“Betty
Late Than Never”
Match: 15 / 363
Won by 4 wkts
|
Team |
Total |
|
Astons CC |
183 - 8 |
|
I.
Howarth 3 - 13, L. Ainsworth 2 - 20 |
|
|
|
|
|
FFTMCC |
184 - 6 |
|
D.
Emerson 59*, J. Pearson
55 |
|
|
This was a good ‘solid’ win for FFMCC. There were no panics,
no histrionics, no controversies and no injuries. Brasenose provided the forever stunning backdrop for a
Sunday leather and willow contest. If only the wicket could consistently
match the beautiful setting within which it resides. No matter though, as
Aston’s Ralph (S) Smith began what would end an excellent and well-timed 108.
He was particularly strong on the leg side but after the 20 over mark played
shots all around the ground and was eventually bowled by Howarth (by some
form of pie no doubt). It was his first fifty of the summer it turns out – it
looked and felt far from that. Ralph wasn’t particularly well supported with
N Clark providing 33 of the runs that would make up the eventual 183 for
8.
Lucan
(right): “I can feel another injury brewing, James….” Howarth was the pick of our bowling unit with 3 for 13
off 3 overs. Lee bamboozled two (for 20 runs off 8 overs) Aston batsmen with
his back-to-front action. The heady days of 20/20 cricket remind us that
styles and techniques have changed from the ‘correctness’ that I (and maybe
you the reader) grew up with and was coached around. So, I welcome Lee’s
front leg being his back leg and so on. As long as
it works – which it duly did. The rest of the FFTMCC wickets were shared
between Emerson, Roberts and Timms (one apiece). It is good news to see
Emerson back in his bowling pants (so to speak). His run has been remodelled
by The MAD coaching staff (his 10 team mates) and his pace seems to be
roughly equal to the near-boundary run in from the good ol’
days. Perhaps this suggests he shouldn’t have bothered back then and can save
himself a whole lot of bother now. Speaking of back room staff – I should, for a moment,
comment upon the fast developing and popular Warm Up Team. A team within a
team. R Hadfield and D Shorten started this group realising that dynamic warm
up might help avoid injury. Hadfield has done his best to refute this aim
though numbers are growing with R Turner and R Roberts recently joining. I
have heard rumours that others are keen to join and are only put off by the
hearty laughter of both team mates and opposition as they pirouette, prance
and dance their way around the boundary rope. They have ignored shouts of
derision and are faster, stronger, leaner and more flexible as a result.
Research (University of Oxford, 2015) has also indicated that the warm up
routine is responsible for The MAD’s best ever season. So, there you have it.
Warm up or be square.
Pearson
(batting) notching another impressive half century. Onwards to Mad batting matters. 184 to win at roughly
4.5 runs per over. The MAD seem to be gaining in confidence when it comes to
chasing larger totals. Solidity up front helps and on this occasion was not
forthcoming with M Westmoreland out for 4. MW has had a bad run of form and
has been unlucky not to see a miss timed shot fall between two fielders or an
edge land in front of the keeper or the opposition to drop a sitter. We would
be happy to see Martin reverse the bad run the following week…… J Pearson, however, picked up the solidity mantle and
played with increasing pace to reach 55 off 82 balls including 9 fours. R
Hadfield ably supported Mr P with 20 runs within their 50 run partnership. He
was frustrated to get himself out and with 2 quick wickets (Turner and
Howarth) was concerned his mistake might cost The MAD. And then Emerson
languidly strolled to the wicket to bish, bash and
bosh his way to an excellent 59 not out off 42 balls. His care free and clean
hitting innings would earn him man of the match and created the momentum to
meet the target with two overs to spare. Lee (6) and Reeves (9 not out) aided
Emerson in his mission.
Victory is
Emerson’s. Bizarrely, Reeves tasty flapjack nearly won Champagne
Moment. This perhaps reflects the lack of outstanding moments as well as the
memory enhancing deliciousness of the syrupy oat-based snack. Either way, R
Hadfield’s lofted drive (I can’t even remember it and I am R Hadfield)
captured the award after much debate about whether an inanimate object (the
flap jack) was or wasn’t allowed to win the prestigious award. More importantly, this was another win for The MAD.
Solid and relatively straight forward in the end. Amen to that. ‘Lord
Lucan’
|
*
Statto
Scorecards
|
Far from the MCC versus Astons
CC Played at Brasenose
College, 12 July 2015 Astons CC won the toss and elected to bat Far from the MCC won by 4 wkts Far from the MCC debuts:
none |
15 / 363 40 over match |
|
Team |
Astons CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
R. A. Smith * |
b Howarth |
108 |
|
16 |
- |
7-175 |
|
2 |
D. Barlow |
b Ainsworth |
6 |
|
1 |
- |
1-39 |
|
3 |
D. Williams |
c Bullock b Ainsworth |
8 |
|
1 |
- |
2-57 |
|
4 |
C. Allen |
b Roberts |
0 |
|
- |
- |
3-58 |
|
5 |
N. Clark |
lbw b Emerson |
33 |
|
4 |
- |
4-146 |
|
6 |
G. Smith † |
lbw b Howarth |
2 |
|
- |
- |
5-147 |
|
7 |
D. White |
b Howarth |
2 |
|
- |
- |
6-163 |
|
8 |
D. Kilcoyne |
st Bullock b Timms |
11 |
|
2 |
- |
8-181 |
|
9 |
B. Ray |
not out |
2 |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
10 |
S. Smith |
not out |
1 |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
11 |
L. Gray |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
W2, LB3, B5 |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 8 wickets, 40 overs) |
183 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Emerson |
8 |
0 |
34 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
Reeves |
8 |
1 |
45 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
Roberts |
8 |
0 |
24 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
Ainsworth |
8 |
3 |
20 |
2 |
|
|
5 |
Timms |
5 |
0 |
36 |
1 |
|
|
6 |
Howarth |
3 |
0 |
13 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Far from the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
M. T. Westmoreland |
c Kilcoyne b Ray |
4 |
(7) |
- |
- |
1-6 |
|
2 |
J. W. Pearson |
b Allen |
55 |
(82) |
9 |
- |
3-102 |
|
3 |
R. J. B. Hadfield |
b Gray |
20 |
(37) |
2 |
- |
2-56 |
|
4 |
R. P. Turner |
run out (Williams) |
11 |
(25) |
2 |
- |
4-104 |
|
5 |
I. Howarth |
b Kilcoyne |
4 |
(11) |
- |
- |
5-113 |
|
6 |
D. Emerson |
not out |
59 |
(42) |
8 |
- |
- |
|
7 |
L. G. Ainsworth |
c R. Smith b White |
6 |
(13) |
1 |
- |
6-145 |
|
8 |
M. K. Reeves |
not out |
9 |
(6) |
1 |
- |
- |
|
9 |
M. Bullock † |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
G. J. Timms * |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
C. D. Roberts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
NB1, W5, LB2, B8 |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 6 wickets, 37 overs) |
184 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
|
|
1 |
Ray |
6 |
0 |
17 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
White |
6 |
0 |
35 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
Gray |
6 |
1 |
25 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
S. Smith |
6 |
3 |
37 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
Kilcoyne |
6 |
1 |
15 |
1 |
|
|
6 |
Allen |
7 |
0 |
44 |
1 |
|
|
MOTM: D. Emerson Champagne Moment: R. J. B. Hadfield’s
lofted cover drive Buffet
Award: G. J. Timms’ asparagus rolls
(with cream dip) |
Opposition:
V046 / 13 Ground: G040 / 46 Captain: C022 / 33 |