Around 50 Old Cranleighans and a few current Cranleighans attended the annual-when-the-committee-remembers dinner at The Alma in Wandsworth. For the first time three awards were made – Batsman of the Year, Bowler of the Year and Player of the Year. There was also an auction to raise money for the Friends of Tim Evans Trust and in all more than £1100 was collected.
After drinks and an excellent meal, Michael Chetwode gave a rare and very witty speech, honouring Martin Williamson for his contribution to the club over the last 30 years, both on and off the field. Suffice to say tales of losses on shares, Coppers Doggers and other embarrassing escapades were dusted off. Peter Shelley, who as captain in 1980 recruited both Chetwode and Williamson into the club, then read out a highly amusing, largely fictitious, and repeatedly libellous letter from Williamson to him asking to play in the 1980 cricket week. Williamson was then presented with a cricket bat signed by many club members and mounted in a wooden case. He gave a short speech of thanks.
Club president David Bugge, steadfastly wearing a traditional OC blazer, gave a brief speech highlighting the success of recent years and flagging Rick Johnson would be proposed for inclusion in the Hall of Fame at the next AGM.
Before the awards came the fines. With Eds Copleston sidelined with a painful disease, it fell to the far more aesthetic Sophie Cook to dish out the punishments to the usual suspects. Several people noted it was Copleston’s least badly-behaved evening in recent memory.
The Batsman of the Year was a product of our youth policy, Henry Watkinson; the Bowler of the Year went to Ed Henderson; while the Player of the Year, again looking to the future, was a rather staggered Chetwode.
The evening ended with a raffle and auction for the Friends of Tim Evans Trust. John McDermott acted as auctioneer, making a trademark speech and crossing a new boundary by describing the headmaster’s wife, who was in attendance, as a “a little bit of crumpet”.