The CRG’s first match was played against the George Wilders Stag XI on 5 May 2024, at the Ashmore CC ground in rural Wiltshire, in honour of the forthcoming marriage of an Old Etonian (Wilders, an occasional CRG player) and an Old Rugbeian (Constance Krarup, daughter and sister of two of the leading CRG players).
On a wet day a 25 over game was agreed. CRG fielded only nine players, as James Powell had to deal with a family illness. CRG batted first. On a difficult pitch only three batsmen reached double figures in a total of 96 for 8 (Ollie Vartan being permitted to bat a second time): Conor Gallagher (19), Philip Gallagher (21) and Vartan (14).
In reply, the leading wicket-taker for CRG was Harry Wise, off whom Vartan took an excellent catch and Ed Krarup a good one. Bill Krarup conceded only 15 runs off 4.5 overs and Philip Gallagher only 9 from 4 overs. It took the Stag XI 18.5 overs to score the runs for the loss of 3 wickets.
Unusually, the CRG held its Lord’s net late in the season, on 21 August 2024, kindly sponsored by Magnus Eriksson, who was joined by Charles and Conor Gallagher, and Harry and Oliver Wise.
And so to Almeley for the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend. CRG first played Almeley in 1993, and this was the 30th such fixture. The weather forecast was for some rain. The captains agreed to play a 30 overs match. Both sides fielded 10 players. No Digger Duggan or Richard Williams played this year, but Almeley included the club President, Martin Blant.
With no regular wicket-keeper, CRG’s star all-rounder, Ollie Powell took over behind the stumps. Thanks to an excellent showing by both CRG opening bowlers, Philip Gallagher and Steve Mapp, Almeley were 9 for 3 after 7 overs. Instead of pressing home his advantage, CRG captain James Powell replaced Philip and Steve with Oliver Wise and Conor Gallagher, who were much more expensive, with Priday (46) and Townsend (36) scoring freely. Ollie Penney and Nick Black were more economical, but the highlight of the later part of the innings was Magnus Eriksson, permitted to bowl underarm by agreement with Almeley. Eriksson bowled Townsend for 35 and dismissed Davies LBW for 13. It is never easy for a bowler to win an LBW verdict from umpire Noel Manns, so Eriksson’s analysis of 5.0.18.2 was all the more creditable. He almost added to a fine day’s contribution by nearly holding on to a hard struck shot to him at square leg, which would have been his first CRG catch. Almeley made 132 all out.
In reply Nick Black, who opened, made 27; and Charles Gallagher a stylish and steady 26. James Powell put himself in after the fall of the fifth wicket, but was bowled for 1. When last man Ollie Powell, easily the best batsman in the team, joined Philip Gallagher at 87 for 8 and 7 overs to go, the match was still in the balance. Ten were scored off the next over. Soon afterwards, Philip Gallagher was bowled by Blant, with Ollie Powell 9 not out. Almeley had won by 31 runs.
Oliver Wise retired from CRG cricket – and probably all cricket – at the end of this match. It was not a distinguished final performance, with 36 conceded off his four overs and being reverse-swept by the nine-year-old Jack James. However, in one respect Wise emulated the great Stuart Broad, who in his final Test match took a wicket with his final ball, as Wise bowled the 13 year old wicket-keeper Tyler James with the last ball of the innings. Wise also contrived to follow the example of the greatest batsman of all time, Don Bradman, by coming in at the fall of the first wicket and being dismissed second ball without scoring in his last innings. Such are the consolations of obscure cricket statistics.
Of greater importance was Eriksson’s underarm bowling, based on a skill recently developed in the annual match between the Sherlockians and the Gold Bats (the PG Wodehouse Society team) in which the teams are required to play by the Laws of 1895 and also to use an underarm bowler. Eriksson is 66 years old, but this development suggests that, at least as far as his bowling is concerned, the best is still to come.
Oliver Wise