“Tour
Diary: Day 4”
Match: 15
/ 372
Won
by 21 runs
|
Team |
Total |
|
FFTMCC |
207 - 8 |
|
J. Pearson 52*, R. Turner
47 |
|
|
|
|
|
Pylewell Park CC |
186 - 8 |
|
D. Shorten 3 - 14 |
|
|
Day four and sadly the
final day of a wonderful Tour blessed with many fine and endearing moments.
The weather would again be magnificent as a slightly dishevelled group of MAD
players assembled in the Fountain Court car park for one last occasion. It
was time to take it all in, time to locate missing apparel, time to ponder over
where the past three days had gone, and time enough to pollute the air with
last evening’s £410 traditional Tour curry.
The postcard harbour
town of Lymington would provide the pit stop for the final leg of this
sporting excursion – and of course the original choice of stay by Mr. Patrick
Mellor, sadly indisposed due to that most wonderful of experiences known as
‘moving house’. Oh, the joy. You were missed, Paddy – but our gratitude for instigating
things and securing a memorable finale against Pylewell Park CC – and we’ll hopefully see you back in the saddle next year? Deselected tourists
George and Rundle chose a day on the piss to accompany their 6 or 7 mile
trespass through farmers’ fields and Hon David Roper-Curzon’s seventeenth
century stately home, whereas the other dropee, Mr. Reeves, would utilise
more traditional methods to arrive at Pylewell Park – a car no less. Sobering
up as he went on to eventually record the day, Mike’s achievement is perhaps
more extraordinary for keeping a scorebook tidy – this despite that classically, spasticated grip of a pen that all
left-handers seem to suffer.
A small bungalow discovered by George and Rundle –
circa 2015. As George and Rundle thrashed
though foliage, across ditches, over walls and between barb wire fences, the
rest of the team were absorbing the beauty of the New Forest estate, an
exquisitely dreamy little cricket ground boasting a hundred and fifty year
history and a romantically thatched pavilion. It was enchanting stuff and the
perfect bookend for a perfect trip. Losing the toss, Captain
Dobner was more than a little happy to relate to his troops they were in fact
batting – lest he know his own personal contribution later on in the day.
With a lightning quick outfield tinged by weeks of summer sun, all the MAD
top order would enjoy themselves. Timms failed to fail again in registering a
sprightly 22, as he and Bullock (31) put on 44 for the first wicket. Hoskins
would add his deftness of touch with 26, before a MAD innings of 207-8 was
concreted by the dependable Turner and Pearson – Russ falling on 47, whereas
his partner, James (52*), collected another half century off just 37 balls by
smacking his last three deliveries for four. In the throes of the
tourists knock, Westmoreland swatted 4, Smith and Shorten 7 and Mr. Roberts a
sublime 1 not out. Mr. Dobner also went out to the middle, didn’t face
anything, ran to one end, and then came back again. Diamond stuff, Steve.
Mr. Reeves hides behind a blonde-haired scorer
and a dog who is used to watching Geoff [sadly absent] bat. Tea was a gargantuan
experience – even surpassing the appetite of Homer Turner (and then some).
There was enough aplenty for both sets of players, umpires, officials, kids,
dogs, spectators and even our intrepid explorers George and Rundle, The MAD's
rambling duo having now stumbled into the ground from an unmapped direction. Moving apace from
gorging on the Pylewell spread, a recurrent MAD accusation was investigated
using some measuring tape. For years now, Mr. Reeves has been right or
wrongly labelled Ol’ Big Head – but had he truly got the grandest of tètes
within the team? To find out the answer, please navigate to the ‘2015 Tour
Player Ratings’....
Frankenstein’s monster. On resumption of the
match, D. Shorten (4-1-8-2) decided somewhat controversially to fly in the
face of his popularist left and right rhyme, and instead bowl a few balls straight.
It worked a treat, and together with a brilliant caught and bowled from Mr.
Roberts, Pylewell were staring down the barrel on 14-3. Oh, dear. Dobner (3-0-10-0) and Smith
(4-0-16-0) failed to make any further inroads however, as did the comebacking
medium pace dobbers of Mr. Westmoreland (6-1-29-0) –
who, if he has finally managed to shed the nervousness of yipping, is now
feeling the nervousness of ‘Most Overs Bowled Without a Wicket’. Perhaps
unfairly, there is one theory doing the rounds, that Moo has secretly coveted
this particular MAD record ever since Mr. Rundle stole it off him back in
2013. Well, a chat with our cricketing historian reveals it’s at least 30 overs
since the last Mooman celebration with the ball – back in 2013 v Oxenford.
So, it’s squeaky bum cheeks, Martin... a little more than 5 overs to bring it
home!
Moo (bowling) – desperately trying to reclaim his
record. With the Pylewell
innings repaired it was time to bring on the Tour Pie. Mr. Hoskins is The
MAD’s master craftsman / baker, whereas his understudy, Mr. Turner, being no
stranger to pie, is clearly not on
his level of cricketing pie. That be true, Homer can lob some quite exquisite
patisseries now and then, as was the glazed specimen that did for the hapless
C. Todd (27), the shame of it. PPCC 80-4 (20 ovs). For much of the
remaining overs of the game, W. Morgan (73) and M. Stanley (56) clobbered an assortment
of flan around the fringes of the New Forest as the sun continued to beat
down. It was good to see the genial hosts making a fist of chasing down the
total – their cause helped in equal measure by the prestigious opening of Mr.
