“Good Things Come to Those Who Wait”

Match: 13 / 282

Won by 5 Wkts

Team	Total
Nomads of Swindon	99
D. Emerson 3 - 9, M. Reeves 2 - 16
FFTMCC	100 - 5
M. Reeves 48*, G. Carter 18*

As the famous proverb goes ‘Good things come to those who wait’ – but perhaps, ‘Better things come to those who work for it?’ You can sympathise with people who are struggling through a sporting minefield – constituting the trio of poor form, a dearth of confidence and no little luck. Their heads invariably go down and their shoulders droop. They slowly withdraw from the changing room banter and their enthusiasm wanes. Their minds begin to wander in favour of other pursuits – anything save turning up for the inevitable bitter disappointment and irritating backslaps from team mates telling them to ‘chin up (mate) – your luck has to change soon?’ But what if it doesn’t? What if this tortuous continuation of soul-destroying, happiness sapping fucking shite that masquerades as a ‘great day out with your mates’ actually just goes on and on… and on? That the glimmer of hope and salvation you cling to just keeps on slipping you by – as those aforementioned team mates of yours harp on citing ‘unlucky (mate) – keep on going. It’ll work out. It always does.’ Rough and the smooth and all that? Fuck off – this is just one on-going comedown of dispiriting misery – played out in front of your sarcastic ‘mates’ and anyone who cares to happen by and watch. At least a chronically depressing episode of Eastenders barely occupies 30 minutes – a game of cricket where you ostensibly fail to manage anything close to success has a running time of over five to six hours….

Admirable pluck: Mr Reeves.

Seriously, sometimes you just want to bury your head in the sand and pretend this infernal game never existed. That finally your nightmare was over and you could re-join your missus in the Westgate Centre on a sunny afternoon – holding her bags as she searches for the next pair of ‘essential’ shoes and ‘essential’ jeans – safe in the knowledge that this is as bad as it gets and you’ve budgeted for this tedium on the off chance you may get a pint or two in the pub. At least another crushing meltdown in the sporting theatre is avoided. Anything. Other. Than. Suffer. More. Of. This. Horrible. Demoralising. Fucking. Sporting. Tragedy….

So, I imagine I’m not alone in congratulating Mr Reeves on finally coming good with the bat this Sunday gone. That all that money he’s thrown at his inherent problem and all that heartache he’s endured in recent seasons has not gone to waste. His steadfast refusal to buckle under a torrent of binary scores and gross underachievement finally got laid to waste as he powered the Far from the MCC to victory in Swindon. Good for you, Mike – good for you! And let’s not forget his able partner, Geoff – struggling perennially to be noticed in the shadow of his celebrated twin brother, George. Here he produced a fine rear-guard effort to keep Mike company during that most exciting, uplifting and victorious run chase. These are the moments we strive for; these are the moments we play for – that somehow eclipse all those many hours of unfulfilled sporting gloom. Savour it, Mike – and savour it well.

Reeves cuts one through the covers as The MAD chase down their target.

So how did this opportunity of sporting redemption finally come about? Well… after finally locating the Harrow Inn in Lower Wanborough, players from The MAD discussed the unusual spectacle of scarecrows and human effigies that appeared to line the roads and footpaths that linked the connecting villages. A banner outside a school indicated some local festival or something – but if you really were having a pagan celebration, you’d probably call it that as opposed to advertising the burning of policemen in a wicker man. I’m happy to report that during our stay in ‘The Borough’ we didn’t bear witness to any plumes of smoke or fire, but that said, we never saw a policeman either….

Wanborough: popular with Pagans and also cricket….

What a difference a week makes. After enduring temperatures fit for Eskimos in Estonia just seven days before, this match against one of the Club’s more traditional opponents was played out under rich blue skies and only the occasional cloud. Even losing the toss and finding ourselves in the field felt cause for optimism. Is this the start of a summer we have been promised for the past 3 or 4 years? Some would say go back to 2006….

Before Antony Mann’s defection back down under, he assumed responsibility for ordering the balls the team used most Sundays. A purveyor of all things ssscchhwing – he always regarded the ‘Reader’ above all others. Kuckaburra’s were okay for the first few overs, and Duke’s too – but once they lost their shine, they were like lumps of lopsided fruit. Now Ant’s gone, the club buy any old shit as our Treasurer is far more concerned about the change from a pound that a change in trajectory. How ironic that the Nomads should bequeath us one of Blocker’s famed red cherries – and boy did it swing!

