“Brasenose Romance Alive
As The MAD Kiss Farewell to Victory”
Match: 14
/ 322
Lost
by 7 wkts
|
Team |
Total |
|
FFTMCC |
107 - 6 |
|
M. Westmoreland
30*, J. Hotson 16 |
|
|
|
|
|
Isis CC |
108 - 3 |
|
D. Shorten 2 - 25 |
|
|
Brasenose
College finally played host to its incumbent friendly [cum pub] cricket team
the Far from the MCC, on what turned out to be a lovely and warm June
evening. Bathed in sunshine with shadows stretching out across the ground as
the evening wore on – a larger than normal gathering relaxed into their
seaside deckchairs to watch the game unfold. This felt right. Just like it did the previous evening at that
picturesque ground of Cumnor. This is why
we play – for these few short hours in summer, with our mates, to soak it
all in…. Brasenose is our home –
and Dan is our groundsman – as are
the towpath pissheads who wobble in and out of view. When everything is so
perfectly in place for a game of English cricket, it can bring out the
sentimental romantic in you….
“…we finally met again and how
happy I am we did. Even though we hadn’t seen each other in years, straight
away we clicked. Like we’d never been apart.” Resisting
the temptation to avoid bothering with the toss, Skipper Timms instead did
bother and then wished he hadn’t. After analysing the hardened and cracked
stretch of turf out in the middle, Isis had no hesitation inviting their
hosts into bat. As with the previous Friday – The MAD’s innings was thus
underpinned with a diligent effort of 32 not out (39 balls) from stalwart M.
Westmoreland, whose return from a brief cricketing hiatus has somehow bonded
the team as a whole again. “…I also had the pleasure of living
with [blank] and this is where I realised how much love I had for him. When I
say love, I mean brotherly love, because that’s how I see you – as a
brother.”
R. Hadfield (batting) returns
after further vanishing disclosures. With
Martin anchoring things at one end, J. Hoskins pinched 6 (off 9 balls) whilst
elevated up the order. A returning R. Hadfield looked adept for his 9 (off 15
balls) – but both discovered the treachery of a pitch with no discernible
bounce (K. Whiter 4-0-8-1). This was evidently no occasion for slogging, where
rewards went to those with application and keen running as an obdurate J.
Hotson’s 16 (from 27 balls) would ably imply. 82-3
(16 ovs). Time now very much for the slog and time for men to die in their
duty. N. Hill 7 (from 12 balls) swiped and ran, I. Howarth 9 (from 9 balls)
drove heartily until blown off-course, and poor M. Reading (golden) suffered
further indignity as he wonders why the gods won’t smile on him anymore (J.
Ponsford 2-0-9-3). With D. Shorten (8* from 5 balls) and M. Reeves (1* from 3
balls) opting for desertion under fire, Team MAD detailed 107-6 with the
freshly painted metal (scoreboard) plates. Time
for tea or at least time to stand about in the late evening ambience and
quaff an assortment of alcoholic beverages. With purple cider, French lager
and spirits high, it was easy to slump into the comforts of one of those
striped deckchairs and let your mind drift away… serenaded by those
delightfully charming Oxford church bells from down the Thames….
Beautiful Brasenose. “…I remember back when we first met
up again and [blank] had a girlfriend. This young lady [blank] was gorgeous –
and I remember thinking he better marry her ASAP, because he ain’t gonna get
one better. She was this beautiful, bubbly, easy-going girl who lived in your
subconscious – who I also felt a distinct connection with straight away….” On
resumption of the match, M. Reeves (4-0-11-0) again displayed his now
exemplary control with the ball. C. Roberts (4-0-21-0) was good in parts too,
but neither were able to prise apart the opening combo of Walter and Whitby.
