“No Victory for Old Men”

 

 

Match:  11 / 235

Lost by 39 runs

 

 

Team

 

Total

Wootton & Boars Hill CC

171 - 9

I. Howarth  3 - 33,  G. Timms  2 - 7

 

FFTMCC

132

D. Edwards  40,  S. Dobner  30

 

 

 

 

Turning up at Brasenose shortly before the appointed hour of 2pm, the MAD were greeted by a youthful looking Wootton and Boars Hill side. Could word have spread of our continued implosion with teams now fielding players plucked at random from local primary schools? Or, more likely, are oppositions, like policemen starting to look younger these days?

 

 

 

Youngster J. Pearson (left) stays awake whilst listening to some old fart.

 

 

Skipper Moo won the toss and inserted the youngsters on a flattish pitch. The temperature was warm, the sky largely overcast, the humidity sticky. The type of afternoon for lazing about on the river, a long leisurely lunch followed by a few pints or maybe watching a bit of cricket or tennis. Certainly not one for sprinting around an outfield whilst two juveniles put on an opening stand of 71, I’m too old for this.

 

Our relative youngsters, Emerson (5-0-20-0) and Pearson (8-2-16-0) toiled away for no reward. They were genuinely unlucky as stumps were missed by inches and lofted shots fell into open spaces. The pair did a great job of restricting the run rate to little more than three per over, but things were looking ominous as wickets failed to fall. Shorten (8-0-38-0) returning from a long period of absence struggled for line and length, the first ball of each over being particular toilet. Energy was sapped simply from standing around. It wasn’t like this in my day.

 

 

 

Some old crocks sat on the porch watching the cattle.

 

 

Fortunately old dog D Edwards (8-0-24-2) still has some new tricks and finally removed the two openers. The drinks break bought welcome relief from the exertions although some cocoa, a biscuit and a nice sit down would have been preferable to the orange juice on offer. After the break J Newman (5-0-19-1) showed that maybe there is some new blood to replace the geriatrics as he bowled with pace and aggression.

 

I Howarth (4-0-33-3) flung his usual darts to great effect, spearing the faltering middle order. However the run rate started to climb and at over four per over W&BH were well placed for a final push. J Rogers attempted a quick single but old man Reeves rolled back the years to affect a spectacular run out. Putting the pain of his creaking limbs to one side for a moment he picked up the ball and hurdled it and himself full length for a direct hit. It was only as the adrenalin subsided and the sciatica returned that he remembered that such acts should be left to younger men.

 

 

 

Even dishing out drinks is now the staple of the young.

 

 

Behind the stumps, stand in keeping S Dobner was finding the going tough. It’s a long way down and even further back up these days. His knees were further stressed by balls flying in from the boundaries and arriving around his ankles. Cheer up Steve, at least it’s only 22 yards to walk at the end of each over.

 

Relative newcomer G Timms (2-0-7-2) was the sacrificial lamb for the last two overs. Proving that it is a young man’s game he bowled tidily to concede just 7 runs and keep the W&BH to a respectable, gettable 171. Thank goodness that’s all over, now for some sandwiches and a quick read of The People’s Friend.

 

 

 

You develop a sweet tooth with age.

 

 

Wake up granddad, it’s your go now. Opener I Howarth (0) pushed his Zimmer frame all the way out to the middle, then two balls later, pushed it all the way back to the pavilion after being judged LBW. Stop moaning Grandpa, you’ve had your day. D Edwards (40) was then joined by J Pearson (25) for a stand of 61, during which The MAD did a passable impression of a team that can bat. The game was most definitely on and tiredness, lethargy and Werther’s Originals were put to one side as there appeared to be just an inkling of an unlikely victory.

 

Honorary coffin dodger M Westmoreland (4) stayed only briefly before S Dobner (30) arrived at the crease. Again there were the merest stirrings of a hint of a suggestion that we might be able to finally get the monkey off our back, or could the memory of our last win be just the fog of Alzheimer’s? Steve batted well, even forcing his aging frame and that of his partner to run a couple of threes, but in the end it wasn’t enough. M Reeves (7) enjoyed batting down the order, but only because it allowed him less time to experience that sickening feeling of disappointment once he was sat back in the pavilion with a rug over his knees.

