What a lovely day and what a lovely ground. The Ladock pitch is just off the main road through the village, but it could be in the middle of nowhere for all you could hear or see of civilisation. There was a pleasing air of an event -- more than just 11 vs 11 -- with locals, tourists and Mystics rolling in and mostly heading for whatever shade they could find.
Fraser was our captain and agreed with home skipper Martin Yelland that the hosts should bat first. That had the Mystic advantage of meaning that Harry, who had to leave at tea to catch a train back to England, could keep wicket; and the Ladock advantage that they didn't have to field during the hottest part of the day. Ladock were two short, and so I was loaned and we played ten a side. I ended up being number ten in both batting orders. It was a team-fluid day. Perhaps the heat had fused us into a single bubbling pool of Mysdockness.
Matt Cook and TJ-C opened the attack against Andrew Wakeley and Paul Dawkins. Wakeley, I'd overheard in the pavilion, was a solid bat who'd scored a lot of runs that season. I took my umpiring place at square leg looking forward to watching him do his thing. He batted left handed and looked well organised as he blocked and ignored a mixed-bag maiden's worth of unpredictable Cook fizzers. At the other end, Dawkins, doyen of the Cornwall Over Seventies team, took a single off Joshi-Cale. Wakeley followed suit and settled in for another helping of Cook. He pushed firmly at the first, a googly that span about half a bat away and raced through past the 'keeper and low to slip's right. Surely, that was too low for the ancient Healey standing there. Nope. Somehow he was able to persuade his recalcitrant body to move quickly in the only way that would have allowed him to get his right hand to intersect with the ball's trajectory. It was a stunning catch, and one that Chris later told me was one of his two best ever slip grabs: on consideration, perhaps even the best.
Sam Awdry was next in, and next out. The first ball of Matt's third over was a leggie's arm ball, and it swung in past Awdry's forward push. Martin Yelland bustled out to join Dawkins. Martin is a serious cricketer. He has something of Mat Ogley's intensity and, like Mat, a generous spirit that appreciates good play in team mates and opponents alike. He didn't seem to have Mat's ability to laugh at himself, though. Or, at least at first, to laugh much at all. He was certainly a bit non-plussed by some of the Mystic shouts of encouragement in the field. To be fair to Martin, these weren't exactly out of the standard bants manual. Molly had asked Tom for some suggestions of what might make good between-delivery calls, and among his recommendations -- probably immediately after Matt Cook had bowled a loopy full toss -- was "Nice tempter". The sultry air had distorted the consonants somewhat, and the first delivery of Tom's next over was greeted with a congratulatory "Nice texture." As a comment, it had merit -- the ball was a chewy one that Dawkins did well to squeeze away for two. As a banter seed, however, it fell on unfortunately fecund ground. Within minutes, the air was filled with pie-oriented cries. Martin Yelland looked confused: how do you maintain an air of ruthless competitiveness in the face of this nonsense? Before long, however, he had realised that he wasn't going to beat it and that he might just as well join it. By the time I wandered off at the end of my umpiring stint, he had begun to offer his own contributions to the pastry kitchen of banter.
I took over the Ladock scorebook and struggled to concentrate on that in the face of a range of requests for help and attention from Saf Wallis. If you can imagine Harry Everett at 65, you pretty much have Saf. He plays cricket for anyone who'll have him and can maintain several conversations without the usual requirement for the contributions from other people -- rather like one of those chess grand masters who play about ten games simultaneously against local amateurs. He was returning from a broken wrist and was unable to put his pads on. I was happy to help but made sure it was clear that there was a line drawn at assistance with his box. This was a quiet period in the game, with Yelland and Dawkins consolidating. The run rate settled to about three an over. Graham replaced Matt at the pavilion end and bowled an admirably tight spell. Martin later explained that he'd been unable to "get underneath" Sharland's low-bouncing left-armers.
Mat Ogley did his best to raise the scoring rate to something more challenging for a strong Mystics batting order. His second (and final) over featured boundaries, no balls and a wide, contributing a total of 14 to the total. Matt Cook's own competitive instinct was clearly piqued by this effort. He was to eclipse it 20 overs later, and by quite some margin.
