“MAD Take Centre Stage

As World Cup has day off”

Match: 14 / 326

Won by 7 wkts

Team	Total
Bodleian	119 - 4
J. Hoskins 3 - 11
FFTMCC	122 - 3
R. Hadfield 30*, R. Turner 30*

After dire warnings about the A34 on a Friday evening, the teams assembled at Jordan Hill almost in time for a prompt 6pm start. Team news conveyed that Patrick Mellor, who had alternated between 12th man and first team start all week due to injuries / absences / email confusion, was in fact definitely, positively in the team.

It’s hardly worth mentioning that skipper Timms lost the toss (is that 32,001 out of 32,002 now?) so we were fielding. Although forecasts throughout the week had indicated that the game would be touch and go, the skies were sufficiently clear that it appeared Duckworth Lewis would not be required.

Shorten (4-1-21-0) and Roberts (3-0-19-0) started brightly, Bob finally finding a pitch from which he could extract some bounce. Hoskins (4-1-11-3) mixed it up extremely well and soon had opener Neely (4) trapped LBW. The MAD didn’t have it all their own way by any means as Bodleian batsmen Shackleton and Horden both reached the required 30 before enforced retirement.

Bob and Russ discuss some tall stories.

Hoskins struck again as danger man Shaw (2) got a leading edge and Reeves took a diving catch at mid-on. It appeared a shoe-in for champagne moment until the very next ball when Shorten took a beauty. As the ball sailed over his head he turned and started sprinting for the boundary. In a scene reminiscent of a wide receiver taking a pass from Dan Marino, he checked over his shoulder as the ball arrived in his hands. With arms aloft he then headed for the end zone. Team mates were stuck between chasing after him or letting himself run out of steam and return before congratulating him.

The Bodleian weren’t done though with Ackland scoring a quick fire 24 n.o. Reading (4-0-22-0) dusted off the cobwebs for his first bowl for The MAD. His conversion to a full on, brooding, cobbing, harbourer of dark thoughts is proceeding nicely as he again received no more luck with the ball than he has with the bat. Surely a shoe-in for The MAD unluckiest player this season. His bit of turn and bit of bounce indicated that there are better things for him just around the corner.

J. Webster (batting) avoiding long shadows.

Timms (4-0-33-1) was severely hampered with a bad back and now looks likely to join the massed ranks on The MAD’s physio table for a week or two. Finally the skipper turned to Mellor (1-0-7-0) hoping to repeat his first ball heroics from Tour last year. He was cruelly called for a wide, but otherwise appears to have potential as another regular pie chucker, very much in the Ade Fisher role.

With the help of 20 extras The Bodleian had whacked and scrambled to a more than respectable 119. So it was going to be a ‘run a ball’ if The MAD were going to make it three wins on the trot, for the first time in a long time.

In reply, The MAD got off to the shaky start with Reeves (1) deflecting on to his stumps. A big turning point came as Hadfield (30 n.o) was dropped at mid-on, but with the fall of Carter (13 off 16) and nine overs gone the game was very much in the balance at 46-2. It was then that The Bodleian effectively ran out of bowlers and options. Turner was pivotal with 30 n.o. off just 23 balls and with 22 extras The MAD were soon racing towards their target. Webster (9 n.o off 17) played a cultured innings with some flowing strokes. Mellor (9 off 8) got on with things before Shorten (8 n.o. off just four balls), bought the team home in the eighteenth over with quite a bit to spare.

The end.

In other news, some over-paid prima donnas were kicking a football around Brazil, except for one of them who had been sent home for biting.

‘Reevsie’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far from the MCC versus Bodleian Played at Jordan Hill, 27 June 2014 Bodleian won the toss and elected to bat Far from the MCC won by 7 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: none

14 / 326 20 over match

Team	Bodleian
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	M. D. J. Neely	lbw b Hoskins	4				1-25
2	D. C. E. Shackleton	retired	32				-
3	J. Hordern	retired	32				-
4	J. A. Shaw	c Reeves b Hoskins	2				2-55
5	T. Philipson	c Shorten b Hoskins	0				3-55
6	S. G. Ackland	not out	24				-
7	G. E. D. Jones	b Timms	5				4-117
8	R. Triggs	not out	0				-
9	A. F. Green
10	A. R. Paton
11	C. Marsh
	Extras	(W11, LB1, B8)	20
	TOTAL	(for 4 wickets, 20 overs)	119

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Shorten	4	1	21	0
2	Roberts	3	0	19	0
3	Hoskins	4	1	11	3
4	Reading	4	0	22	0
5	Timms	4	0	33	1
6	Mellor	1	0	7	0

Team	Far from the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	M. K. Reeves	b Shaw	1	(4)	-	-	1-2
2	R. J. B. Hadfield	retired	30	(38)	1	-	-
3	G. Carter +	b Shackleton	13	(16)	1	-	2-37
4	R. P. Turner	retired	30	(23)	3	-	-
5	J. vdG. Webster	not out	9	(17)	-	-	-
6	P. A. S. Mellor	b Neely	9	(8)	1	-	3-113
7	D. Shorten	not out	8	(4)	1	-	-
8	M. J. Reading
9	G. J. Timms *
10	C. D. Roberts
11	J. D. Hoskins
	Extras	(NB4, W6, LB6, B6)	22
	TOTAL	(for 3 wickets, 17.4 overs)	122

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts
1	Shaw	3.4	0	21	1
2	Ackland	4	0	14	0
3	Shackleton	4	0	29	1
4	Philipson	4	0	34	0
5	Neely	2	0	12	1
Note: R. J. B. Hadfield retired at 68-2; R. P. Turner at 101-2

MOTM: J. D. Hoskins Champagne Moment: D. Shorten’s great catch with ball dropping over his head Buffet Award: G. J. Timms’ generous burger stall (with assortment of sauces)

Opposition: V023 / 18 Ground: G013 / 20 Captain: C022 / 16