“Incidents and Accidents”
Match: 12 / 277
Lost by 106 Runs
|
Team |
Total |
|
Astons CC |
217 - 5 |
|
I.
Howarth 2 - 39 |
|
|
|
|
|
FFTMCC |
111 |
|
S.
Dobner 41, M. Bullock
16 |
|
|
After a Saturday spent on the piss and retrieving
cricket balls from adjacent cricket pitches and animal testing laboratories, The
MAD rocked up at Aston Tirrold for the annual and much anticipated end of
season(ish) fixture. Tim Henman was, as is usual, spotted in the local, but
without the delectable Lucy this year, before the team headed off to the
ground.
Giant Duck on
the lookout for Lucy…. The game had an interesting sub-plot with some players
from both teams working for energy company Centrica. According to the company
website their vision is to become not just a leading integrated energy
company in their chosen fields, but THE leading integrated energy company in
their chosen fields. On this particular afternoon their chosen field looked
like it had eight inches of grass cut that morning and left to turn to silage
in the humid afternoon. It was also barred by a padlocked gate. The game was given added spice by Centrica man Rob
Eaglestone playing his first game against The MAD since defecting to the
Astons in the closed season. Rob works for James, who wasn’t playing today.
Dave works for Rob and also for James. Gary works for Dave and for Rob and
ultimately for James. Nobody works for Gary. There’s also Ralph who doesn’t
work for anybody and doesn’t have anybody working for him. Full details of
the Centrica management structure and cricket club allegiances can be
obtained by asking James, Rob, Dave or Gary, but probably not Ralph. Glad
that’s sorted.
Some random
Centrica sponsored wind farms on Tour in Norfolk. After hanging around by the padlocked gate for some
minutes the team were ushered in to the ground by Ralph, who doesn’t work with
anyone, even the ones at Centrica. Traditionally this fixture is a timed
match in which one team bats for some time until being forced into a
declaration and then the other team bats for some more time until a losing
draw is declared all round. It’s a system more complex than the Centrica
management structure but having read The MAD taking the piss out of it once
too often on this very website, this year the Astons pulled a surprise and
opted for the more traditional 40 overs each affair. Russell’s magic coin toss prediction method again
failed to yield results and once the coin had been retrieved from a pile of
newly mown grass, The MAD were fielding. Opening the bowling for The MAD was
Emerson (8-2-35-1) against his Centrica opponent Ralph Smith. It’s not
recorded who got the best of the bragging on Monday morning, but safe to say
unbeaten centurion Ralph could have had few worries as he drove in to the
Centrica car park the following day. Congratulations Ralph, great knock.
Dropped by Reeves (8-0-41-0) once or twice (depending on who you ask) but
apart that a pretty faultless innings.
Some action
from under some foliage…. Centrica dogs body Timms (8-0-27-1) came on and in his
first over clean bowled the dangerous opener Barlow (8). Timms’ impressive
economy shows how he’s matured as a bowler. With Hoskins still touring the
sub-continent, The MAD have been in need of a wily spinner and maybe they’ve
found their man. Howarth (5-0-39-2) has some rebuilding to do in the off
season, but still bagged another two wickets to add to his impressive haul
this year. With Howarth struggling, Ralph started to cut loose and sent one
delivery sailing towards the pavilion. Stevie D looked like he was going to
catch it. He then looked like he might at least get something behind it.
Ultimately he merely managed to shepherd it. It bounced just before the rope,
reared up off the grass, pinged off the top of the pavilion balustrade and
straight in to Tony Mander’s forehead. “Is there a doctor in the house?” Yes
– but unfortunately he’s the one lying on the floor with a large swelling on
his head. It looked a nasty smack, but some frozen peas were found and Tony
fortunately recovered after a few long minutes.
Tony Mander
(right) back on his feet after near death experience. Edwards (8-0-38-1) again demonstrated his abilities as
an all-rounder. Ultimately The MAD were one or two bowlers short as it has
been a long old season meaning Westmoreland (3-0-29-0) bought himself in to
the action. R Smith (102 n.o) and J Shea (58 n.o) scored 160 runs between
them and were instrumental in reaching an impressive target of 217 for 5. The MAD reply opened with Edwards (11) and Westmoreland
(1.) Skipper Martin was coming in off the back of an impressive 89 yesterday
and was looking the carry on his recent form. Chasing such a high target was
going to require one or two players to really fire, but disaster struck when
Martin, returning for a second run was adjudged run out by Aston’s umpire
<citation needed>. Martin was convinced he’d made his ground as were
his nine team mates standing in line with the crease a mere 50 yards away.