The two Isis batsman studiously making their way through the first 10 overs
(47-0), clearly buoyed by the knowledge of a modest ask and, perhaps more
importantly, the errs of the pitch. The
retirement of Whitby (30*) would then allow Shorten to nip young J. Ponsford
out for a duck (bowled) and with Timms (4-0-29-1) finally castling Walter
(30), the balance of the match was shifting – albeit offset by some uncharacteristically
wayward deliveries from the aforementioned MAD bowlers. Shorten (4-0-25-2)
bookended a variable spell by clipping the wings of B. Shepherd (also for a
duck). 82-3
(15 ovs). Into the remaining portion of the game and with Howarth (2-0-4-0)
discovering the alarming lack of bounce very much to his liking, some
energetic fielding kept MAD hopes alive. 5 off the final Hoskins (1.5-0-11-0)
over for an Isis win. 4 for a draw. 3 or less for a famous MAD victory. 4-0-0-0…
1… game over.
With
a setting sun and a relaxed mood in the camp, the notes of someone’s wedding
speech came into view. Crumpled pages of sloppy writing, detailing thoughts
and witticisms, written on the day, and subsequently forgotten by some stray
cans of beer… words when read, providing a parody of this game we play – on
evenings such as this…. “…envious of seeing their love
bloom and grow stronger, it was something I always imagined for myself… with
a childhood sweetheart. And as most of you know, I still haven’t found one.
So [blank], I’d like to thank you for putting up with [blank] for all these
years – I know it’s not been easy, but I also know he loves you more than
words can describe.” ‘Shakespeare’
|
*
Statto Scorecards
|
Far from the MCC versus Isis CC Played at Brasenose College, 10 June
2014 Isis CC won the toss and elected to
field Isis CC won by 7 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: none |
14 / 322 20 over match |
|
Team |
Far from the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
J. D. Hoskins |
b Whiter |
6 |
(9) |
1 |
- |
1-7 |
|
2 |
M. T. Westmoreland |
retired |
32 |
(39) |
1 |
- |
- |
|
3 |
R. J. B. Hadfield |
lbw b K. Ponsford |
9 |
(15) |
1 |
- |
2-25 |
|
4 |
J. C. W. Hotson + |
b Mistry |
16 |
(27) |
1 |
- |
3-62 |
|
5 |
N. Hill |
c Whiter b J. Ponsford |
7 |
(12) |
1 |
- |
4-82 |
|
6 |
I. Howarth |
b J. Ponsford |
9 |
(9) |
2 |
- |
6-98 |
|
7 |
M. J. Reading |
b J. Ponsford |
0 |
(1) |
- |
- |
5-93 |
|
8 |
D. Shorten |
not out |
8 |
(5) |
- |
1 |
- |
|
9 |
M. K. Reeves |
not out |
1 |
(3) |
- |
- |
- |
|
10 |
G. J. Timms * |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
C. D. Roberts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
(W4, LB9, B6) |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 6 wickets, 20 overs) |
107 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Whiter |
4 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
Walter |
2 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
K.
Ponsford |
4 |
0 |
26 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
Mistry |
4 |
0 |
17 |
1 |
|
|
5 |
Wyatt |
4 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
J.
Ponsford |
2 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Isis CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
O. Walter |
b Timms |
30 |
|
1 |
- |
|
|
2 |
L. Whitby |
retired |
30 |
|
3 |
- |
- |
|
3 |
J. Ponsford |
b Shorten |
0 |
|
- |
- |
|
|
4 |
N. Khawaja + |
not out |
17 |
|
1 |
- |
- |
|
5 |
B. Shepherd |
b Shorten |
0 |
|
- |
- |
|
|
6 |
H. Stoneman * |
not out |
12 |
|
2 |
- |
- |
|
7 |
J. Walter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
K. H. Whiter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
N. H. R. Wyatt |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
S. Mistry |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
K. Ponsford |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
(NB2, W8, LB6, B3) |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 3 wickets, 19.5 overs) |
108 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Reeves |
4 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
|
|
2 |
Roberts |
4 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
Shorten |
4 |
0 |
25 |
2 |
|
|
4 |
Timms |
4 |
0 |
29 |
1 |
|
|
5 |
Howarth |
2 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
Hoskins |
1.1 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
|
|
MOTM: M. T. Westmoreland Champagne Moment: D. Shorten’s second
wicket (bowled) Buffet
Award: G. J. Timms’ lemon meringue
sponge cake (with custard) |
Opposition:
V009 / 16 Ground: G040 / 34 Captain: C022 / 14 |