The second ball of Fraser's spell did for Dawkins, clipping the bails as Paul played over a dipping full ball. He'd made a doughty 24 off 60 balls and the score was a below-par 85 for three in the 21st. Yelland fell four balls and one run later for a battling 38. Fraser had brought a short leg in for the home skipper. Martin ran through an inner narrative about slog sweeping to clear the fielder out while at the same time worrying about being sensible after the fall of the third wicket. As so often in our game, the batter managed to think himself out and popped a steep-bouncing full ball into the grateful hands of very fielder he'd been intending to smash the ball at, past or over.
Vivek Oza was now in with Peter Martyn. Vivek was sort of the Ladock overseas amateur. He was living in a caravan behind the pavilion and bewildering the locals with the "unpronounceable food" he ate. I chatted to him after the game and it sounds as if he's really enjoyed his time in Cornwall. He's player number 2110133 on the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians website, and has played for Aimers Cricket Academy in the Mumbai leagues. In this game he batted seriously and well -- especially against Fraser, who bowled beautifully -- mixing careful defence with ruthless punishment of the bad balls.
Fraser's third over, the 26th of the innings, brought two more wickets. Peter Martyn and Guy Hopkinson were both bowled by viciously dipping off breaks, and the score was 94 for six with only Saf and me to come after the two at the crease. Matt Crawford bowled the 27th and was hit for two belligerent fours by the powerful-looking Rob Elkin. Rob was a late recruit to the home team. A friend of Martin Yelland, he was on holiday with his family in a local caravan park and normally plays for Stone and Swynnerton Park in the North Stafford, South Cheshire Cricket League. Tall, broad-shouldered and full-figured, he can certainly hit a cricket ball.
Chris Cook replaced Matt Crawford, who'd managed a sensible three-over spell at the two most powerful batters in the home side without conceding a six. The scoring rate was climbing -- Fraser's seventh over went for 14 -- and some very big sixes were being hit. One Elkin six flew miles over square leg, sending his wife and mother scurrying for cover. The elder Mrs Elkin had already offered one or two loud observations when her son missed a scything swish or hit a less-than-perfect four. Taking her seat again in the shade of an oak tree, she offered this stentorian Staffs contribution to the lazy Cornish afternoon: "Do that again, fat lad, and you're walking home." Elkin looked as if he'd heard it all before, and carried on throwing the kitchen sink at pretty much everything.
Chris Cook's second over, the 35th of the innings, saw the end of Oza. He played too early at a fullish ball, lobbed it up and Healey ran in from midwicket to complete the catch diving forwards. The next over was Fraser's eighth and last. A four and a single to Elkin left Saf Wallis to survive the last two deliveries from the Mystics' most threatening bowler. He kept the first out but fell to the next, a carbon copy of the dismissals of Dawkins, Martyn and Hopkinson. Five wickets for Fraser, which was great. Not so great, though, was that I was now in for the last four overs, to face two Cooks and to support Rob Elkin. There was, it turned out, an 11th man now -- an unexpected late arrival -- so the pressure on me wasn't absolute. Still, I was out there with two jobs: not to get out, and to give as much strike as possible to Elkin. A single off the first ball of the next over left me to face five from Chris Cook. I failed to hand over the strike, but at least I didn't get out. Matt returned to bowl the last two from the far end. Only one six in his first over, but it was a monster, flying over Matt's head and landing half way to the Falmouth Arms. Another single left me facing Chris again. I edged the second away, and Elkin added a four and a six before we jogged a long single off the last. 183 was the score after 39 overs, and Elkin was facing Matt Cook. The ball flew to all parts, and there was an over-hip-height no ball for good measure. At the end of the 40, the score had risen to 215 and Matt had slotted in just behind Ernie on the list of the most expensive Mystic overs. And I had contributed two to an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 57.
Tea. Marvellous.
Matt Crawford, determined to bring his inflated price in the manager's league back down to something that better matched his own valuation, yorked himself first ball. By the time that happened -- the fourth ball of the first over -- Healey at the other end was on seven not out, having taken a two, a four and a single, in between two wides, off the first three legitimate balls of Guy Hopkinson's over. Chris Cook got off the mark and Healey continued to make half-bad balls look rank. After 12 overs, with Dawkins's two cloud-bothering overs of low-impetus loopers taken for 24, the score was 98 for one, and the target looked a long way below par.