Martin couldn’t contain his displeasure and although not directly aimed at
the umpire he became the first recipient of The MAD £5 fine for on-field
abuse. It’s a tough job umpiring
Martin (right)
accepted his dismissal with grace and integrity. The incident really took the wind out of The MAD’s
sails and after a scratchy 11 from Howarth and 2 from Mellor, The MAD were
behind the rate and sinking fast. Only Dobner (41) showed any kind of intent
and another impressive knock adds to a great renaissance, if injury blighted,
season. Only some tactical fantasy league related voting kept him from man of
the match. M Bullock (16) is another who has stepped up this season and he
should be pleased with another decent showing, however once he’d departed a
dismal procession of Reeves (5), B Mander (3), Carter (1), Emerson (5) and
Timms (1 n.o.) served to show that The MAD lack strength in depth. Ralph had
the luxury of rotating the bowling around ten of his team and the Astons ran
out worthy winners. So it was a despondent MAD who returned to the pub to
enjoy the late summer sunshine. The traditional losing draw had been replaced
by a losing loss.
M. Bullock
(facing) continues his good form with the bat. ‘Reevsie’
|
*
Statto Scorecards
|
Far from the MCC versus Astons CC Played at Aston Tirrold, 2 September
2012 Astons CC won the toss and elected to
bat Astons CC won by 106 runs Far from the MCC debuts: none |
12 / 277 40 over match |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Astons CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
R. A. Smith * |
retired |
102 |
|
10 |
1 |
- |
|
2 |
D. Barlow |
b Timms |
8 |
|
1 |
- |
1-18 |
|
3 |
R. Griffiths |
b Emerson |
5 |
|
1 |
- |
2-35 |
|
4 |
B. Manks + |
c Reeves b Edwards |
13 |
|
1 |
- |
|
|
5 |
M. Moore |
lbw b Howarth |
3 |
|
- |
- |
|
|
6 |
R. Eaglestone |
c Carter b Howarth |
2 |
|
- |
- |
|
|
7 |
J. Shea |
not out |
58 |
|
7 |
1 |
- |
|
8 |
T. Wigg |
not out |
2 |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
9 |
T. Dew |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
B. Ray |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
S. Smith |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
(NB6, W11, B7) |
24 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 5 wickets, 40 overs) |
217 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Emerson |
8 |
2 |
35 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
Reeves |
8 |
0 |
41 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
Timms |
8 |
0 |
27 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
Howarth |
5 |
0 |
39 |
2 |
|
|
5 |
Edwards |
8 |
0 |
38 |
1 |
|
|
6 |
Westmoreland |
3 |
0 |
29 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Far from
the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
D. M. Edwards |
c Wigg b Ray |
11 |
(26) |
1 |
- |
2-15 |
|
2 |
M. T. Westmoreland * |
run out |
1 |
(5) |
- |
- |
1-8 |
|
3 |
I. Howarth |
b Ray |
11 |
(29) |
1 |
- |
3-26 |
|
4 |
P. A. S. Mellor |
c Wigg b S. Smith |
2 |
(8) |
- |
- |
4-26 |
|
5 |
S. L. P. Dobner |
c Eaglestone b S. Smith |
41 |
(64) |
3 |
- |
10-111 |
|
6 |
M. Bullock + |
c Barlow b Wigg |
16 |
(36) |
2 |
- |
5-61 |
|
7 |
M. K. Reeves |
b Moore |
5 |
(21) |
- |
- |
6-74 |
|
8 |
B. J. Mander |
b Griffiths |
3 |
(9) |
- |
- |
7-87 |
|
9 |
G. Carter |
c Shea b Eaglestone |
1 |
(5) |
- |
- |
8-98 |
|
10 |
D. Emerson |
c Wigg b Barlow |
5 |
(13) |
1 |
- |
9-105 |
|
11 |
G. J. Timms |
not out |
1 |
(9) |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
Extras |
(NB2, W10, LB2) |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(all out, 37.1 overs) |
111 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Ray |
6 |
0 |
11 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
Shea |
2 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
S. Smith |
4.1 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
|
|
4 |
Dew |
8 |
0 |
26 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
Wigg |
4 |
0 |
21 |
1 |
|
|
6 |
Moore |
4 |
1 |
11 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
Griffiths |
2 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
|
|
8 |
Eaglestone |
2 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
9 |
Barlow |
3 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
10 |
R. Smith |
2 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
|
|
MOTM: D. Emerson Champagne Moment: M. K. Reeves’ catch
diving forwards Buffet
Award: M. T. Westmoreland’s beef
casserole (with double-dip wedges) |
Opposition:
V046 / 07 Ground: G035 / 06 Captain: C011 / 73 |