D. Emerson (8-5-9-3) proved nigh unplayable with the pitch offering an accompanying movement off the seam – as did J. Newman (8-0-18-2) who on another day would have helped Dave take all ten. Credit where credit is due, the home team weathered the storm to rebuild from 29-5, but a meaningful total always looked out of reach. With Mr. Rundle pouching a trio of catches, he backed up his feats in the field with a metronomic 8-2-12-1 (imperious use of the ball with a dibble of the dobble). And recovering from his now obligatory buffet sponsored first over, C. Roberts (8-0-24-1) once again underlined his maturity with the ball as he proved a handful to get away. The Nomads eventual total of 99 was indebted to A. Thompson’s doughty 26, but his eventual demise to backup trundlers Reeves (2.2-0-16-2) and Howarth (2-0-14-1) (read Reeves and Mortimer) typified their day… nobody truly got in – but all of them truly got out.

Food for thought: “How to make a fist of fucking this one up.”

Chasing a lowly total can sometimes prove quite tricky, especially if you throw in a customary Mad collapse. From a leaden start of 21-1 off 11 overs, the visitor’s slipped to 22-5 in the face of the accurate swing of Lazenby (8-1-13-3) and Harrow (8-4-12-2). Though Westmoreland (0), Mellor (7), Howarth (9), Bullock (0) and Leggate (0) all perished, they did however offer a token of hope in having used all of the strike bowlers’ allotment of overs up. Was there much bowling left in the Nomad locker?

There was some, but not a lot – and with the luxury of a relaxed run rate requirement, Carter and Reeves began to find their feet. With Geoff playing the anchor role, Mike made use of a plethora of different bats to start spanking the required runs. The inexperienced youngster J. Baldwin (5-0-20-0) disappeared to several parts – and the more wisened Thompson (5-2-12-0) and Preddy (2-0-14-0) to several other parts. It became almost serene as the target tumbled into view to be eventually eclipsed – Carter (18*) stroking the winning run off a Mr Leighfield’s pie, thus ensuring his partner remained undefeated on 48 not out. Victory to the Far from the MCC by the healthy margin of 5 wickets.

Geoff doing what he does best. Block.

And let’s not forget Mrs Reeves in summing all this up – as there can’t be much a wife dreads more on a Sunday evening, than the sound of her clearly pissed off husband returning in a whirlwind of expletives and discarded cricket kit. So maybe this result is for you, Mrs. Reeves? For your undoubted patience and understanding in recent times.

Good for you. Good for both of you.

‘Buff Et’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far from the MCC versus Nomads of Swindon CC Played at Wanborough, 5 May 2013 Enstone won the toss and elected to bat Far from the MCC won by 5 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: none

13 / 282 40 over match

Team	Nomads of Swindon CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	P. Harris	b Emerson	1		-	-	2-12
2	J. Jones	b Emerson	4		1	-	1-7
3	M. Baldwin	lbw b Emerson	2		-	-	5-29
4	J. Whitaker *	c Rundle b Newman-Robson	2		-	-	3-19
5	N. Preddy	b Newman-Robson	7		1	-	4-27
6	A. Thompson	c Rundle b Reeves	26		2	-	8-83
7	S. Leighfield	c Bullock b Rundle	8		1	-	6-51
8	C. Morgan	b Roberts	0		-	-	7-54
9	J. Baldwin	c Rundle b Howarth	9		1	-	9-99
10	M. Harrow	b Reeves	10		2	-	10-99
11	M. Lazenby	not out	0		-	-	-
	Extras	(W17, LB5, B8)	30
	TOTAL	(all out, 36.2 overs)	99

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Newman-Robson	8	0	18	2
2	Emerson	8	5	9	3
3	Rundle	8	2	12	1
4	Roberts	8	0	24	1
5	Reeves	2.2	0	16	2
6	Howarth	2	0	14	1
Note: M. Bullock kept wicket for overs 1-30, G. Carter thereafter

Team	Far from the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	M. T. Westmoreland *	c Harris b Harrow	0	(4)	-	-	1-3
2	P. A. S. Mellor	b Lazenby	7	(36)	-	-	3-21
3	I. Howarth	b Harrow	9	(28)	2	-	2-21
4	G. Carter +	not out	16	(71)	2	-	-
5	M. Bullock +	lbw b Lazenby	0	(4)	-	-	4-22
6	I. C. Leggate	b Lazenby	0	(5)	-	-	5-22
7	M. K. Reeves	not out	48	(50)	8	-	-
8	M. S. Rundle
9	J. Newman-Robson
10	C. D. Roberts
11	D. Emerson
	Extras	(W10, LB3, B5)	18
	TOTAL	(for 5 wickets, 33 overs)	100

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Lazenby	8	1	13	3
2	Harrow	8	4	12	2
3	Thompson	5	2	12	0
4	Baldwin	5	0	20	0
5	Preddy	2	0	14	0
6	Harris	3	0	17	0
7	Leighfield	2	0	4	0

MOTM: M. K. Reeves’ winning knock Champagne Moment: M. S. Rundle’s first of his three catches Buffet Award: I. Howarth’s beef and onion casserole (with potato wedges)

Opposition: V022 / 10 Ground: G062 / 01 Captain: C011 / 77

Match Fines