“Search
for Chess Grandmaster Over at Last”
Match: 06 / 121
Lost by 20 runs
|
Team |
Total |
|
R. T. Harris |
171 - 7 |
|
N.
Hebbes 2 - 23, I. Howarth
2 - 28 |
|
|
|
|
|
FFTMCC |
151 |
|
D.
Edwards 55, M. Bullock
31 |
|
|
The world of chess today
awoke to the remarkable news that the search for reclusive chess master
Adrian ‘Bobby’ Fisher was finally over. The American Fisher, who became World
Champion in 1972 after defeating Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, was discovered
serving behind the bar of The Railway
in the quaint and drug-riddled Oxfordshire village of Wheatley by members of
local cricket team Far From The MCC. Fisher dropped from view in
1975 after failing to defend his title against the Russian challenger Anatoly
Karpov, but unsubstantiated sightings have been reported ever since, in
Japan, Hungary, Iceland, the Philippines, and the Marsh Harrier just off the
Cowley Road.
The MAD survey a ground bigger than the
Oval itself. “Sure, he looks different,”
said FFTMCC’s resident wood craftsman T. Smith. “He talks with an English
accent instead of American. He has less hair, and he seems a lot younger than
he should. I’d make him around sixty-five now, but he looks only early
fifties. What’s his secret? Then when I asked him the best reply to e4 giving
Black practical chances, he just said, what the hell are you talking about,
if you don’t buy a beer I’ll turf you out of the pub you frickin’ idiot. The
fact that he’s trying to conceal his identity says it all. After all these
years he still doesn’t want to be found. Come home Bobby, come in from the
cold.” Despite calls from the global
chess community that Fisher return to active play, Far from The MCC captain
and acid house composer I. Howarth said he doubted it would happen. “Look,
it’s over thirty years since Bobby has played true competitive chess. He was
a great player, perhaps the best ever, and so much of what he achieved
symbolizes the Cold War struggle of capitalism versus communism, America
against Russia, the power of individual genius and strength of spirit to
defeat the implacable faceless machine. But his time has come and gone. Okay,
so Kasparov has retired from active play, but the younger generation, your
Topalovs, your Anands and Kramniks, they still have too much firepower for
Fisher. In any case, he’s looking for a local cricket team to turn out for.
We hear that he’s a useful wicketkeeper and batsman who can also bowl with a
deceptive lobbing action. We’ll see if we can’t get him a game or two.” Losing the toss and electing to
be told to bowl on the unfamiliar Holton pitch, central to what was frankly a
pretty darn big ground, The MAD made a good start against the ever-strong R.
T. Harris line-up. The strip was slow and green and A. Mann (8-2-27-1)
generally found the length and had the Harris openers groping, at last
holding onto a sharp caught and bowled chance to dismiss the dangerous Y.
Ditta for 5. S. Parkinson, on debut after recovering from the horrific back
injury which saw him ruled out for the early season, gave an even better
display, returning figures of 8-2-23-1 and snaffling R. Rana for 4.
Edwards (55)
ground his way to an excellent knock. Farooq soon went as well, to
the No-Mad’s off-spinning wizard J. Hoskins (8-0-38-1), and at 60-4, RTH were
in trouble. Though S. Rana made 59 and P. Bradley clubbed a brutal 36, they
were never really in charge, and it took a late flurry from W. Rahman (10 no)
and AK Dogar (23 no) to see them to 171-7. N. Hebbes (5-0-23-2) bagged a
brace, and I. Howarth (7-0-28-2) was nigh unplayable when not trying to take
off the batsmen’s heads. Behind the stumps, M. Bullock looked like he’d never
been away, and in fact he never had been away, just fielding at mid-on, but
once again The MAD were dropping chances in the outfield, although not M.
Bullock – after the excesses of Cholsey the previous week, four more went
down, though I guess that’s only half what England dropped against Sri Lanka
at Lords a few days previously, so well done to us then.
Nick (with bat) watches the invisible R. T. Harris bowling attack. Batting after a cakey tea,
the No-Mad top order elected to explore the shift and bounce of the pitch,
with N. Hebbes (3) doing minimal exploratory work, J. Hotson (7) a tad more,
and The MAD’s second debutante of the day A. Cavanagh (1) hardly bothering to
check it out at all. Soon 20 overs had gone. Too much exploration, perhaps?
But M. Bullock (31) picked up the rate in a nice partnership with the
anchoring D. Edwards (55), and the pair added 77 before a tiring Bullock
lifting one over the bowler’s head in his mind’s eye seconds after the
dangerous Farooq (6-0-33-3) had rattling the stumps. When the steadfast Edwards
went with the score on 113, smashing the ball into the outstretched paw of a
diving P. Bradley at short midwicket, there was still plenty of batting to
come, and The No-Mad were in with a sniff of their first win over the home
team since time began. It was uncommonly pensive and quiet in the RTH ranks,
as they don’t often lose. But S. Parkinson (7) gloved one up to slip, and M.
