Beauesjour Cricket Ground but once more we went down to defeat, our fifth, and the fourth in four under the captaincy of Jonny Gates.

After a solid start from South Castries, the way their innings took off gave every indication we were going to end with a mauling. When Tom Crump took the fourth wicket in the 17th over, South Castries were on 111, but then Xavier Gabriel, a fast bowler in the island team, smashed 69 off 29 deliveries including four sixes. Crump suffered the most, his third over yielding 23, and at 181 for 4 in the 26th over a huge score seemed likely. But Gabriel gave Graeme Brown the charge and was well stumped by Will Howard (the far more Caribbean-sounding Wilson Howard according to the local paper) and the innings fell apart as South Castries were dismissed for 204.

As had been the case in the night game, Howard (37) and Tom Crump (44) gave us a strong start with an opening stand of 77 in 11 overs, but once both fell in quick succession the innings against slowly subsided among a flurry of catches in the deep and we ended 34 runs short. At least Jonny Gates got off the mark for the tour with a lovely cover drive, and Michael Chetwode brought the curtain down with an ugly heave to be bowled first ball and cheer everyone up a little.

There was a scrap of solace in 170 being our best score of the tour, by some way. There was also no dispute over Gabriel – who took 3 for 19 to add to his 69 – being named Man of the Match.

Sunday 8 January 2012

St Lucia - Beaten in a thrilling finish

OCCC 137 for 8 (Bugge 40, Crump T 32, Calixte 4-18) lost to SLNCA Veterans XI 140 for 9 (Charlery 56, Harman 3-28, Brown 2-8, Crump T 2-11) by 80 runs
Click here for match photos


After a day on a catamaran, we returned to the Beauesjour Cricket Ground for a game against an SLNCA Veterans XI which included several members of the St Lucia board. The match was scheduled to be played at Mindoo Phillip Park but an inspection earlier in the week had revealed it to be in a poor state. There were few complaints about us returning again to the flagship venue.

In deference to the slightly more experienced make-up of our opponents we rested most of our young bucks and retrieved our own veterans from the beach bar for the game. For the third successive match we used pink balls, and for the first time we found ourselves batting despite a fourth straight lost toss.

Our start was once more poor. In the second over Jonny Gates called for a sharp single and was left a foot short by a direct hit, and in the next over a yes-no mix-up between Tom Merry and Graeme Brown ended with Brown sacrificing himself to leave us 8 for 2. David Bugge (40) and Merry (15) then rebuilt the innings, their slow pace partially explained by the fact nobody had thought to tell them the game had been reduced from 40 to 35 overs.

Merry’s innings of 15 singles ended with an lbw, and Tom Crump (32) picked up the momentum. Bugge (referred to as 'Doug' in the local paper) showed some lovely touches before he too fell leg-before, but the innings finished with a whimper rather than a bang. A score of 137 for 8 was decent but we should have made 20 more.

Harman struck with successive deliveries to leave the SLNCA XI 22 for 2 but Kim Charlery (56) and Hermingild Francis (30*) took the score to 94 for 2 at a fast rate and an early finish looked on the cards. But Charlery tried one big hit too many and was caught in the deep by Harman off Martin Williamson, and that triggered a remarkable collapse as 114 for 4 became 130 for 9.

All the bowlers chipped in, and with nine needed with the last pair at the wicket we sensed a win. But Francis kept his head and despite two raucous appeals steered the home side to a narrow win, albeit with 8.5 overs in hand. The overs in hand were particularly regretted by Gates as captain, as he was fined one shot of rum for each over remaining.

Friday 6 January 2012

St Lucia - Delight as we win at last

OCCC 121 for 5 (Watkinson 52, Johnson 26*) beat New Park Select XI 117 for 5 (Crump M 2-18) by 4 runs
Click here for match photos

Given that we had enjoyed the tour dinner the previous night, we arrived at the Beauesjour Cricket Ground for our two Twenty20s in remarkably good shape.

Overnight rain, and a brief shower as we walked out to inspect the pitch, delayed the start of the first game by an hour, but the track was as good as expected for a ground which had hosted a 2007 ICC World Cup semi-final. It was our first experience of playing with black sightscreens and pink balls, the latter being much easier to pick up for most players. David Bugge was heard to moan he found them harder to pick up than red ones, although he was put in his place when one of the Crumps pointed out that his vision issues might be down to the amount of alcohol he had consumed the previous evening.

For the second match in succession we lost the toss and for the third time we bowled first. Our performance in the field was superb, with barely a misfiled and some canny captaincy from Henry Watkinson. There were some good catches, the pick being Bugge’s nonchalant one-handed effort at backward point, and despite again giving away too many wides, the bowling was generally tight. Only Dean Joseph (41) looked able to pose a threat but he was removed by Martin Williamson when trying to cut loose and the innings ended in a low-key manner. A score of 117 for 6 in 20 overs gave us hope.

But at 36 for 4 we seemed on course for another loss, with Alan Cope recording his second successive first-baller on a Test ground (his first at the Braebourne Stadium four years earlier). However, Henry Watkinson (52) and Rick Johnson (26), the latter in a rare appearance on a ground let alone as a player, turned back the clock in a breezy and well-paced stand of 76. Johnson’s running was economical but nonetheless the pair took us to the brink of victory before Damien Hill slashed the ball through the covers to win the game with four balls to spare.

St Lucia - Narrow loss in day-night debut

OCCC 135 for 5 (Crump T 51*, Howard 37) lost to South Castries 139 for 6 (Crump M 2-18) by 4 runs
Click here for match photos

The second game of the day at the Beauesjour Cricket Ground took place under lights, the first time the club and many of our players had taken part in a night game. Again, pink balls and black sightscreens were the order of the day, and again we lost the toss and found ourselves in the field.

