Player Profile #11 - Israel Ochwo

After the legendary Marv, who has been a consistent presence for the last 36 years in Goresbrook colours, on to a man whose whereabouts have been slightly less predictable and the source of regular enquiries over the past decade.

From his first net with us at the age of 13, shortly after arriving the UK from Tororo in Uganda (130m east of the capital Kampala), Izzi has worried batsmen, although initially it was the threat of being felled by a stray beamer that carried most weight.

Having played cricket at school in Uganda mainly as a batsman, he switched role in the UK as Dave and Martin were far more interested in his ability to propel the ball at high velocity and he soon established himself as a wild card in the very successful Colts side that ultimately lost in the Matchplay final to Colchester in 2006.

After debuting in Shan’s lovely fellas Sunday XI in 2004, he started to play Saturday league cricket in 2005, causing a stir in the lower Divisions of the Morrant/Lords league, but after 12 wickets in 5 games, his 3rd XI career was over and he played the remainder of the season in the 2’s with a number of the Matchplay side and wise veterans Dave Whisker, Steve Rooke and (when fit) Scott Barwick, taking his first 5 wicket haul at Thurrock 3’s late that season. The following year he made his 1’s debut on the opening Saturday along with fellow Matchplay bowler Lee Ramduth and he’s been a 1’s (semi) regular ever since.

Initially Izzi’s early season appearances were reduced as he was away at Warwick Uni and then accountancy exams & work trips curtailed his seasons from late July from 2011-2013, however when he was fit and available, he was the best strike bowler in the league.

It wasn’t until Richie’s absence on a stag do in the middle of the 2008 season that Izzi took the new ball, but after demolishing a good Leyton County top order on a flat County ground pitch (including cartwheeling Surjeet Ubhi’s stump with the first ball of the innings) he has largely bowled the first over ever since.

By the 2011 season, Izzi’s action had been grooved to the extent that he was bowling both very quickly and more accurately than ever and after a couple of 3rd place finishes, the 1’s were gunning for the title going into that season. The first game at home to Barking was therefore a good opportunity to lay down a marker, which Izzi did with one of the finest displays of bowling in club history. He took the first 7 Barking wickets to fall on a completely blameless track, only an Afzal runout halting what seemed like an unstoppable charge to all 10 http://goresbrook.play-cricket.com/website/results/1667074.

Izzi had 25 wickets in the first 8 games of that league season as the 1’s stormed out of the blocks and although he only took 1 in the next 4 games and missed the last month of the season due to exams, the 1’s eased to the title with a game to spare. Neither the 2012 or 2013 seasons were quite as successful for Izzi, as although his economy rate came down below 4 for the first time as he bowled a much tighter line outside off stump, the consequence of that was that most batsmen just used to leave him alone if they possibly could.

His last real purple patch was at the start of the 2015 season when a 6’fer at Winchmore Hill in pre-season was followed by another 6 at Burnham and then 5 at home to Little Baddow in the first two league games of the campaign and after struggling for much of last campaign with a shoulder injury, he will be looking to bounce back this season.

As befits a bowler who can be devastating or erratic, often both in the same game, Izzi has a number of other notable achievements with the ball, another home game with Barking saw him take 4 wickets in 4 balls http://goresbrook.play-cricket.com/website/results/1481200, last year he managed to york the same OC's batsmen with successive no-balls and he was the last Goresbrook bowler to be removed from the attack for bowling beamers (home to Walthamstow 2012).

With the bat, Izzi has traditionally batted 10 or 11 and had few opportunities to demonstrate his undoubted attacking flair. Competent either right or left handed (he switched pre-delivery at Thurrock from right to left and hit an astonished Matt Hills back over his head on his way to his highest score for the club http://goresbrook.play-cricket.com/website/results/1481209, Izzi seems to have settled on left handed in recent years and whilst everybody lives in hope of a 50 one day (if Skippy can anyone can) his career batting highlight may forever be calmly hitting Hornchurch Athletic paceman Neil Hutchison for successive fours through the covers in the final over to win the Lords T20 title after an astonishing collapse had left us 9 down and Athletic on the verge of victory.

