“Skipper has day to Forget as MAD Scrape to Victory”

Match: 15 / 350

Won by 3 wkts

Team	Total
Harwell International CC	120
J. Hoskins 4 - 15, M. Rundle 3 - 21
FFTMCC	122 - 7
D. Shorten 37*, D. Emerson 28

It was with some trepidation that the MAD headed south to play their now customary Sunday game against Harwell. As with the previous Tuesday, the forecast was for rain at exactly the time the match was due to start, but no rain at any other time or in any other place. It was therefore almost pleasing as the heavens opened as the team assembled in the nearby Cherry Tree Inn prior to the game. Shorten was equipped with the latest in digital technology for short term rainfall forecasting and confidently predicted that there would be a short shower, followed by a brief interlude, another short shower and then we would be fine for the rest of the day. He turned out to be correct apart from the brief interlude and another short shower bit.

As forecast….

On arrival at the ground the team were pleased to see that the customary 26 mile boundary had been reduced to a more manageable / orthodox size, which meant that the chances of having to run five, were significantly reduced. They also noted that the windows of an adjacent bus shelter were smashed to smithereens. Did this denote several lofty blows from the middle? A fracture in the space, time continuum, caused by the nearby Hadron Collider? Or simply the Harwell yoof with nothing better to do? We shall never know (for absolute 100% certainty).

Keeping the smashed bus shelter company.

Skipper Timms started what was to be a stellar day for himself by (inevitably) losing the toss and Harwell elected to bat on what was one of the best looking strips we’ve seen in a long time. There were reports of it being a little green, but every one of the team would roll it up and transport it back to Brasenose if possible.

Opening left hander M Davies (47) got Harwell off to a great start. He was involved in a titanic battle with the MAD’s resident left hander Reeves (8-2-21-0.) Balls flew through the slips exactly where fielders could have, should have, would have been. Left handers will rule the world one day, rule the world I tell you. Just as soon as we learn how to play Polo and use a potato peeler. Davies was eventually removed during the bowling of Hoskins (8-2-15-4) by a sharp catch by Newman, low and to his left. Hoskins coulda, woulda, shoulda had his first five for, as he lured players in to false shots with his customary guile. It was only the turning down of an LBW late in the innings and the dropping of a skier by ‘Jonah for the Day’ Timms that prevented him. The thump off Timms’ chest could be heard all the way to the smashed bus shelter.

Gary (right): “Any advice, JMO? My day has been a real fucker.”

At this point we rewind a little to review the opening attack of Newman (8-1-18-1) and Shorten (5-2-20-0.) Certainly the most potent openers for the MAD this season, but on this occasion, only Newman made any inroads, removing the dangerous looking Ecclestone (4) before he could get going.

Rundle (5.2-2-21-3) is proving to be one of the Fantasy buys of the season, having taken seven wickets in the last two games. For a similar price you could have had Darley, who also took seven wickets. However they were in the nets, where it later transpired (to this writer) that five of them were Shorten and two of those were self-adjudged LBW decisions. Hence another year in the Fantasy wilderness. That only left Timms (3-0-14-1) to continue his spectacular day by picking up buffet, his one wicket being his only silver lining. Harwell’s inning of 120 ended early as they only had ten players, with Vidal playing as if holding a cricket bat for the first time.

Cholsey batsman D. Emerson (batting) scores his first runs for The Mad in 2015.

Tea was a strange combination of fish finger sandwiches and pasta, which somehow worked well. Then it was back out for the simple matter of achieving 121 in forty overs. The MAD got off to a rocket and at 47 for nought off eight overs if appeared victory would not be long in coming. It was a very welcome return for Emerson (28) who showed that he can more than justify his place on his batting alone and Hadfield (22) who was now nearly three quarters of the way through the match without any serious injury. Emerson was eventually caught going for one big hit too many, but the match really turned as Hadfield was run out during a mix up with Turner (5). This sent Turner in to his shell as he beat himself up (we’ve all been there). Howarth (4) didn’t hang around long either.

Mr. Hadfield (batting) manages a whole game without getting injured.

Who should appear at this point, walking under a series of ladders, treading on black cats, smashing a few mirrors as he arrived at the crease, but of course Timms (Golden). The pie of P Wise, went from bat to pad to wicket to end his game. The MAD had gone from 50-0 to 62-5, in what was an unremarkable collapse by their standards. In came Reeves (10) and Shorten (37 n.o) to steady the ship, which they did as the overs ticked by.

Hotson (0) survived twelve balls, and Hoskins (6 n.o) looked to be going for a similar innings until he scored his first run off his eighteenth delivery. Going in to the thirty ninth over, with seven still required, the required rate had risen above three for the first time in the match. At this point Shorten came out of his shell to put the match to bed in splendid style as Newman and Rundle breathed sighs of relief on the boundary. So the MAD had scraped past an under strength Harwell to record two Sunday wins in a row.

‘Reevsie’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far from the MCC versus Harwell International CC Played at Harwell, 24 May 2015 Harwell International CC won the toss and elected to bat Far from the MCC won by 3 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: none

15 / 350 40 over match

Team	Harwell International CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	M. Davies	c Newman-Robson b Hoskins	47		3	-	4-76
2	P. Ecclestone *†	b Newman-Robson	4		-	-	1-15
3	S. Hawkes	b Hoskins	10		1	-	2-54
4	C. Robson	b Hoskins	0		-	-	3-64
5	A. Khan	b Timms	18		2	-	8-113
6	P. Podder	b Hoskins	5		-	-	5-86
7	Vidal	b Rundle	1		-	-	6-87
8	P. Wise	c Newman-Robson b Rundle	0		-	-	7-87
9	A. Stevens	b Rundle	11		2	-	9-120
10	S. Boag	not out	6		1	-	-
11
	Extras	W9, B9	18
	TOTAL	(all out, 37.2 overs)	120

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Newman-Robson	8	1	18	1
2	Shorten	5	2	20	0
3	Reeves	8	2	21	0
4	Hoskins	8	2	15	4
5	Rundle	5.2	2	21	3
6	Timms	3	0	14	1

Team	Far from the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	D. Emerson	c Ecclestone b Boag	28	(25)	3	-	1-50
2	R. J. B. Hadfield	run out	22	(31)	2	-	2-53
3	R. P. Turner	c Ecclestone b Boag	5	(11)	1	-	4-62
4	I. Howarth	c Stevens b Boag	4	(12)	-	-	3-62
5	G. J. Timms *	b Wise	0	(1)	-	-	5-62
6	M. K. Reeves	c Hawkes b Podder	10	(19)	2	-	6-81
7	D. Shorten	not out	37	(86)	4	-	-
8	J. Hotson †	c Davies b Podder	0	(14)	-	-	7-83
9	J. D. Hoskins	not out	6	(35)	-	-	-
10	J. Newman-Robson
11	M. S. Rundle
	Extras	NB2, W4, LB1, B3	10
	TOTAL	(for 7 wickets, 38.4 overs)	122

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Boag	8	0	31	3
2	Stevens	8	0	41	0
3	Wise	8	1	12	1
4	Podder	8	3	12	2
5	Robson	6	0	14	0
6	Khan	1.4	1	8	0

MOTM: J. D. Hoskins Champagne Moment: J. Newman’s sharp catch (square leg) to remove Davies Buffet Award: G. J. Timms’ fish finger sandwiches (with Value red ketchup)

Opposition: V069 / 06 Ground: G056 / 04 Captain: C022 / 29

Match Fines