“MAD Enjoy Cheap Booze on Trip to Estonia”

Match: 13 / 281

Lost by 3 Wkts

Team	Total
FFTMCC	174 - 8
I. Howarth 44, G. Carter 39
Enstone CC	177 - 7
M. Westmoreland 4 - 32

Tucked away in Northern Europe is a country that has really come to life during the past twenty years. Since restoring its independence in 1991, Estonia has emerged as one of the worlds most dynamic and modern free market economies. Gone are the days when it was a little known isolated country which people had barely heard of and struggled to locate on a map (as they followed their football team in the European Championship). Today Estonia is a rising star, a country known for its vision, tech savvy citizens and abundance of natural beauty. Estonia’s countryside has an enchanting gentleness about it which you fall in love with slowly and imperceptibly. Winter brings the opportunity to travel across Estonia’s ice roads, an interesting, quick and cheap way to get about. There are six official ice roads in Estonia – one of which connects the main town of Enstone to a hilltop sports ground where, remarkably, you will find the local populace boast a cricket team.

Grouped warmth during winter….

The Far from the MCC have always been nomadic in spirit, so the opportunity to travel somewhere culturally different and fill a void in the Enstone CC fixtures calendar proved impossible to turn down. In all fairness, the 1,781km journey to Enstone was only slightly longer than that experienced most Sundays by team regular, Steve Dobner, every time he makes the journey from Essex to Oxford.

With Estonia lying in the northern part of the temperate climate zone, arrival at the ground was marked with varying degrees of surprise and consternation at the rather bitter conditions. The average temperature in February, the coldest month of the year, is −5.7 °C (21.7 °F) – but here, in late April, it seemed little different. In fact, given the driving winds whipping off the Baltic Sea, and you could be forgiven for thinking we were in Greenland. Calling it ‘rather cold’ would to be rather generous – and I’m sure the locals had a right laugh as Mad team members staged a bum-fight in the hope of securing an extra sweater from the club kit bag.

Giant Duck – an essential piece of winter clothing.

However, spirits were raised temporarily when the prices of local beverages were noted in the Enstone club house – a sprawling L-shaped building doubling as a function hall, pavilion and sports bar. With Strongbow, Fosters and Kronenberg all costing you less than 3 euros, it was of little surprise to discover most of the townsfolk huddled in the warmth continuing their hangovers from Saturday.

All good things must come to an end – and with a church bell sounding 2 o’clock, a cricket match was due to begin (sigh). Successfully losing the toss, the Far from the MCC were invited to bat first on your standard European Astroturf fare. Negotiating the gentle slope from left to right (depending on which end you viewed it), Mr. Westmoreland (2) continued to look like a bowler in the making, giving Mr. Timms some exercise in raising his finger. Things were compounded only slightly later, as R. Turner (10) found the dizzying heights of double figures too much and promptly missed a straight one. 14-2 is usually the perfect platform from which to launch the time-honoured Mad Collapse, but here I. Howarth and G. Carter’s twin brother (also called Geoff) were resolute in their desire to occupy the crease. From humble beginnings a partnership of 83 flourished as they mixed stout defense with the odd booming drive down the ground. They were also helped, as was The MAD total in general, by the Estonian fielders treating the ball like a bar of soap – understandable given the freezing conditions.

Umpire Timms (left) walking out to claim Westmoreland’s wicket for a second time in as many games.

Howarth (44) and Carter (39) were separated with the score on 97 allowing 15 or so overs for the away team to propel the total to the lofty heights of 174-8 (I use the term ‘lofty’, as totals hovering around the 50 mark have been standard in recent times). Contributions with the bat were a sweep-happy Dobner with 13, a pneumonia plagued T. Smith with 8, a lusty cameo of 5 from antipodean D. Emerson, a Dutch delight of 8 from J. Webster – and protecting their averages came Mr Pearson (22*) and the much-derided G Timms (4*). Content with their display with the willow, Team MAD joined their hosts in the clubhouse for a generous supply of hot water bottles, freezer suits and no little food.

Thankfully, temperatures had plummeted during the tea interval, so instead of feeling the pain of a hard leather ball smacking your outstretched hand – now you couldn’t feel a fucking thing. Mr. Emerson (8-1-26-1) pulled off his winter hoodie long enough to nip out Enstone opener, W. Speke (32), and Mr. Rundle (8-0-23-1) removed his myriad of sweaters and thermals long enough to smash the Club Record for the longest sequence of overs bowled without a wicket. With this terrific effort finally coming to an end in his 36th over – it is perhaps even sadder that Mr Howarth wasn’t there to celebrate the event (unfortunately opting to take the over off whilst dropping his bowels).