Westmoreland (3) was certainly unfortunate to be run out at such a crucial
time with only the entire game in the balance. Spectators on the boundary
were so far away at the time, it was impossible to say who was to blame. With
Westmoreland gone, it remained only for the tail to droop, as A. Morley (1)
and J. Hoskins (2) soon departed. When A. Mann (5) went on 151, The MAD
needed another 20 off 9 deliveries, and I. Howarth was left stranded on 20. It was impossible to say who
was to blame.
Saj (R. T. Harris)
wonders what our antipodean finds so fucking funny? Quote of the Day: “If your end was so bloody dangerous, how come it was
me who was run out?” M. Westmoreland queries his dismissal following a mix-up
with his Skipper. ‘Blocker’
|
*
Statto
Scorecards
|
Far from the MCC versus R. T. Harris Played at Holton, 14 May 2006 R. T. Harris won the toss and elected
to bat R. T. Harris won by 20 runs Far from the MCC debuts:
Andy
Cavanagh (092), Steven Parkinson (094) |
06 / 121 40 over match |
|
Team |
R. T.
Harris |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
S. Rana + |
c Cavanagh b Howarth |
59 |
|
|
|
6-137 |
|
2 |
D. Yousaf |
c and b Mann |
5 |
|
|
|
1-25 |
|
3 |
R. Rana |
c and b Parkinson |
4 |
|
|
|
2-39 |
|
4 |
J. Farooq |
c Bullock b Hoskins |
6 |
|
|
|
3-46 |
|
5 |
P. Bradley |
b Howarth |
36 |
|
|
|
4-60 |
|
6 |
F. Rafi |
b Hebbes |
9 |
|
|
|
5-117 |
|
7 |
R. Allsworth * |
c Howarth b Hebbes |
7 |
|
|
|
7-138 |
|
8 |
W. Rahman |
not out |
10 |
|
|
|
- |
|
9 |
A.K. Dogar |
not out |
23 |
|
|
|
- |
|
10 |
A. Rana |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
K. Ahmed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
(NB3, W6, LB2, B1) |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 7 wickets, 40 overs) |
171 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Mann |
8 |
2 |
27 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
Parkinson |
8 |
2 |
23 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
Hoskins |
8 |
0 |
38 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
Westmoreland |
4 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
Hebbes |
5 |
0 |
23 |
2 |
|
|
6 |
Howarth |
7 |
0 |
28 |
2 |
|
|
Team |
Far from
the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
N. J. Hebbes |
b Ahmed |
3 |
(12) |
- |
- |
1-4 |
|
2 |
D. M. Edwards |
c Bradley b Allsworth |
55 |
(99) |
3 |
- |
5-113 |
|
3 |
J. C. W. Hotson |
st S. Rana b Rafi |
7 |
(22) |
- |
- |
2-15 |
|
4 |
A. Cavanagh |
lbw b A. Rana |
1 |
(4) |
- |
- |
3-16 |
|
5 |
M. Bullock + |
b Farooq |
31 |
(46) |
2 |
- |
4-93 |
|
6 |
S. B. Parkinson |
c Rahman b Farooq |
7 |
(12) |
- |
- |
6-125 |
|
7 |
I. Howarth * |
not out |
20 |
(21) |
2 |
- |
- |
|
8 |
M. T. Westmoreland |
run out |
3 |
(9) |
- |
- |
7-132 |
|
9 |
A. Morley |
b Farooq |
1 |
(4) |
- |
- |
8-140 |
|
10 |
J. D. Hoskins |
b Allsworth |
2 |
(4) |
- |
- |
9-143 |
|
11 |
A. G. Mann |
c Bradley b Allsworth |
5 |
(5) |
1 |
- |
10-151 |
|
|
Extras |
(NB7, W5, B4) |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(all out, 38.4 overs) |
151 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Ahmed |
4 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
R. Rana |
4 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
A. Rana |
6 |
1 |
21 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
Rafi |
4 |
1 |
12 |
1 |
|
|
5 |
Dogar |
5 |
0 |
27 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
Rahman |
5 |
0 |
26 |
0 |
|
|
7 |
Farooq |
6 |
0 |
33 |
3 |
|
|
8 |
Allsworth |
5.4 |
0 |
19 |
3 |
|
|
MOTM: M. Bullock Champagne Moment: A. G. Mann’s excellent
caught and bowled Buffet
Award: M. T. Westmoreland’s lamb Rogan
josh (with onion bargees) |
Opposition:
V029 / 04 Ground: G027 / 01 Captain: C007 / 08 |