Rob Elkin, the man of Stone, was on by now. His was a muscular action -- any old Erratics who watched John Rudlin bowl would see similarities -- rather than a graceful or lithe one, but he got the ball down at a good pace. He didn't get much off the straight, though, and initially bowled too wide of off stump, expecting the extravagant inswing that he normally gets ("In league games, I can make the Dukes ball talk", he told us after the game). The two Chrises were able to score 15 (plus a couple of byes) off his first two and to keep the momentum up. Things were about to change, though, as Martin Yelland threw the ball to his star bowler, Vivek Oza.
Oza bowled left-arm orthodox, turning the ball extravagantly at about 65 mph. Healey faced him like a man juggling chainsaws for the first time, knowing that disaster was just around the corner. The scoring rate slowed as Elkin started to bowl wicket to wicket on a good length. Drinks were taken after 16 overs with the score on 114 for one and Healey 49 not out off 45 balls. Cook at the other end was 40 off 42. The fourth ball of the next over was the one with Healey's name on it, jagging back through his defensive push to make a mess of the stumps. Mat Ogley was next in, and got a strongly worded warning from Chris as they passed on the outfield. "Turning it miles, mate. Be careful." Mat nodded and then off drove his first ball for a sumptuous, nerveless four. Cook took seven off the next Elkin over (127 for two off 18) and Mat was facing Oza again. He blocked a couple awkwardly and hit a couple of fours, one deliberately, before playing another awkward forward defensive and losing a bail or two to a beauty. 81 needed off 21.
The passage of play that followed now was riveting. Matt Cook was in with his dad, and Martin Yelland had brought himself on to save three Elkin overs for later. There was nothing too threatening about the skipper's off spin, but neither was there much in the way of loose stuff. Oza's sixth over, the 23rd, was bowled to Matt and featured a powerful and graceful swept six as the best of three boundaries. With 54 needed off 17, it was definitely advantage Mystics. Oza was still bowling and had a big smile on his face. After the game he told us how much he enjoyed the way we had tried to attack his bowling. In the league, apparently, teams recognise that he is the main threat and try to block out his ten. He tends to go for only 15 or 20, but not to pick up many wickets. Mat and Matt, along with Chris Cook's relatively serene rotation of strike, gave him a completely different challenge. Another glorious four and then Matt fell to the last ball of Oza's seventh: another clean bowled to a ball that pitched around or outside the line of leg stump and hit off stump from left arm round. Tricky to play.
Molly was in now. Chris took a single off Yelland and then played out Oza's last over. Molly then blocked out Yelland. Two successive maidens and we needed 46 off the last 12 overs. Chris took a single off the returning Elkin and then a four and a single off Yelland. Ten overs to go, 39 needed. A single off the next Elkin over and then tragedy struck. Cook took one off the second ball of the next over and then Molly caused a bye. Another single and then, off the last ball, Molly struck the ball into the leg side. There were two runs for some pairs of batters, but, short of a Klinsmann dive, not for Molly and she was run out for a nicely textured one. Fraser joined Chris and helped play out the last of Elkin's ration. 185 for five, 33 needed, with seven overs to go. Almost five an over needed, and the average rate over the previous ten was just 2.3. Yelland bowled his last to finish with the creditable figures of nought for 26 off his eight. Sam Awdry returned and began with a very wide wide. There were two singles and then a high full toss that Cook swatted away for four while the umpire was calling a no ball. Two more fours and the over had gone for 17. The calculations changed and only 11 were needed off the last five. In fact, we only needed one over more as Cook despatched Saf Wallis for two fours to seal the victory and to take his own contribution to an exceptionally well played and well judged 93.
It was past eight o'clock when we finished, though, and we were all quite keen to get away and get some food. I overheard one telephone conversation with a Ladock wife who was deeply unimpressed that her husband was still at the ground. There was still time for some friendly post-match chats and some see-you-next-years. An excellent first fixture at a new club and a worthy way to celebrate the first forty years of Mystic cricket.