“Quite possibly the Best Comeback
The MAD has Ever Seen
As OUP Collapse in the Heat”

 

 

Match:  10 / 196

Won by 9 runs

 

 

Team

 

Total

FFTMCC

148

D. Edwards  63,  S. Dobner  19

 

Oxford University Press

139

M. Westmoreland  4 - 27,  S. Dobner  2 - 10

 

 

 

 

 

1973 Grand National:

Red Rum to win by a nose from being 25 lengths behind at the last fence.

 

1981 England’s 3rd Test win against Australia:

92 runs and an innings behind with seven wickets down, to win by 18 runs.

 

1985 Snooker World Championship Final:

Dennis Taylor to recover from 8-0 down to win 18-17 on the black ball in the final frame.

 

1994 Boxing Heavyweight World Title:

George Foreman coming out of 10 year retirement to win again at age 45.

 

2000 Olympics:

Steve Redgrave winning fifth consecutive Gold Medal after asking to be shot if ever seen in a boat again in 1996.

 

And finally:

 

2005 Champions League Final:

Liverpool winning after being 3-0 down against AC Milan at half time.

 

 

 

Probably the most overrated cricketer (scoring) that this team has ever seen.

 

 

Just a few mediocre sporting comebacks to set the scene of recounting The MAD’s latest victory at Jordan Hill this Sunday last. In future days, youngsters Googling the list of “Greatest Ever Sporting Comebacks” will have one more example to ponder and be inspired by:

 

2010 OUP 40 Over Match at Jordan Hill:

MAD post 148, when all seemed lost with OUP cruising on 87-0, to recover they skittle the oppo and win by 9 runs.

 

 

Well ok, maybe it isn’t that great, and doesn’t really roll off the tongue, but hey, it was a comeback nonetheless.

 

 

 

Unsportingly – OUP tried bowling at the back of Dan’s head.

 

 

The MAD were always up against it after winning the toss and the Skipper neglecting earlier weather reports that the sun would be hotter later in the day, decided to bat first. A popular choice nonetheless totally ignoring the cries of previous skipper I. Howarth sending texts of doom from his sofa.

 

Stalwart openers of Edwards and Hebbes got off to a structurally steady start being careful not to lose early wickets to the opening bowlers. A tactic which paid dividends to Edwards (63) after accelerating after the first 28 balls (for a minute Jake was getting excited about his 31 ball duck record) but no so handsomely for Hebbes (8) who suffered from Titanic like sluggishness once the pedal was pushed.

 

From there we saw somewhat worryingly water drinking sober Emerson (6) posted a useful 20 minute session – useful for his confidence as many more balls were faced than in recent excursions.

 

 

 

Chris Roberts (6) perfects the cover drive during The MAD finale.

 

 

A partnership started to build from there lasting a full half hour with Dobner (19) looking in fine fettle trotting along with a good strike rate (70) until deciding that it would be fun to try and balance the ball on top of his own stumps without knocking the bails off.

 

The lower order this weekend struggled to get wagging with Cameo performances from Westmoreland (9) and the ‘Goose (9) the pick of the low scores. Chris ‘Rain Man Apparition Doesn’t Really Have A Nickname Yet’ Bob Roberts (6), determined not to join the long list of Duck Debutants creamed his first ball for four to much cheery from the ropes, but then attempted to cream his fourth ball for four as well, too much cheering of the straight bowler.

 

We retired to tea in the shade on 149 (Morley 0, Smith 1, Leggate 3, Hotson 1*), pondering whether this would be enough to deflight the bird of Heron, let alone the entire OUP Team.

 

 

 

Morlers (0) retires after laying a solid foundation for The MAD.

 

 

OUP started very brightly with Heron (50) and Halsey (32) getting off to a crisp high scoring start looking set. But there was something about Heron that didn’t look quite right. He skied a few chances, was hobbling down the pitch for singles when twos were on, and he was giving chances. Many many chances but the bird would not fall. By drinks OUP were on 79 without loss and it the outlook of the result was looking directly disproportional to the weather which seemed to be getting warmer.

 

But <Spoiler> inspirational comebacks don’t come about without a battering at the beginning eh? </Spoiler>

 

Inspirational meanderings from Moo started at drinks, reporting in a boundary interview “We wouldn’t mind this score if they were four down would we?” No we wouldn’t Moo. But they’re not are they, and Heron seems to have turned into a Cat.

 

Moo wasn’t the only inspirational member in the team as Hebbes cajoled Hoskins (8-0-28-1) to stop bowling like a turd and all seemed to rally in the field following Moo’s lead.

 

 

 

Skipper Westmoreland (batting) proved inspirational all day.

 

 

The breakthrough finally came from none other than the Skipper himself (7-2-27-4) eventually clattering the Limping Bird’s off stump with a straight one.

 

“One brings Ten” was the cry from behind the stumps. 87-0 dramatically turned into 102-6 for OUP as the Skip bagged three quick wickets. Only then spirits were driven higher in the MAD field.

 

Emerson (8-0-35-1) put in a workmanlike performance stepping in for the tired tireless Moo who took himself off on a four-for and after a poor start to a second spell, managed to bag a well deserved wicket and then tighten the run rate to six runs in his last 3 overs.

