Eastons.

Report vs Eastons

Match Report
Date 18/08/2024 
Oppo Eastons (a)
Type 35 Overs
Report by Ollie 'Bucket Hands' Buck 

 
It’s been a torrid time for LOSCC as of late. After back to back triple digit defeats to the hands of Theydon Bois & Southgate Adelaide, Ritzy’s O’s were licking 
their wounds as they approached this fixture with Great Easton and were hoping for a miracle to save their season.

The day couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, as the 'STAR' duo of brothers Jack & Alex Baker-Merry both made a hash of their meeting times, meaning J.Baker 
Merry caused key man Matt Hiscock to miss out on his warm up and A.Baker Merry was 30 mins late, meaning half of the team turned up at 13:29, with just a minute to 
spare until the game began.

However, despite the lack of preparation, plus losing the toss and having to field, The O’s made a fairly bright start, limiting Great Easton to just 35 runs after 
10 overs in this 35 over match. L Mulholland and J Baker Merry opened the bowling with great discipline, and limited Easton to few runs with the help of some smart 
fielding. Mark Johnson, only recently discharged from Whipps Cross Hospital returned to the side and spectators couldn’t believe that he’d only just come back from 
injury as he threw himself in the way of multiple drives towards the boundary… probably just to add to his collection of bumps and bruises as not many boundary 
scores were prevented! The fielding was intense at times with Buck and Johnson using any part of their bodies to stop the 100mph ball, with the exception of hands!
Meanwhile A. Baker-Merry ran around the boundary like a possessed cheetah catching the ball one handed and firing it back to the stumps like an Exocet missile. 

However… after drinks, having only scored 68 runs and only losing one wicket, Hymas & Barnard decided to stop toying with their prey and thought it would be funny 
to absolutely pump Orient’s bowlers, scoring a collective 189 between them, a performance that the O’s batting line up could only dream of. Hiscock & Richardson 
both picked up a wicket & a catch each too. Maybe The O’s could have limited Easton to less runs if any of the other 9 had decided to contribute! 

This left a score on the board of 243 (25 extras), a total score of LOSCC’s previous 3 innings combined, meaning a tough chase was on the cards.

After a swift yet sublime tea provided by Great Easton, and the morale boosting arrival of a number of LOSCC supporters (the OTF’s Cricket branch), Orient were 
pumped up to go out to bat.

A. Baker-Merry and A. Parkes had clearly learnt a thing or two about batting having watched the display Great Easton put on in the opening innings, and after 17 
overs, both batsmen were still at the crease, with a very similar score that Great Easton put on the board at the same point in their innings. However after drinks, 
unlike their counterparts, The O’s batsmen did not continue the same trajectory as Great Easton’s and shortly after play had resumed A. Baker Merry was caught & 
bowled for 23 (3 x 4) by Barnard (what can’t he do?), and this triggered something of a collapse for the O’s. Parkes was also caught shortly after on a score of 45 
(6 x 4, 1 x 6), Ollie Buck came in to bat next, and his afternoon was over before it had barely begun, as in true Ollie Buck fashion, playing a woeful shot on his 
first ball, giving the Easton fielders the easiest catch of their career. Spectators were caught on camera saying “Oh f*ck he’s out” before the ball had even 
connected with the willow and Ollie returned to the pavilion after his second Golden Duck of the season, and there weren’t even any pub games in the pavilion for him 
to get his teeth into. 

Jack Baker-Merry & Liam ‘el presidente’ Mullholland both put some runs on the board, but ultimately The O’s ran out of overs and were left a long way off the total 
required as they finished on 158. On the positive side, this was the first game in weeks where Orient hadn’t lost by over 100 runs, so small wins eh… 

After the game, despite Matt Hiscock (with the rest of the team following his direction) driving 7 miles down a country lane before realising he’d taken a wrong turn, 
The O’s did manage to find their way to the local public house, 'The Swan', and in true Orient fashion, win lose or draw, the jugs were flowing. It was a special 
occasion for LOSCC’s followers too, as a handful of The OTF’s cricket branch got to have a meet & greet with their cricketing heroes in the pub garden, and the 
skipper’s better half Faye also made an appearance, where she was left start struck in the presence of Orient Live presenter Ollie Buck. Despite his torrid time at the 
crease, Ollie took the time to take photos and sign autographs for the Orient Live superfan. 

Despite the result it was another great day on the road for The O’s, with plenty of positives to take into their next game. 

Up The O’s

Next game: Sunday 25th August away to Raleigh.

 

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© Dave Revell