J. Pearson and D. Emerson discuss James’ apparent disaffection towards cats who steal his dinner.

The Enstone run-chase would now be underpinned by the talented and sizeable, P. Myatt – who rode his luck early on in his innings to pepper the fielders in the deep. With J. Webster (5-0-18-0) and J. Pearson (6-0-36-0) lucking out, drastic situations need drastic actions – and in a cunning attempt to forget he was a batsman, Martin threw the ball to himself and ordered himself to bowl. OUT! Skipper Westmoreland’s season aggregate of runs was now equalled by his aggregate of wickets. OUT! The aggregate of wickets was now winning (6-5). A spectacular catch in the deep by Pearson off Timms (5-0-29-1) left the hosts on 130-5. Game most definitely still on.

Unfortunately, with blood slowly freezing in arteries and icicles hanging off fingers, Myatt (51) swatted his team to touching distance before spiralling one to Turner. Timms would catch a thunderbolt to leave Westmoreland’s (5.3-0-32-4) wickets leading his runs by a score of 8 to 5, but it was all just a little too late. Game most definitely not on. With P. Anthony (5*) tonking the winning boundary, a thankful Far from the MCC returned to the clubhouse, minutes before horizontal sleet and snow began smudging out surroundings and burying the ground.

The players head to the cosy sanctuary of the changing rooms.

In summation, Estonia is a bitingly cold place with a warm heart and once you experience it for yourself, you’ll probably want to go back. Although it’s engrained in the Estonian psyche to be wary of strangers, and they may initially appear reserved (at least to groups of people parading large stuffed ducks) – once they do get to know you, you’ll discover they are an immensely warm, helpful and sincere lot – who enjoy nothing more than a cheap pint of beer.

‘T. Allinn’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far from the MCC versus Enstone CC Played at Enstone, 28 April 2013 Enstone won the toss and elected to field Enstone C.C. won by 3 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: none

13 / 281 40 over match

Team	Far from the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	R. P. Turner	b J. O. Watts	10	(21)	1	-	2-14
2	M. T. Westmoreland *	lbw b Myatt	2	(14)	-	-	1-14
3	I. Howarth	c K. Anthony b Peterson	44	(66)	4	-	3-97
4	G. Carter +	b Peterson	39	(58)	4	-	4-104
5	S. L. P. Dobner	b W. Speke	13	(10)	2	-	5-112
6	T. P. W. Smith	c and b Peterson	8	(13)	2	-	6-124
7	J. W. Pearson	not out	22	(24)	2	-	-
8	D. Emerson	b Peterson	5	(4)	-	-	7-132
9	J. vdG. Webster	b J. O. Watts	8	(10)	-	-	8-159
10	G. J. Timms	not out	4	(3)	-	-	-
11	M. S. Rundle
	Extras	(NB1, W4, LB9, B5)	19
	TOTAL	(for 8 wickets, 40 overs)	174

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Myatt	8	1	26	1
2	J. O. Watts	7	1	24	2
3	G. Speke	8	1	31	0
4	P. Anthony	4	0	26	0
5	Peterson	8	0	27	4
6	W. Speke	5	0	31	1

Team	Enstone CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	W. Speke *	b Emerson	32	(29)	4	-	1-44
2	P. Stevens	b Westmoreland	30	(85)	2	-	4-115
3	S. Wilson	c Pearson b Rundle	3	(18)	-	-	2-59
4	K. Anthony	c Pearson b Timms	3	(10)	-	-	3-71
5	P. Myatt	c Turner b Westmoreland	51	(45)	2	-	6-159
6	J. O. Watts	b Westmoreland	5	(7)	-	-	5-130
7	T. Peterson	c Timms b Westmoreland	11	(22)	-	-	7-162
8	P. Anthony	not out	5	(3)	1	-	-
9	J. U. Watts	not out	8	(8)	-	-	-
10	W. Taylor +
11	G. Speke
	Extras	(NB2, W12, LB2, B13)	29
	TOTAL	(for 7 wickets, 37.3 overs)	177

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Emerson	8	1	26	1
2	Rundle	8	0	23	1
3	Webster	5	0	18	0
4	Timms	5	0	29	1
5	Pearson	6	0	36	0
6	Westmoreland	5.3	0	32	4

MOTM: I. Howarth Champagne Moment: J. W. Pearson’s diving catch on the boundary Buffet Award: J. W. Pearson’s sausage and bean omelette (with tomato sauce)

Opposition: V073 / 01 Ground: G061 / 01 Captain: C011 / 76