“Pre-Victory Sequence of Play Leads to Thrilling MAD Triumph

As Forerunner to Post-Match Scenes of Jubilation

Of Going Home to Bed”

Match: 03 / 070

Won by 1 run

Team	Total
FFTMCCC	128 - 5
T. Smith 65, N. Hebbes 24
East Oxford CC	127
S. Ahmed 2 - 14, A. Mann 2 - 22

In scenes reminiscent of the time before the last time this kind of thing happened, which was some time ago, Far from The MADding Crowd CC triumphed last night by a single run against a confident East Oxford CC at Pembroke College Cricket Ground. In a dramatic conclusion, as the gloom of dusk gathered in the outfield, and with the last East Oxford pair requiring six runs off either six or twelve balls depending whom you talked to, Mad captain J. Hoskins (2-20) brought himself on to bowl either the last or the second-last over. Keeping an admirably level head under his level hair, Hoskins conceded only four runs from his first five deliveries, and, with East Oxford needing two from what was either the last ball or last seven balls of the innings, their batsman flayed a skier to Mad newcomer Sudhakar at mid-off, who calmly accepted the pressure catch in near-darkness and sealed a memorable victory with either six or no balls remaining.

Winning the toss with customary aplomb, Hoskins had elected to bat, and G. Bridges (4) saw the side off to a swift and brief beginning. N. Hebbes (24) settled in to milk some wayward bowling, then face down the pacemen as they were one by one introduced into the frustrated East Oxford attack. M. Bullock (11) continued his good form with a sparkling cameo, but it was the hitherto seldom-heralded T. Smith (65) who took the attack to the East Oxford attack, attacking at will and sparking surprise and confusion amongst the opposition, his own team, himself, the squirrels watching from the overlooking trees and subsequently everyone else who came to hear of his incredible knock. Sharing a partnership of 74 with the doughty Hebbes, Smith could not be prised from the wicket until he was dismissed, and no bowler was immune to the thrashing of his bats, one of which lay splintered like kindling half way through his imperious display. After the game, Smith’s replacement bat was laid down in a dark place where it might at length cool down and be not hot to the touch, else it would burn the skin like a fiery brand or glede. Shoab (3 n.o.) and M. Westmoreland (0 n.o.) also faced a couple of balls each, although come to think of it, M. Westmoreland didn’t.

T. Smith (65) produced a stunning knock to slay East Oxford at Pembroke.

Needing East Oxford to score less than 129 to win the game, The MAD went about their task with perfect precision, and the impressive array of dropped and missed catches and klutzed run-out chances which ensued, when coupled with some fine fielding and masterful stumpsguardianship from M. Bullock, served only to drive home the fact that not even 128 would be enough to eclipse The MAD total. Early in the East Oxford chase, runs flowed without impediment, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, it seemed that a win would in due course ensue. Shoab pulled off a remarkable direct-hit run-out from the boundary, and stumpsperson M. Bullock stumped a person at a crucial juncture. Yet as East Oxford consolidated, it became clear that a Mad victory would be less straightforward, quite problematic, rather difficult, more and more improbable, and ultimately require the bloody miracle which came to pass.

Shoab (2-14), A. Mann (2-20) and Sudhakar (1-20) thwarted East Oxford ambitions, S. Hebbes (2-43) took valuable wickets early on and could have had more, and M. Westmoreland (0-10) bowled well at the death. It was left only, after the last East Oxford wicket fell a run short with a mere no balls or possibly six to spare, for The MADsters to jump up and down for a time without restraint, then go and drink beer, then go home to bed, where sleep came late for many who lay awake dwelling on the drama and glory of what some will one day claim as The MAD’s finest win.

Shards of T. Smith’s bat could be found on the Pembroke pitch.

The next morning, the shards of T. Smith’s broken bat were collected together and placed on display, and some geezer made a prophecy about how when the bat was finally mended, then would the True Batsman return and The MAD next win a game. As for the replacement bat, it had cooled down enough for it to be handled, albeit briefly, so that its exposure to the skin barely now raised a mark. There were those afterwards who said that, whenever they picked up this blade, they would feel a strange tingling in their hands. Others there were who claimed to experience an odd shivering down their spine and see a vision of a thin bloke with a dodgy beard hitting a cricket ball to the boundary and raising the bat aloft in triumph. Yet others felt and saw nothing and maintained the tingly shivery thing was complete bollocks and the prophecy a crock of shite.

‘Blocker’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far from The Madding Crowd CC versus East Oxford CC Played at Pembroke College, 3 July 2003 Far from The Madding Crowd CC won the toss and elected to bat Far from The Madding Crowd CC won by 1 run Far from the MCC debuts: Shoaib Ahmed (078), Sudharkar (079)

03 / 070 20 over match

Team	Far from The Madding Crowd CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	N. J. Hebbes	b R. Abbasi	24	(37)	2	-	2-80
2	G. Bridges	c Hamid b M. Hussain	4	(8)	-	-	1-6
3	T. P. W. Smith	b Hamid	65	(59)	10	-	5-125
4	J. D. Hoskins *	c Hamid b Faroukh	2	(4)	-	-	3-103
5	M. Bullock +	c Nasib b Hamid	11	(12)	2	-	4-125
6	M. T. Westmoreland	not out	0	(0)	-	-	-
7	S. Ahmed	not out	3	(1)	-	-	-
8	A. G. Mann
9	S. Hebbes
10	S. Selveraj
11
	Extras	(NB1, W14, B3, LB1)	19
	TOTAL	(for 5 wickets, 20 overs)	128

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	M. Hussain	2	0	9	1
2	J. Mohammed	1	0	9	0
3	E. Abbasi	3	0	6	0
4	Z. Hussain	3	0	18	0
5	Hamid	2	0	20	2
6	Nasib	2	0	19	0
7	R. Abbasi	3	0	14	1
8	A. Abbasi	2	0	9	0
9	Faroukh	2	0	12	1

Team	East Oxford CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	A. Butt	c N. Hebbes b Mann	22		3	-
2	R. Abbasi +	c Hoskins b Ahmed	0		-	-
3	Z. Nasib	lbw b S. Hebbes	1		-	-
4	E. Abbasi	c Mann b S. Hebbes	19		3	-
5	J. Faroukh	st Bullock b Selveraj	0		-	-
6	A. Hamid	b Hoskins	0		-	-
7	A. Malik	b Mann	12		-	1
8	Z. Hussain	b Ahmed	22		3	-
9	A. Abbasi	run out	4		1	-
10	J. Mohammed	c Selveraj b Hoskins	23		1	-
11	M. Hussain	not out	6		1	-
	Extras	(W9, LB7, B2)	18
	TOTAL	(all out, 19 overs)	127

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Ahmed	4	0	14	2
2	S. Hebbes	4	0	43	2
3	Mann	4	0	22	2
4	Selveraj	4	0	20	1
5	Westmoreland	1	0	10	0
6	Hoskins	2	0	20	2

MOTM: n/a Champagne Moment: n/a Buffet Award: S. Hebbes’ burger and chips (with salad side)

Opposition: V002 / 02 Ground: G011 / 18 Captain: C006 / 08