In the three hours between the end of the first game and the start of the second, some of the OCs with coaching certificates/experience held a clinic for local children from the Grass Roots Cricket Coaching Program which was hugely enjoyed by teachers and pupils alike. The night game was briefly under threat when powering up the six floodlights proved problematical, but once that was resolved the game started in perfect conditions.

Castries, the island Twenty20 champions, scored steadily without ever really getting on top of any of the bowlers. The bounce in the track favoured Matt Crump and Paddy Harman, Crump once again bowling an excellent length which was almost impossible to score off although he again conceded too many wides. Jonny Gates held a good one-handed falling catch and Rob Merry, on as a substitute for Sam Langmead who tore his hamstring fielding, a spectacular juggling affair in the deep. Eds Copleston, who was not seen in the daylight during his three-day visit, bowled one over which included a massive six, a wicket and a lot of air and gesticulation.

A final score of 139 for 6 gave us a real chance of a second win of the day, and an opening stand of 65 between Will Howard (37) and Tom Crump (51*) got us on the way. Howard in particular played some rasping drives and pulls, and when he went Alan Cope kept the score up with the asking rate. But Cope’s dismissal, at 89 for 2, resulted in runs drying up and we gradually fell behind the clock.

Henry Watkinson briefly revived hopes by heaving the first ball he faced into the stands but was bowled off the second, and then Eds Copleston’s rustiness showed as he failed to make contact with a succession of deliveries. Twelve were needed off the final over and we managed only seven, Tom Crump pulling the last ball for two to bring up a deserved if futile fifty.

Wednesday 4 January 2012

St Lucia - Record defeat as batsmen again fail

OCCC 87 (Cope 22, Charlery 4-18) lost to Southern Zone XI 220 for 8 (Alexander 100, Crump T 2-28, Harman 2-49, Crump M 2-55) by 133 runs
Click here for match photos

With the Gros Islet ground deemed unfit, we returned to the Beauchamp Cricket Ground, albeit without most of those who had played the day before who decided the stomach-churning drive could not be worse than the fines they would face for non attendance. The jury is out over their choice as they were hit with a seawater-whisky cocktail. The sight of hardman Cope hiding on the floor of the minibus as the driver attempted another ambitious blind-corner overtake will live long in the memory, as will Howard’s increasingly desperate pleas to “slow down, drives”.

We lost the toss and so faced another day in the field, but this time we made a strong start. A sharp piece of thinking from Howard (yes, seriously) and a direct-hit at the bowler’s end accounted for one opener and the next over Paddy Harman removed the other. At 5 for 2 Howard loudly suggested Tom Merry put in a call to the minibus company to get the transport back as the match would end early. It proved misguided as the next wicket did not fall until the score was 125.

St Lucia Under-19 batsman Junior Henry (46) and former U-19 captain Audy Alexander (100) put the bowlers under the cosh with only Michael Chetwode (7-0-17-0) escaping the battering. Tom Crump proved the unlikely partnership breaker when he removed Henry, and he took a second, courtesy of a catch by Harman at long-on, at the end of an over which cost 25, while Matt Crump again weighed in with late wickets.

Set a stiff 205 to win – all the more daunting given our performance the day before – we lost Sam Langmead early but, aided by a proliferation of wides, we eased to 38 for 1 before the rot set in. Cope (21) was well set and looking in good form when he swept a full toss behind square where the charismatic Prince took a brilliant one-handed diving catch, and then Simon Copleston (12) was bowled. But it was Alexander who ended any chance we had by removing Damian Hill and Tom Merry, both for ducks, within three deliveries.

The remainder of the batsmen offered little, although there was amusement when Prince had Tom Crump dropped twice within four deliveries, and in between watched as Crump, kicked the ball into his stumps as he tried to prevent it trickling onto his wicket and the bails did not come off. Our final score of 87 was almost double the first effort, but it hardly did us justice.

Tuesday 3 January 2012

St Lucia - Off to a shocker

OCCC 44 lost to Southern XI 124 (Crump M 3-18, Gates 3-19, Harman 2-19, Watkinson 2-27) by 80 runs
Click here for match photos

Less than two days after arriving in St Lucia and after a fairly gruelling minibus journey, we opened the tour with a match against a Southern XI at the St Lucia NCA’s Beauchamp Cricket Ground. The venue, built with funding from disgraced billionaire Allen Stanford, was damp after overnight rain, but the heavy roller did its work and we were able to start the 35-over match an hour after the scheduled time.

Despite the loud concerns expressed by Alan Cope, the pitch remained true throughout, albeit slow and low with runs hard to come by. Our seamers took time to work out the best length to bowl by which time the hosts had cruised to 89 for 2. But then came a moment of inspiration from Jonny Gates, the captain on the day. He brought himself on and to widespread incredulity held a rasping caught-and-bowled chance in his first over; he then proved lightning can strike twice by doing exactly the same thing in his next over. Matt Crump returned to pick up late wickets, and Henry Watkinson, whose first ball on tour disappeared into the nearby houses, recovered well.

Set 125 to win, hopes were high. Briefly. Simon Copelston spooned the first ball of the innings to cover, and then Cope left Rob Merry stranded, even without the direct hit, as we slid to 2 for 2. David Bugge (2), after a cautious start, lost his leg stump. Cope (2) could do little about one that stopped on him, and then Gates (0) played on the second ball he faced. At 11 for 5 we faced humiliation, and only some brief aggression from Will Howard (21) allowed us to limp to 44, the lowest score we have ever made abroad. Five ducks told their own tale, and other than Howard and extras (12) the highest score was 4. Only a stop at a rum shack on the way home helped ease the pain.

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