The Naenae Express

[fredfertang]

The Naenae Express

Ewen Chatfield, aka Mer, Charlie or plain old Chats, is one of New Zealand's most enduring cricketing characters. In this feature Martin looks back at his time in the game

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

You should have picked up the phone to the Naenae Cricket Club and asked for an interview. He's definitely one of those stalwart club cricket legends - just one of the very few that made it to the top table.

 

[the big bambino]

Great article again Fred but I have to stick up for Peter Lever. Always thought him a fine bowler and very important to Illingworth's successful team. I suspect he was a bit more slippery than the fast medium he is often classified. You have to have some serious heat to injure a player like he did Chatfield. Kerry O'Keefe, a competent defensive player, describes the pain being hit by Lever and saying he checked for the exit wound. I first noticed him in Greg Chappell's test debut where he was hit for about 3 fours in a row by that player. I was expecting him to be taken off as did the crowd which cheered loudly when he took the next over from his end. Lever looked up, startled at first and then appreciative of his popularity, gave the crowd a long deep bow. Top player and a funny bloke.

 

[Hurricane]

Yay. I think I pretty much saw almost all of his career and have read his auto biography.

Great article.

Had I have written it I would have spent a paragraph or two talking about his ODI exploits where his miserliness translated into match winning performances.

In his book he says "Unlike Paddles I don't believe in goal setting - that said if I got three in a test I felt I had done my job"

I saw that Randall run out - not every bowler can do a mankad because they are in their delivery leap. Chatfield didn't have much of a leap and that day he just stopped his action and took the bails off. Also saw the Botham run out and was bored to tears by the Boycott innings - the selfishness of the knock can only be appreciated if you were either watching it or had seen a similar knock. Just when you had given up all hope of him ever scoring a run he would hit a four.

It was Gavascar who proved you could score runs off Chatfield in ODIs when no one else could. Set a typical NZ target of 210 approx to win - Gavascar batted like Sehwag and took 10 runs off each Chatfield over and India romped for victory. The commentators could only mutter "If everyone can start batting like Sunny has in this game then scores of 200 will be very easy to chase down" - which proved to be prophetic words.

Horrible bowling action Chats had looking back on it. Well not horrible I have seen worse, but it was not the flashest.

 

[watson]

A story that captures Chatfield's soul beautifully - especially the final paragraph;

Ewen Chatfield OBE is now 63 and still plays club cricket on Saturdays. He is as accurate a bowler as ever, and to this day bats at number eleven. He has never had any desire, as so many of his former teammates and opponents did, to work in the media, and although he is often to be found as a guest at international matches, mixing happily and effortlessly with all and sundry, he is content to earn a living driving a cab around Wellington

Possibly your best effort to date Fred.

 

[James]

What great story telling again from Martin. As others have said in this thread to date, a real classic feature that I'm sure the man himself would enjoy reading.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

A story that captures Chatfield's soul beautifully - especially the final paragraph;



Possibly your best effort to date Fred.

I've played against him in T20 in the Hutt Valley. He bats down the order and doesn't bowl (or at least not in the couple of games I've played against him) but he's there as a captain and mentor to the younger guys in the team.

 

[fredfertang]

I've played against him in T20 in the Hutt Valley. He bats down the order and doesn't bowl (or at least not in the couple of games I've played against him) but he's there as a captain and mentor to the younger guys in the team.

I can't find where I got that bit from now but it was a recent interview with an Indian journalist - I may have misunderstood that/got it wrong

 

[GGG]

He was half the reason I started playing cricket, the first live test I went to was the one you talk about at the bottom where he score 20 odd not out at Carisbrook. Was thinking if only I could bat like Chatfield, well my dreams did come true.

 

[BeeGee]

Video of the Lever incident and Chat's innings against Pakistan.

 

[watson]

I found this newspaper article on Chatfield from 2011;

There has been some talk in the car this week about the earthquake charity game at the Basin Reserve tomorrow. Chatfield has been named in the Wellington Legends lineup and may compete with Shane Warne for the biggest cheer of the day.

Chatfield may be the oldest player on the park, but he remains in touch with the game by playing "nearly" every Saturday for Naenae in the 1A grade.

Asked how long his run-up will be tomorrow, he remarks "eight paces".

What about his pace?

"Warney is probably quicker than me." Chatfield has said previously he would retire on the day he scored a century, but he has now given up on reaching three figures.

Uhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/4759845/The-legend-lives-on-behind-the-wheel