“Clouds Part and Leggate Shines

 

 

Match:  11 / 243

Lost by 8 wkts

 

 

Team

 

Total

FFTMCC

83

I. Leggate  22,  I. Howarth  21

 

St. Clements Strollers

85 - 2

C. Roberts  1 - 17

 

 

 

 

Here was a game that most groundsmen would have cancelled before lunch time. It’s testament to the extraordinary draining abilities of the St Clements pitch that any cricket could possibly take place. 1pm and it was persistently pissing it down. 3pm and the skies were a little brighter but surely the pitch would be as heavy with water as Reevsie’s front room circa 2007. So it was more in hope than expectation that The MAD arrived half an hour before the appointed start time to the surprising news that cricket had triumphed over the weather.

 

 

2011aug4b

 

The dark clouds retreat from Magdalen College….

 

 

So would it be the usual story? Come start time would eleven Madsters be facing two Strollers and a dog with the excuse that more were on the way and could they possibly bat first whilst the light was coincidentally still good? Would J Higgs score his customary century (fantastic run outs not withstanding) whilst the youngsters made up the numbers? No, most certainly not. Firstly J Higgs was nowhere to be seen although explanation had arrived at FFTMCC headquarters earlier in the week. Secondly T20 captain J Hotson demonstrated a steely determination not to be coerced into giving away the decision.

 

 

2011aug4a

 

Said letter photographed at MAD HQ.

 

 

So far so good, The MAD were batting. Jake had a reverse order of sorts, sending out the bowlers D Emerson (1) and C Roberts (0) to face the wily operators L Davie and R Finch. Emerson soon slapped at a high and wide one (no ball surely) and was easily pouched in the outfield. Tall Bob was comprehensively bowled by Mr Finch who was turning it square in the helpful conditions. Fancy employing an actual spinner, (not at this level.) He was simply far too good. M Reeves’ (0) dismal season continued, he can’t buy a run at the moment, as he played all around a straight one. Ade Fisher (1) suffered and survived against prodigious spin until Finch soon got the better of him.

 

Eight for four turned into ten for five as J Hoskins (0) became the next victim to the seemingly hittable L Davie. The opening bowlers, with a combined age of 745 had ripped through The MAD top order. Could this be the worst start of all time? The lowest total ever by The MAD was still a big 24 runs away and it would take another 40 to avoid the page of shame on The MAD website.

 

 

 

A shit score soon got worse….

 

 

Next to the crease was P Mellor (17). For only the third time in the innings, runs flew from the bat and suddenly, amazingly we were on our way. He was joined by I Leggate (22) and finally the score board started to tick over. It would be unfair to say this was an unlikely partnership as this season past performances have been turned on their head. Ian was looking every inch a proper batsman and he drove for four and then settled in for a series of shots, netting ones and twos with ease. Paddy has one very obvious weakness (Anyone? Anyone?) and it was with grim inevitability that he started out on a single that never was, before being run out several yards short. That’s the sixth time in a row – the sixth!

 

I Howarth (21) had not intended to play this evening, being under strict instructions not to endanger his hernia, especially with only 10 days to go before the Tour. However at 37 for 6 things were still looking desperate, so he tucked his lower intestines back into his trousers and strode out to bat.

 

 

 

P. Mellor (left) shortly before his sixth consecutive run out….

 

 

With the evening sun now shining, there was hope on the horizon. If J Hotson (5) could just hold on, our saviour T Smith would arrive to lead us to a winning total. Thorn was arriving late due to being stuck in a traffic jam around Wycombe for two hours whilst in the search for bits of tree. He arrived at the ground in the nick of time and immediately walked confidently out to bat pausing only briefly to ask was it at 30 or 50 that he would have to retire? The answer was 30 (seconds) as one ball later he was back in the hutch. Life’s a bitch as they say and cricket is life.