Timms’ Beardo Bakery (3-0-25-0). An undoubted
success.
Mr. Smith (bowling) captured against the
beautiful Pylewell pavilion – one of George’s more sober moments behind the
camera. The final two overs
brought a clatter of wickets, a clatter of runs and another MAD Tour victory – yep, you heard that right. Hoskins
(6-0-42-2) delved into his bag of tricks, whilst Tall Bob Roberts (6-1-33-3)
would end the match (and Tour) on a hat-trick as stumpmeister Mr. Hotson
pouched the final two balls of the innings. So I guess Jake is on a hat-trick
of sorts too? A 21 run victory for the
FFTMCC was greeted by jubilant high-fives, backslaps and a raucous team photo
/ bundle. For the first time since Minehead 2004, this most venerable Oxford
pub team had done their founding patron, Mr. N. Reilly, proud.
Smith and Hoskins lead a winning MAD from the
Pylewell field. On account of the
elephantine teas, the tourists declined a further ingestion of barbequed
burgers at full time, and apologies were immediately relayed to Homer Turner
as he stood on ceremony with his ketchup and plate. It was time to pack up
and go home. It has been a marvellous
Tour and one of the best, and many thanks to everyone who participated including
the weather gods. Special thanks must be with four clubs who hosted the games
and if any of you are reading this, you will most definitely find a warm welcome
back in Oxfordshire should you visit. Here’s to The MAD Tour 2016
and wherever that may be.... Fourth Ashes Test update: Day four,
Trent Bridge – Michael Clarke confirms the Fifth Test [Oval] to be his last…. ‘George’
|
*
Statto
Scorecards
|
Far from the MCC versus Pylewell Park CC Played at Pylewell Park,
9 August 2015 Pylewell Park CC won the toss and elected to field Far from the MCC won by 21 runs Far from the MCC debuts:
none |
15 / 372 40 over match |
|
Team |
Far from the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
G. J. Timms |
c Stanley b Collins |
22 |
(25) |
4 |
- |
1-44 |
|
2 |
M. Bullock |
run out (Kennedy) |
31 |
(48) |
5 |
- |
2-75 |
|
3 |
J. D. Hoskins |
c Stanley b Collins |
26 |
(30) |
3 |
- |
3-101 |
|
4 |
R. P. Turner |
b Kennedy |
47 |
(55) |
4 |
- |
4-164 |
|
5 |
J. W. Pearson |
not out |
52 |
(37) |
7 |
- |
- |
|
6 |
S. L. P. Dobner * |
run out (Kennedy) |
0 |
(0) |
- |
- |
5-174 |
|
7 |
M. T. Westmoreland |
b E. Truell |
4 |
(5) |
- |
- |
6-180 |
|
8 |
T. P. W. Smith |
lbw b Kennedy |
7 |
(8) |
1 |
- |
7-187 |
|
9 |
D. Shorten |
b E. Truell |
7 |
(3) |
1 |
- |
8-194 |
|
10 |
C. D. Roberts |
not out |
1 |
(1) |
- |
- |
- |
|
11 |
J. C. W. Hotson † |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
NB2, W6, LB1, B1 |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 8 wickets, 35 overs) |
207 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Morgan |
3 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
|
|
2 |
Smith |
4 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
Browning |
5 |
0 |
34 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
Collins |
7 |
1 |
20 |
2 |
|
|
5 |
Stanley |
3 |
0 |
18 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
R. Truell |
4 |
0 |
29 |
0 |
|
|
7 |
Kennedy |
6 |
0 |
41 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Pylewell Park CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
A. Russell † |
b Shorten |
6 |
(15) |
1 |
- |
1-10 |
|
2 |
E. Truell |
c and b Roberts |
2 |
(9) |
- |
- |
3-14 |
|
3 |
S. Woolridge |
lbw b Shorten |
4 |
(6) |
1 |
- |
2-14 |
|
4 |
C. Todd |
b Turner |
27 |
(46) |
2 |
- |
4-80 |
|
5 |
W. Morgan |
st Hotson b Hoskins |
73 |
(89) |
8 |
- |
5-173 |
|
6 |
M. Stanley * |
c Hotson b Roberts |
56 |
(42) |
7 |
1 |
7-186 |
|
7 |
J. Kennedy |
lbw b Hoskins |
0 |
(2) |
- |
- |
6-173 |
|
8 |
R. Truell |
c Hotson b Roberts |
0 |
(1) |
- |
- |
8-186 |
|
9 |
I. Browning |
not out |
0 |
(0) |
- |
- |
- |
|
10 |
M. Collins |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
S. Smith |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
W11, LB4, B3 |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 8 wickets, 35 overs) |
186 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Shorten |
4 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
Roberts |
6 |
1 |
33 |
3 |
|
|
3 |
Dobner |
3 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
Smith |
4 |
0 |
16 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
Westmoreland |
6 |
1 |
29 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
Turner |
3 |
0 |
17 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
Hoskins |
6 |
0 |
42 |
2 |
|
|
8 |
Timms |
3 |
0 |
25 |
0 |
|
|
MOTM: J. W. Pearson Champagne Moment: C. D. Roberts’
reactionary caught and bowled Buffet
Award: G. J. Timms’ coastal pasties
with double dipped chips |
Opposition:
V084 / 01 Ground: G076 / 01 Captain: C008 / 16 |