“Untraditionally Traditional”

Match: 23 / 592

Won by 8 wkts

Team	Total
Holton & Wheatley CC	156 - 9
C. Williams 55, R. Hadfield 36*
FFTMCC	160 - 2
I. Howarth 2 - 21, J. Harris 2 - 27

The MAD are traditionally untraditional when it comes to cricket, with batters and bowlers rarely following their scripts, and the outcome of matches more than often decided by a random roll of a dice. Unexpected heroes and unexpected villains are the expectancy, however this Sunday gone there was none of that, save for a gaff on the boundary by Mr Pearson (I believe I wet a leg witnessing it), nobody messed up their lines.

Splendid summer weather welcomed The MAD’s first home match of the season, with Brasenose a chequerboard of manicured mown green, spotted on the fringes with striped deck chairs, chopped trees and the odd boundary flag when found left behind a sightscreen. After a five-year gap since a previous duel with H&W, much about this opponent was an unknown, and in fact a quick glance back to a report from the Wheatley campus game, most of the names had changed as well.

As would transpire after the immeasurably complex decision to bat first after Lee’s aberration with the coin, the Holton innings would be built around a well-crafted ton from Deepak (102). It was an excellent innings of many gear changes as his partners fell at regular intervals around him. To his credit, he only properly cut loose at the very end, his task to ensure the away team batted out their overs now complete. The MAD bowling was good on the whole, with Messrs Darley (6-1-21-1) and Rundle (5-0-26-1) tidy up front, followed by the flan of Hoskins (7-0-18-1) and Harris (7-0-27-2) baked to a standard acceptable to all. Howarth would bag a few late on, whilst Timms didn’t, but Gary did get to watch Pearson run under a sitter on the boundary (four), and Carter experience a catatonic stupor as a string of stumpings passed him by.

In lieu of the mid-innings drinks cancellation due to a lack of any cordial or cups, it was therefore a relief to have Mike finally rock up with a fuck-you attitude in advance of teas. Happy to report his missus done good (as per the norm) and happy to report she looked much more comfortable with that ridiculous dog than Mr Reeves ever will.

Second innings drinks were available.

In reply, after players wiped off crumbs and sticky from flapjacks, Williams (55) and Pearson (17) took the score along to 62 before James forgot how to run, or perhaps communicate, or perhaps both. Given he’d forgotten how to catch a little earlier in the day, there are now understandable concerns about his mental state. Thereafter, the majority of the team dosed about the boundary edge in deckchairs as Hadfield 36* and Ainsworth 35* ticked off the target in the thirtieth over.

This match was as close you could get to everybody doing their job and nothing in addition. The bowlers did their job, the batsmen did their job and Geoff did some of his job behind the timber. That, in a nutshell, is how best to describe a traditional guide to playing team cricket.

Williams faces some dude with a ball.

With late evening sunshine now bathing Queens and hungry mosquitos thirsting for blood, it was time for both teams to make the pilgrimage for a cheap pint which has already become a postfix for Home Sundays. As a bonus, if you time it right, you even get to heckle the neighbours (Isis) and avail yourself of musicians, drunks and the talent on the adjacent towpath. Save for the indifferent WiFi and malfunctioning credit card reader, it would be the total doosra, however you can always form a happy queue behind the poor fucker who took ownership of the teas money [Spam] and have him buy everyone a drink using said cash.

Summer is here, lads. Live it, breathe it, enjoy it before that depressing winter shit comes round again.

’Sterling Cash’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far From the MCC versus Holton & Wheatley CC Played at Brasenose College, 4 June 2023 Holton & Wheatley CC won the toss and elected to bat Far From the MCC won by 8 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: n/a

23 / 592 35 over match

Team	Holton & Wheatley CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	D. Jacobs	b Darley	4	(9)	1	-	1-14
2	D. Muhmnor	run out (Hoskins/Carter)	102	(93)	13	2	2-57
3	S. Switala †	lbw b Hoskins	13	(37)	1	-	3-60
4	R. Aggarwal	c Rundle b Harris	0	(1)	-	-	4-60
5	K. Nair	b Harris	0	(1)	-	-	5-96
6	B. Darren	b Howarth	10	(26)	1	-	6-96
7	A. Clarke	run out (Darley)	0	(4)	-	-	7-119
8	R. Barrett	c Ainsworth b Howarth	8	(32)	1	-	8-155
9	A. Deacon	not out	1	(6)	-	-	9-156
10	J. Kelly	c Ainsworth b Rundle	0	(4)	-	-
11	G. Hawkins
	Extras	NB3, W2, LB3, B10	18
	TOTAL	(for 9 wickets, 35 overs)	156-9

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ
1	Darley	6	1	21	1	3.50
2	Rundle	5	0	26	1	5.20
3	Hoskins	7	0	18	1	2.57
4	Harris	7	0	27	2	3.86
5	Howarth	6	1	21	2	3.50
6	Timms	4	0	32	0	8.00

Team	Far from the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	J. W. Pearson	run out	17	(36)	1	-	1-62
2	C. T. J. Williams	c Unknown b Barrett	55	(55)	9	-	2-95
3	R. J. T. Hadfield	not out	36	(57)	2	-
4	L. G. Ainsworth *	not out	35	(38)	5	-
5	G. J. Timms
6	I. Howarth
7	A. Darley
8	J. Harris
9	J. D. Hoskins
10	M. S. Rundle
11	G. Carter †
	Extras	NB2, W5, LB2, B8	17
	TOTAL	(for 2 wickets, 29.5 overs)	160

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ
1	Nair	4	0	19	0	4.75
2	Kelly	7	0	33	0	4.71
3	Barrett	7	0	37	1	5.29
4	Hawkins	3	0	13	0	4.33
5	Muhmnor	4.5	0	18	0	3.72
6	Clarke	4	0	26	0	6.50

MOTM: C. T. J. Williams Champagne Moment: A. Darley direct run out (mid-off) Buffet Award: G. J. Timms’ roast spuds and corned beef (salad dressing) MAD Moment: J. W. Pearson’s misjudged boundary cock-up (catch) and tumble

Opposition: V100 / 002 Ground: G040 / 097 Captain: C026 / 025 Match No: 35 / 220