“MAD Lose Out in Agonising Fashion”

Match: 13 / 310

Lost by 68 runs

Team	Total
Oxenford CC	135
S. Dobner 3 - 38, M. Reeves 2 - 25
FFTMCC	67
M. Westmoreland 21, R. Turner 15

In an absorbing and nail-biting finish, The MAD lost out to Oxenford CC in the most dramatic of circumstances. Set a nominal target of 136 for victory, they finished just one run short of half that total – all out for 67. Said Captain Westmoreland “it is a crushing defeat. Having come so close, to lose out by just one run, it is hard to take.” Adding that “I will try my best to lift the troops before our visit to Aston Tirrold next week, where I may well instruct the team to try and chase the entire total.”

Moo (batting) fends one off… somewhere….

Winning the toss, after a good few hours of rainfall, Oxenford raised eyebrows by deciding to bat first on an uncovered and distinctly bouncy track. And they would probably have regretted their decision, if they hadn’t had fifteen batsmen to come to the crease. Yep – fifteen. Because that is number of opportunities The MAD required to get finally the hosts out, after shelling another five catches in the outfield. Still, that’s one better than the previous week in Appleton.

C. Roberts (8-0-37-0) went without luck, D. Emerson (6-3-14-2) went without alcohol for half an hour, and I. Howarth (2-0-16-0) thankfully went. With the hosts collapsing from an imposing 100-3, The MAD found themselves indebted to the unusual pairing of M. Reeves (8-0-25-2) and S. Dobner (8-1-38-3). Reeves has been the standout performer with the ball all year, rolling back the years as he canters in with his left-arm dynamite, but Steve has been wrapped in wool. So long has our Barrow Boy been suffering from one injury or another, or simply consumed by the fact he’s going to get injured, the team had largely forgot he could bowl. Thankfully, Moo hadn’t, and entrusted him with the ball – largely because there was nobody else.

S. Dobner (13*) prepared to bat for himself.

The Oxenford innings ended with Tall Bob snaffling a catch at slip off the Skipper (1-0-10-1). Whether it was first slip, second slip, third slip, or gully, is open to debate – such is Bob’s wingspan. Whatever, he’s made sure P. Mellor never darkens the slip cordon again. 135 all out.

Batting at number four, R. Turner hurriedly put his pads on before The MAD reply began. “You never get any peace these days batting at number four” he trilled. “Hardly fucking surprising,” stated Mr Dobner. “Spam moans about being in in the first few overs every week. Tosser.” And so it came to be, with Russ wandering out to the middle for Ball #5 of The MAD innings, after R. Hadfield (lbw Rowley, Golden) and Howarth (bowled Rowley, Silver) made it back for a shower at 16:45.

Wake up, Mellor! Batting at #5 for The MAD is no guarantee of a decent kip these days….

The awkward Keble College track certainly didn’t flatten out as the sun bore down, with Turner and Westmoreland wearing several bruises as they coped with 16 overs of swing (Rowley 8-1-18-2 the pick) and hostility (Habeel 6-3-6-0 the pick). With the passing of Turner (15), the one partnership of any note ended with the score on 42. Mr. Westmoreland (21) followed shortly after. Thereafter, Mr. Dobner (13*) watched from the non-striker’s end as a procession of inadequacy followed: Mellor (2), Hotson (0), Bullock (4), Reeves (3), Emerson (0) and Roberts (0) were all unable to cope with the demands of using a bat. 67 all out with the left-arm wizardry of Usman taking 5-7.

So near, yet so far to half of the opposition’s total…. August is over. There are two games left.

‘H. A. L. F. Measure’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far from the MCC versus Oxenford CC Played at Keble College, 25 August 2013 Oxenford CC won the toss and elected to bat Oxenford CC won by 68 runs Far from the MCC debuts: none

13 / 310 40 over match

Team	Oxenford CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	Babar +	c Mellor b Reeves	31		4	-	3-65
2	Chris	b Emerson	9		-	-	1-21
3	Abu	b Emerson	2		-	-	2-28
4	Habeel	c and b Reeves	36		5	1	5-101
5	Arun	c Bullock b Dobner	12		2	-	4-100
6	Carlo	run out (Howarth)	8		-	-	7-120
7	Tom	b Dobner	4		-	-	6-111
8	Hari	c Roberts b Westmoreland	17		3	-	8-127
9	R. Rowley	lbw b Dobner	0		-	-	9-135
10	Usman	not out	1		-	-	-
11	Extras	(W5, B10)	15
	TOTAL	(all out, 33 overs)	135

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Roberts	8	0	37	0
2	Emerson	6	3	14	2
3	Howarth	2	0	16	0
4	Reeves	8	0	25	2
5	Dobner	8	1	38	3
6	Westmoreland	1	0	10	1

Team	Far from the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	M. T. Westmoreland *	c Arun b Usman	21	(55)	3	-	4-44
2	R. J. B. Hadfield	lbw b Rowley	0	(1)	-	-	1-1
3	I. Howarth	b Rowley	0	(2)	-	-	2-1
4	R. P. Turner	c Babar b Arun	15	(46)	2	-	3-42
5	P. A. S. Mellor	c and b Arun	2	(4)	-	-	5-44
6	S. L. P. Dobner	not out	13	(30)	-	-	-
7	J. C. W. Hotson	b Arun	0	(2)	-	-	6-44
8	M. Bullock +	b Usman	4	(17)	-	-	7-54
9	M. K. Reeves	b Usman	3	(13)	-	-	8-60
10	D. Emerson	st Babar b Usman	0	(4)	-	-	9-67
11	C. D. Roberts	b Usman	0	(3)	-	-	10-67
	Extras	(NB2, W2, LB2, B3)	9
	TOTAL	(all out, 30.4 overs)	67

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Rowley	8	1	18	2
2	Habeel	6	3	6	0
3	Hari	2	0	14	0
4	Usman	7.4	3	7	5
5	Arun	5	2	7	3
6	Abu	2	0	9	0

MOTM: S. L. P. Dobner Champagne Moment: M. K. Reeves’ brilliant caught and bowled Buffet Award: M. T. Westmoreland’s cream teas (with loads of strawberries)

Opposition: V061 / 04 Ground: G049 / 03 Captain: C018 / 04