 

 

 

W&BH had heard about the FFTMCC tail….

 

 

After that it was the familiar roll call of incompetence with D Shorten (0), J Newman (0), D Emerson (4), I Leggate (Golden) who had flown his missus in especially to see a marvellous TFC and G Timms (0 not out) all showing that age is no arbiter of ability (to cock things up.)

 

Oh my aching bones, my tired eyes, my shaking hands and my heavy legs. For me the armchair and the afternoon nap draws ever closer, but one good innings and I shall be a pup again.

 

I remember when all this was fields.

 

 

‘Reevsie’

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

Statto Scorecards

 

 

 

Far from the MCC versus Wootton & Boars Hill CC

Played at Brasenose College, 3 July 2011

 

Far from the MCC won the toss and elected to field

Wootton & Boars Hill CC won by 39 runs

 

Far from the MCC debuts:  none

 

 

11 / 235

 

 

 

 

 

40 over match

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team

Wootton & Boars Hill CC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

D. Mills

b Edwards

49

 

6

-

3-93

2

S. Morton

c Newman b Edwards

21

 

-

-

1-71

3

K. Howkins

b Newman

5

 

-

-

2-93

4

D. Wiskin

b Howarth

20

 

1

-

4-138

5

N. Ali

st Dobner b Timms

30

 

3

-

8-170

6

O. Morton

lbw b Howarth

0

 

-

-

5-147

7

J. Rogers

run out (Reeves)

8

 

1

-

6-147

8

T. Senior

b Howarth

5

 

1

-

7-169

9

D. Godfrey *

not out

0

 

-

-

-

10

A. Newton

st Dobner b Timms

0

 

-

-

9-170

11

D. Parker

not out

1

 

-

-

-

 

Extras

(NB3, W15, LB1, B13)

      32

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(for 9 wickets, 40 overs)

171

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Emerson

5

0

20

0

 

2

Pearson

8

2

16

0

 

3

Shorten

8

0

38

0

 

4

Edwards

8

0

24

2

 

5

Newman

5

0

19

1

 

6

Howarth

4

0

33

3

 

7

Timms

2

0

7

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team

Far from the MCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

I. Howarth

lbw b Mills

0

(2)

-

-

1-2

2

D. M. Edwards

b Godfrey

40

(73)

5

-

4-96

3

J. W. Pearson

b Rogers

25

(45)

3

-

2-63

4

M. T. Westmoreland *

b Parker

4

(12)

-

-

3-73

5

S. L. P. Dobner +

b Wiskin

30

(45)

1

-

7-126

6

M. K. Reeves

c Parker b Godfrey

7

(18)

1

-

5-124

7

D. Shorten

b Godfrey

0

(4)

-

-

6-124

8

J. Newman-Robson

b Godfrey

0

(6)

-

-

8-128

9

D. Emerson

b Newton

4

(4)

1

-

10-132

10

I. C. Leggate

b Godfrey

0

(1)

-

-

9-128

11

G. J. Timms

not out

0

(3)

-

-

-

 

Extras

(NB1, W14, LB1, B6)

22

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(all out, 35.3 overs)

132

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Mills

4

1

21

1

 

2

S. Morton

5

3

10

0

 

3

Newton

3.3

0

21

1

 

4

Parker

8

2

17

1

 

5

Rogers

6

1

23

1

 

6

Godfrey

5

2

12

5

 

7

Wiskin

4

1

18

1

 

 

 

 

 

MOTM:  D. M. Edwards

Champagne Moment:  M. K. Reeves’ direct run out

Buffet Award:  I. Howarth’s beef and onion pie (with extra gravy)

 

 

Opposition:  V039 / 10

Ground:  G040 / 18

Captain:  C011 / 54