In the field, Izzi is a natural athlete who is at his best when having to react instinctively to stop or catch something hit hard, but he’s had his fair share of shockers under the high ball and the sight of him winding up for a throw at the stumps generally leads to people diving both for cover and to try to back-up the stumps for the inevitable over throws.

Batting

Bowling

Fielding

50 catches

BASICS

Name: Israel Ochwo
GCC Number: 197
Nicknames Izzi, Snake-killer (Izzi killed a snake that threatened to attack him in his younger days in Uganda and is therefore banned for life from Craig Irving’s flat), Smiling Assassin, Ugandan Express (Izzi is also known as the Ugandan Hugh Grant on the basis that every season since 2009 has consisted of 10 games, 3 weekends away, 4 weddings and a funeral)
Tekkers: RA fast bowler, RH or LH bat
Age: 27
Job: Management Consultant
Hobbies: Travelling, Church, Cricket and Football playing and watching

QUICKFIRE

Favourite Football Team: Arsenal
Favourite Music: Rap
Favourite Movie: Lord of the Rings
Favourite TV Show: Top Gear
Favourite Holiday Destination: Beirut, Lebanon (twinned with Dagenham…)
Favourite Meal: Steak
Favourite Drink: Red wine
Who would play you in the film of your life: Will Smith (the 90’s hi-top fade haircut version hopefully)

GORESBROOK

When did you make your Goresbrook debut? 2005? (Actually Sunday 18 July 2004, with league cricket debut in 2005)

Describe your Goresbrook career in 10 words or less. A handful of strong seasons but not played enough games

Who is your favourite GCC Teammate (current or retired) & why? Dave Whisker / Steve Rooke - hugely encouraging and knew just what to say when I was starting out in men's cricket in the 3s and 2s

Most memorable game(s)? Away Vs Hornchurch Athletic, tight game, bouncer to Londis Lewis which Lawrence Walsh caught at sq leg (the last game of the 2006 season, HACC had won the league to get promoted to the Morrant Premier, we made 203ao with Rat scoring 65 and Adam Ivey crashing 41 and then bowled the champions out for 174 with the last 5 wickets tumbling quickly after Izzi dismissed Londis)

Which GCC player do you hate facing in the nets? Jordan Calverley - heavy ball and variations in pace (always thinking ahead, Izzi here ensuring that he gets first choice of ends from next year’s skipper)
What’s the best thing about Goresbrook CC? Closest thing to a family outside mine, and the role models like Dave Whisker / Lawrence Walsh / Martin Rooke / Richie Williams (with role models like that it’s a miracle Izzi isn’t a hard drinking heavy rock fan who hates spending money)

CRICKET

What other clubs/XI's have you played for? Warwick University

All-time cricketing hero? Freddie Flintoff

Favourite cricket ground & why? With Goresbrook – Belhus, quick pitch but good to bat on. International – Oval for the atmosphere

Describe the best catch you have ever taken? Vs Barking at home. Imran Butt taking the game away, hits the ball (off Lawrence Walsh I think) to long off/on, I run in, and caught it low off the ground. Pressure ones are the best (It was indeed of Lol, GCC 216 beat Barking 200 with Butt’s wicket effectively ending the game)

Best player played against? Alasdair Evans, who played for Scotland in the last world cup, bowled to me in a Uni match playing for Loughborough, who thrashed us.

MISCELLANEOUS

Best sporting achievement outside cricket? No response here, so we’ll note that Izzi scores the odd goal from midfield for table topping St Helens FC of Stratford who play in a shocking pink kit

Where would you live if money was no object? Beirut internationally. Hampstead Heath in London.

What would you rescue first if your house was on fire? Wallet

Give us a sporting tip for 2017? Jos Buttler to score 4 test centuries

Tell us something about yourself that nobody at Goresbrook knows? Dave is my favourite TV station