 

The final act was for G Timms (0 not out) for defy his nickname and block out the last three balls to reach a disappointing but not disastrous 83.

 

What’s there to say about the Strollers reply? The Strollers strolled to victory for the loss of only two wickets. D Emerson (4-0-22-0) and C Roberts (4-0-17-1) bowled reasonably with discipline without ever looking like they were going to make significant inroads into the top order. Reeves cemented his position of least improved (or most declined) player of the season by dropping a sharp but relatively regulation catch at mid-on. Hoskins failed to take a tougher one running backwards and Leggate juggled once, twice before putting one down. T Smith made that rush back through the evening traffic slightly more worthwhile by taking a languid low catch and Hoskins redeemed himself but snaffling a good one and the champagne moment off the bowling of Smith. The death throws were sounded by T Smith (2-0-25-1) and G Timms (2-0-8-0) before Hoskins (0.5-0-7-0) ushered the Strollers over the line.

 

 

 

 

From there both teams retired to the bar and pavilion for congratulations all round. Congratulations to L Davie and R Finch for showing that class is permanent. Congratulations to I Leggate for batting like a batter and congratulations to the groundman for making the match possible at all. But still a spectre hung over the evenings proceedings. Who is that man approaching and why is he only wearing pants?

 

 

‘Reevsie’

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

Statto Scorecards

 

 

 

Far from the MCC versus St. Clements Strollers

Played at Magdalen College, 4 August 2011

 

Far from the MCC won the toss and elected to bat

St. Clements Strollers won by 8 wkts

 

Far from the MCC debuts:  none

 

 

11 / 243

 

 

 

 

 

20 over match

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team

Far from the MCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

D. Emerson

c b Davie

1

(7)

-

-

2-2

2

C. D. Roberts

b Finch

0

(2)

-

-

1-1

3

M. K. Reeves

b Davie

0

(4)

-

-

3-5

4

A. J. Fisher

b Finch

1

(11)

-

-

4-8

5

P. A. S. Mellor

run out

17

(23)

1

-

6-37

6

J. D. Hoskins

b Davie

0

(12)

-

-

5-10

7

I. C. Leggate

c N. Warry b Savin

22

(25)

1

-

7-62

8

I. Howarth

c Harte b Savin

21

(26)

3

-

8-82

9

J. C. W. Hotson *+

b Savin

5

(4)

-

-

10-83

10

T. P. W. Smith

b S. Warry

0

(1)

-

-

9-83

11

G. J. Timms

not out

0

(3)

-

-

-

 

Extras

(NB3, W6, LB4, B3)

16

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(all out, 19.1 overs)

83

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Finch

4

3

1

2

 

2

Davie

4

0

16

3

 

3

Harte

3

0

24

1

 

4

N. Warry

3

0

12

0

 

5

S. Warry

3

1

12

1

 

6

Savin

2.1

0

11

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team

St. Clements Strollers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

P. Harte

c Hoskins b Smith

32

 

5

-

2-50

2

D. Rochester

c Smith b Roberts

7

 

-

-

1-25

3

T. Pickford

not out

31

 

6

-

-

4

P. Rogers

not out

9

 

-

-

-

5

R. Buchanan

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

H. Carter

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

L. Davie

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

S. Warry

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

G. Savin

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

R. Finch

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

N. Warry *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

(W3, B3)

6

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(for 2 wickets, 12.5 overs)

85

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Emerson

4

0

22

0

 

2

Roberts

4

0

17

1

 

3

Smith

2

0

25

1

 

4

Timms

2

0

8

0

 

5

Hoskins

0.5

0

7

0

 

 

 

 

 

MOTM:  I. C. Leggate

Champagne Moment:  J. D. Hoskins’ catch at mid on

Buffet Award:  T. P. W. Smith’s caramel buns (with fruity bits and chocco chips)

 

 

Opposition:  V053 / 03

Ground:  G043 / 03

Captain:  C012 / 12