“Collins Sweeps the Awards,
But is Dismissed by a 9yr Old

 

 

Match:  10 / 212

Won by 5 runs

 

 

Team

 

Total

FFTMCC

209

J. Collins  102,  M. Westmoreland  42

 

Blenheim Park CC

204 - 6

M. Westmoreland  2 - 35

 

 

 

 

In a thrilling conclusion to a match where bowlers were thrown to the lions, the Far from the MCC held their nerve to eke out a win by a mere 5 runs. It was The MAD’s first victory over Blenheim, and as with the other matches in this short rivalry, it was an extremely close affair. Tension was high, excitement palpable, and at times there were more than four spectators and a dog to bear witness.

 

 

 

Hebbes – involved in a run out? I never did….

 

 

Prior to this match even taking place, Blenheim had sounded out a warning that they were short in numbers; so short in fact that they had enlisted the help of 9 year old, W. Cox, to make up the shortfall. Even with the young chap, Blenheim still needed a donation of three Mad members to make up their team. These individuals were selected out of a hat just prior to the start, and all three of them – D. Edwards, J. Pearson and I. Leggate – licked their lips at the thought of beating their own team mates about Mansfield Road and nipping out the bunnies.

 

M. Westmoreland bucked a recent trend of screwing the coin toss up and opted to have first digs on the artificial wicket. It was a decent strip with plenty of bounce, with the speed of the parched outfield illustrated by two mistimed on-drives from I. Howarth’s (8) bat finding the boundary. He failed to trouble the scorers any further however, after trying to smear Judas J. Pearson over long off. He was subsequently joined on a row of neat aluminium chairs in front of the clubhouse by N. Hebbes (1) and T. Mander (3).

 

 

 

J. Collins tonks another into the distance during his 102.

 

 

Having spent two years out in the Australian outback, a returning Jenner Collins was having far fewer problems at the crease. Belying a dearth of recent cricket, Collins flayed the Blenheim bowling to all parts. His hitting was at times both fluent and spectacular; a maximum that cannoned off the brick wall of the adjoining science labs a deserved Champagne moment. Trying his luck at the other end, P. Mellor (17) entertained all with own weighty cameo – helping the rampaging Collins inch closer to his century and push The MAD score past 140. And there it was, a push for a single, and Jenner became only the fifth player to score a ton for The MAD. It was also the quickest, coming off a mere 75 deliveries. All stood to salute. Would Jenner now claim the highest ever individual score? After all, there was plenty of time left in the game….

 

Paddy was the first to go, stumped as he attempted to reverse his mass and get back in his crease. Amusingly so. Alas for Collins, his concentration may well have been broken; not by the dismissal of Mellor, and nor by his celebrations of reaching his hundred, but by the spindly and diminutive figure of W. Cox. The tousle-haired child tossed one up invitingly and watched it hit high into the distance; too high in fact, as it found a grateful N. Walker sprinting underneath it. Caught for a wonderful 102, Jenner became the first Madster to be dismissed by somebody born in this millennium!

 

 

 

Young W. Cox takes aim at the back of P. Mellor’s head.

 

 

Following J. Collins’ earlier heroics, M. Westmoreland (42) continued his fine recent form as he feasted on anything overpitched; ably assisted by B. Mander (1) and J. Hoskins (11). Unfortunately, the latter’s dismissal to J. Pearson sparked a late order collapse, with both D. Emerson (golden) and T. Smith (5) following in the same over. James Pearson would lay claim to the Judas Best Bowling Figures* having returned figures of 4.4-1-15-4. Well done, James. Excellent stuff. You bastard.

 

209 would normally be a winning total, but nothing is ever that simple for The MAD, especially when they gift the opposition some of their prized assets. One of these jewels, D. Edwards, enjoyed himself immensely in a telling 2nd wicket partnership with S. Liddicot. The pair propelled the Blenheim reply along to 95, before Edwards was triggered and sent packing by a rising N. Hebbes (6-0-34-1) delivery. M. Cox (12) came and went too, but by the time Liddicot was joined at the wicket by the traitorous J. Pearson, the opposition required less than a run a ball.

 

 

 

A common site during Collins’ knock – fielders locating lost balls….