 

But Crowcroft was putting up some renowned resistance with Halliday (25) and started to put on a worrying partnership bringing them tantalisingly close to the 149 target.

 

Time for the Champagne moment as the ever dangerous Crowcroft (3) tried to slap one over the inner fielders only to be met by a Pork Pie hat wearing Thornton with an Inspector Gadget type catch gloving the ball down from the stratosphere.

 

The tail were surely exposed now with OUP on 122-7 and The MAD feeling like the collapse was back on the cards. The call from the skipper was for wickets, as he orchestrated the field like a Symphony to keep the run rate down and pile the pressure on the oppo’.

 

 

 

Earlier action with Stevie D (left) disproving the myth he can’t run.

 

 

There was even a time for an inspiration piece of good sportsmanship in the midst of excitement when Hebbes (6-1-15-2) called back a retiring batsman claiming he hadn’t touched the ball with his bat despite every other player and the umpires on the pitch thinking otherwise. “I’m the bowler and I didn’t appeal.” A stark contrast to that *twat* in Dorchester who claimed he hit the ball when clearly out LBW not that I hold any grudges eh Adie.

 

Halliday was surely the danger here but then an inspired bowling change bought on the workhorse of Dobner (5.3-1-10-2) who seemed to find an extra ten miles an hour to clatter the stumps of Halliday at a crucial time. 9 runs required off ten balls for OUP to drag themselves out of the mire but there was only going to be one outcome. Winning dot balls abounded and when one was returned straight to Dobner as bowler who reacted with the instincts of a tiger (or was it a fluke we shall never know) and ricocheted the ball onto the stumps and ran out the non striking batsman. A further moment of sportsmanship ensued in the Umpire giving the batsman out only on the Bowlers claim that he had touched the ball.

 

 

2010May23d

 

The exciting finish proved too much for the Edwards clan.

 

 

A fine display highlighted by a superb Captain’s innings (MOTM), where it was proved that: cricket again wins through; inspiration comes from the field; it really does get hotter in the late afternoon; and that the game is never ever lost until the last ball has been bowled.

 

 

‘Hoskers’

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

Statto Scorecards

 

 

 

Far from the MCC versus Oxford University Press

Played at Jordan Hill, 23 May 2010

 

Far from the MCC won the toss and elected to bat

Far from the MCC won by 9 runs

 

Far from the MCC debuts:  none

 

 

10 / 196

 

 

 

 

 

40 over match

 

 

 

Team

Far from the MCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

D. M. Edwards

b Halliday

63

(93)

9

-

7-128

2

N. J. Hebbes

b Ball

8

(33)

1

-

1-34

3

D. Emerson

c Jackson b Ball

6

(21)

-

-

2-56

4

S. L. P. Dobner

b Ball

19

(34)

1

-

3-93

5

A. Morley

b Halliday

0

(5)

-

-

4-98

6

M. T. Westmoreland *

b Halliday

9

(10)

1

-

5-120

7

T. P. W. Smith

b Crowcroft

1

(3)

-

-

6-122

8

J. D. Hoskins

c Ball b Crowcroft

9

(21)

-

-

9-146

9

C. D. Roberts

b Crowcroft

6

(4)

1

-

8-135

10

I. C. Leggate

c Hall b Crowcroft

3

(9)

-

-

10-148

11

J. C. W. Hotson +

not out

1

(2)

-

-

-

 

Extras

(NB1, W11, LB5, B6)

23

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(all out, 39 overs)

148

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Lawrence

7

1

19

0

 

2

Halliday

8

1

30

3

 

3

Manley

1

0

12

0

 

4

Ball

8

1

24

3

 

5

Jackson

8

0

36

0

 

6

Crowcroft

7

1

22

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team

Oxford University Press

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

C. Heron

b Westmoreland

50

 

4

-

1-87

2

R. Halsey

lbw b Hoskins

32

 

3

-

3-89

3

J. Walsh

b Westmoreland

0

 

-

-

2-87

4

R. Crowcroft

c Smith b Westmoreland

3

 

-

-

6-102

5

I. Hall

b Westmoreland

6

 

-

-

4-99

6

S. Lawrence

lbw b Hebbes

0

 

-

-

5-100

7

G. Dawson

b Emerson

3

 

-

-

7-122

8

R. Jackson

c and b Hebbes

2

 

-

-

8-130

9

A. Halliday

b Dobner

25

 

2

1

10-139

10

D. Manley

run out

2

 

-

-

9-139

11

A. Ball

not out

0

 

-

-

-

 

Extras

(NB1, W12, B2)

15

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(all out, 38.3 overs)

139

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Emerson

8

0

35

1

 

2

Roberts

4

0

21

0

 

3

Hoskins

8

0

28

1

 

4

Dobner

5.3

1

10

1

 

5

Westmoreland

7

2

27

4

 

6

Hebbes

6

1

15

2

 

 

 

 

 

MOTM:  M. T. Westmoreland

Champagne Moment:  T. P. W. Smith doing something nobody can remember

Buffet Award:  C. D. Roberts’ overcooked sausage baps (with mustard sauce)

 

 

Opposition:  V019 / 10

Ground:  G013 / 09

Captain:  C011 / 25