On July 15th, 2017, seven journeyman cricketers rode to the rescue of White Coppice Cricket Club.
Emaran Bajiwala; Paul Dobson; Jim Lawrenson; Ross Dixon; Martin Cuerden; Jeff Smith; and Chris Maguire took to the field against New Longton in Division One of the Palace Shield.
Seven players is the minimum needed to constitute a game and although New Longton ran out winners by 10 wickets, the game marked a turning point in the fortunes of Coppice.
Next Sunday on June 22nd, five of the players will be representing White Coppice against the MCC as part of CoppiceFest.
Ahead of the game the seven players who played against New Longton in 2017 shared their memories of the match and the season.
Chris Maguire (captain, opening batsman, wicketkeeper)
“I had that sinking feeling when our regular captain Tony Moore – who was averaging 88 for the season – came over to me the previous Saturday and said ‘I can’t play next week Magsy so can you captain?’.
“My heart sank. We’d lost most of our players from 2016 and our 2nd XI had already folded. We were in survival mode – plain and simple.
“We had eight players ahead of the New Longton game but our opening bowler Mick Brown dropped out at midday – leaving us with the bare minimum of seven.
“I agreed with the New Longton captain that we’d bat first even before the absurdity of the toss.
“We thought we might be saved by the rain, which reduced the contest to 35 overs-a-side but we couldn’t put off the inevitable forever and I walked out to bat with Emeran Bajiwala, who tried to hit every ball to the boundary.
“As I took strike to New Longton’s opening bowler Paul ‘Happy’ Haydock, New Longton’s first slip quipped ‘six good balls here Happy and it’s all over’.
“I remember I hit Happy for a straight six and for a brief second I forget the mess we were in.
“As it was New Longton had to wait 27.3 overs to bowl us out for 50. Martin Cuerden hit 10 at No 3 and we briefly threatened to bat out the overs.
“We should have got 51 but Jim Lawrenson, who didn’t understand all the rules, ran one short. ‘I hope that doesn’t cost us Jim,’ I said.
“New Longton inevitably won by 10 wickets but there was no air of despondency in the changing room afterwards. ‘On a positive note lads that’s the first game this season in which we haven’t dropped a catch,’ joked Ross Dixon afterwards.
Paul Dobson (No 7 batsman)
“There are two main things that leap to mind. Personally, I found myself simultaneously fielding at mid wicket, square leg and fine leg. As a team, there was still tremendous spirit, we just laughed about the whole situation.”
Martin Cuerden (No 3 batsman, opening bowler)
“We scored 50 and then I opened the bowling for us down the hill. It was then that the reality (if it hadn’t already) really set in whilst trying to set the field.
“I think everyone’s played with 10 at some point and been a fielder short but being four players short was quite something. Which positions do you leave?
“I also think my figures that day of 0-4 off 4 overs, which are really quite remarkable considering the gaps in the field! I can’t do that now with a full complement let alone in Division One.
“I also remember the atmosphere being surprisingly good, gallows humour style although I don’t remember any specifics.”
Jim Lawrenson (No 5 batsman)
“The only silverware we were playing for in 2017 was the ‘duck cup’ but we became known as the club that refused to die.
“When Chris Maguire was out everyone would put their pads on – even me at No 11! The tactic was simple – keep Tony Moore out to score all the runs.
“We used to try to bat second or pray for a bit of rain – because we were always waiting for Emeran to turn up an hour late. He had to close his shop on a Saturday to come and play some weeks.”
Jeff Smith (No 4 batsman)
“The only thing I can remember about that game was the group huddle before we started fielding. I can’t remember what was said during it but I couldn’t be more proud of the people I was with. It didn’t matter if we won or lost, there was no other place I’d rather have been.”
Emaran Bajiwala (opening batsman, opening bowler)
“I remember every match because they were always special. We always struggled for players that season but it was always fun playing with the guys.”
Ross Dixon (No 6 batsman)
“I remember turning up the ground and realising we only had seven players. We were given the chance to forfeit the game but I said ‘we’ve never forfeited a game since I’ve been at White Coppice and we’re not going to start now’. If we’d not played that game I think it would have been the beginning of the end.”
