“Orwellian Nightmare”

Match: 18 / 467

Lost by 33 runs

Team	Total
Felixstowe CC	151 - 7
C. Williams 4 - 18
FFTMCC	118 - 8
M. Lawrenson 32*, M. Reeves 23

Yes folks, it’s time to line the stomach, cash in the brownie points and empty the bank account, it’s tour! I myself was travelling to Felixstowe with Messrs Roberts and Newman. Felixstowe is two hours thirty-six minutes from Oxford according to Google or one hour thirty-six minutes according to Bob. We hammered it around the M25, only slowed slightly by the enormous weight of Salad’s coffin, which occupied most of the boot and back seat, with Salad wedged into what little space remained.

We were staying in the Orwell hotel, a fine example of late Victorian architecture, with a monstrous carbuncle of a 1960’s extension. It comes highly recommended for everything except trying to pay the bill with eleven different people despite sending an email explaining everything a week before arrival, then going through a copy of said email on arrival, grumble grumble. Brave decision not to rename it after publication of the famed 1948 novel, as surely it begs to be reviewed under the heading “Orwellian Nightmare” even if they do keep the bar open so long as there are pissed cricketers propping it up.

The team assembled around midday, when Andrew Darley provided a new addition to the pantheon of sporting injuries suffered by MADsters, as he arrived limping and suffering from “air con knee” a hitherto unrecognised condition, apparently caused as a result of sitting in the back of Russ’s Land Rover for two and a half hours without figuring out how the fans work. Fortunately, he soon recovered after being able to stretch his legs in the warm east shore air.

During the early part of the afternoon we took a walk to the pleasant seafront for some pre-match preparation (several pints and some fish and chips) before heading back to the hotel and then on to the first game against Felixstowe, which was just a short walk away.

Skipper for the evening was Russell Turner, who won the toss and generously asked Felixstowe to bat, on the basis that they looked like a proper cricket team in full T20 outfits who could ping it in from the boundary with missile like precision. He not unreasonably reasoned, that if we batted first, the match could be over in short order. This was a reasoning which would be repeated in subsequent matches throughout our time in Felixstowe.

We were are man down, due to only being able to muster eleven in total for the trip away and JMO having to man his pizza van on a Thursday evening. Thus, it was that Felixstowe provided a rotating cast of players with M Lawrenson batting and becoming MAD player number 150. Russ didn’t spare them and generally made the subs field at mid-on and mid-on. Well they are young and a bit of running around can’t hurt them.

Andrew Darley provided the honours behind the stumps and did a fine job with the gloves, catching one of their openers off the bowling of Salad. There was a wicket for Howarth who produced the ball of the day to dismiss M Lawrenson, when batting for their side, much to the surprise and delight of us and the poorly disguised anger of him. There was also a wicket for Rundle although the match will chiefly be remembered for the bowling of Williams, who took four wickets in four overs and who was at one stage 3 for 1 off 3, before picking up a wicket and getting flogged in his final over. Felixstowe had a couple of retirees and were well worth their 151 in 20 overs.

Russ mixed up the batting order with Beavis (Newman 9) and Butthead (Darley duck) at 1 and 3, sandwiching Psycho in the top order. Reeves and Hotson shared a decent 38 run partnership, but the margin of victory would have been much greater if their M Lawrenson didn’t come in near the end and smash 32 off eleven balls. Finally, it was left to Bob to bag a silver at ten, instead of eleven, which bought skipper Russ to the non-striker’s end to watch Howarth (11*) let the final ball pass by.

Rundle (facing) in the unaccustomed position of batting higher than number twelve.

Felixstowe were the perfect hosts, getting a team out on a Thursday evening, opening the bar and a barbeque afterwards. Sipping beer as the sun went down on a very warm evening, great start to Tour.

‘Reevsie’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far from the MCC versus Felixstowe CC Played at Felixstowe, 2 August 2018 Far from the MCC won the toss and elected to field Felixstowe CC won by 33 runs Far from the MCC debuts: M. Lawrenson (150)

18 / 467 20 over match

Team	Felixstowe CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	C. Burrows †	retired	31		5	1	-
2	D. Norman	c Darley b Rundle	19		2	-	2-69
3	H. Brewster	b Newman-Robson	7		1	-	1-52
4	T. Boyt	retired	30		4	-	-
5	J. Shipley	lbw b Williams	5		-	-	4-98
6	M. Lawrenson	b Howarth	2		-	-	3-98
7	C. Burrows	b Williams	2		-	-	5-104
8	M. Flecknoe	c sub (C. Burrows) b Williams	3		-	-	6-105
9	O. Rose	not out	8		1	-	-
10	J. Jacobs	b Williams	16		3	-	7-131
11	J. Burrows *	not out	16		-	2	-
	Extras	NB4, W2, LB5, B1	12
	TOTAL	(for 7 wickets, 20 overs)	151

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ
1	Reeves	4	0	38	0	9.50
2	Roberts	2	0	28	0	14.00
3	Newman-Robson	3	0	19	1	6.33
4	Rundle	4	0	16	1	4.00
5	Howarth	4	0	29	1	7.25
6	Williams	3	1	18	4	6.00

Team	Far from the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	J. Newman-Robson	c Brewster b Rose	9	(16)	1	-	1-11
2	M. S. Rundle	c Lawrenson b Jacobs	7	(8)	1	-	3-22
3	A. Darley †	b Jacobs	0	(2)	-	-	2-11
4	J. C. W. Hotson	c J. Burrows b Brewster	14	(17)	1	-	4-60
5	M. K. Reeves	b Flecknoe	23	(26)	5	-	5-60
6	M. Bullock	b C. Burrows	6	(13)	1	-	7-73
7	C. T. J. Williams	c Rose b Norman	4	(6)	-	-	6-72
8	M. Lawrenson	retired	32	(11)	3	3	-
9	I. Howarth	not out	11	(11)	2	-	-
10	C. D. Roberts	c and b Shipley	0	(2)	-	-	8-118
11	R. P. Turner *	not out	0	(0)	-	-	-
	Extras	W9, LB2, B1	12
	TOTAL	(for 8 wickets, 20 overs)	118

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ
1	J. Burrows	3	0	23	0	7.67
2	Rose	3	1	15	1	5.00
3	Jacobs	3	0	21	2	7.00
4	Lawrenson	2	0	7	0	3.50
5	Brewster	2	0	5	1	2.50
6	Flacknoe	2	0	11	1	5.50
7	C. Burrows	2	0	8	1	4.00
8	Norman	2	0	22	1	11.00
9	Shipley	1	0	3	1	3.00
Note: M. Lawrenson retired at 115-7 (18.5 overs)

MOTM: C. T. J. Williams Champagne Moment: A. Darley’s wicketkeeper catch Buffet Award: C. D. Roberts’ assorted barbeque range (salad sides and sausages) MAD Moment: n/a

Opposition: V102 / 01 Ground: G093 / 01 Captain: C024 / 16 Match No: 20 / 122