 

 

J. Hoskins (5-1-24-0) tried his best, J. Collins (5-0-39-1) also, Mellor grassed a dolly and likewise a pissed Emerson, but gradually the game was slipping away – too many four balls, and too much width. Westmoreland reckoned on bringing back his opening bowlers, and this did the trick in keeping things tight with Emerson (8-0-33-1) and Howarth (8-1-21-0) reeling off their remaining overs. The introduction of T. Smith (2-0-12-1) also worked, with Pearson (30) holing out on the boundary to the skipper himself. All this had Blenheim requiring 11 off the final over.

 

Having thrown several bag of nails in his first spell, Martin reasoned he couldn’t bowl any worse, so gave himself the job of seeing The MAD home. He had Liddicot (61) caught on the boundary by Howarth, and produced a fine final miserly burst to leave the opposition shy by some 5 runs.

 

 

 

A MAD salsa celebration follows J. Collins’ dismissal.

 

 

In a match where The MAD had to overcome themselves, it proved a very good win. They can take this confidence on Tour – and also the experience of picking the ball out of the hedgerows. 

 

* - A Judas record is defined by returning the best batting, bowling or fielding statistics whilst playing against your own team (guesting for the opposition).

 

 

 

‘Collins Fan Club’

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

Statto Scorecards

 

 

 

Far from the MCC versus Blenheim Park CC

Played at Mansfield Road [University Club], 8 August 2010

 

Far from the MCC won the toss and elected to bat

Far from the MCC won by 5 runs

 

Far from the MCC debuts:  none

 

 

10 / 212

 

 

 

 

 

40 over match

 

 

 

Team

Far from the MCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

I. Howarth

c Gokani b Pearson

8

(9)

2

-

1-9

2

J. Collins

c Walker b W. Cox

102

(81)

16

3

5-149

3

N. J. Hebbes

run out

1

(17)

-

-

2-35

4

A. M. Mander

b M. Cox

3

(30)

-

-

3-69

5

P. A. S. Mellor

st Angol b Gokani

17

(25)

2

-

4-145

6

M. T. Westmoreland *

c and b Pearson

42

(32)

8

-

8-209

7

B. J. Mander

b M. Cox

1

(9)

-

-

6-166

8

J. D. Hoskins

b Edwards

11

(11)

2

-

7-193

9

T. P. W. Smith

c Lidicott b Pearson

5

(12)

1

-

10-209

10

D. Emerson

c Walker b Pearson

0

(1)

-

-

9-209

11

J. C. W. Hotson +

not out

0

(0)

-

-

-

 

Extras

(NB1, W4, LB4, B10)

19

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(all out, 37.4 overs)

209

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Walker

7

2

30

0

 

2

Pearson

4.4

1

15

4

 

3

M. Cox

8

0

55

2

 

4

Liddicot

7

1

19

0

 

5

Gokani

6

1

50

1

 

6

W. Cox

2

0

8

1

 

7

Edwards

2

0

13

1

 

8

Leggate

1

0

5

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team

Blenheim Park CC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

D. M. Edwards

lbw b Hebbes

54

 

 

 

2-95

2

S. Angol +

lbw b Emerson

10

 

 

 

1-18

3

S. Lidicott *

c Howarth b Westmoreland

61

 

 

 

4-189

4

M. Cox

c Smith b Collins

12

 

 

 

3-141

5

J. W. Pearson

c Westmoreland b Smith

30

 

 

 

5-193

6

R. Gokani

not out

13

 

 

 

-

7

I. C. Leggate

c and b Westmoreland

0

 

 

 

6-199

8

G. Epps

not out

0

 

 

 

-

9

N. Walker

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

S. Cox

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

W. Cox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

(NB3, W15, LB3, B3)

24

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(for 6 wickets, 40 overs)

204

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Emerson

8

0

33

1

 

2

Howarth

8

1

21

0

 

3

Westmoreland

6

0

35

2

 

4

Hoskins

5

1

24

0

 

5

Hebbes

6

0

34

1

 

6

Collins

5

0

39

1

 

7

Smith

2

0

12

1

 

 

 

 

 

MOTM:  J. Collins

Champagne Moment:  J. Collins’ maximum into the adjoining science labs

Buffet Award:  J. Collins’ kangaroo burgers (with piri piri relish)

 

 

Opposition:  V047 / 04

Ground:  G028 / 04

Captain:  C011 / 39