A picture containing clock, drawing Description automatically generated

 

 

“Tour Before Tour”

 

 

Match:  21 / 546

Lost by 24 runs

 

 

Team

 

Total

Great Beardon CC

148 - 5

I. Howarth  1 - 13,  M. Reeves  1 - 13

 

FFTMCC

124 - 7

C. Roberts  32*,  J. Bateman  26

 

 

 

 

 

The very perfect way to prepare for Tour, is to contest a Tour match prior to Tour, thus it was the Far from the MCC welcomed Great Beardon to Oxford City and their adopted home of Brasenose.

 

Nothing much was known about the opposition, other than they were a collective from various parts of the British Isles, this game had been deferred due to the pandemic and we hoped it was their final match after an arduous few days on the pop. Bad news forthcoming: they were mostly in their twenties with only a smattering of silver hair and they also appeared disappointingly sober….

 

 

A picture containing grass, outdoor, sky, person Description automatically generated

 

 

Winning the toss on a pleasant evening, Skipper Russ did the honourable thing and allowed our guests to bat first and pile up 148-5. He went through nine bowlers in total, with only Hadfield abstaining due to wanting anonymity in case the police arrived. Howarth (1-13) and Reeves (1-13) were the pick, with Carter (0-23) disappointing the causal spectator by not being hit onto any church roofing or skewering of any hot air balloons. Standout of an aggressive Beardon tonking outfit was B Lines (34 ret) who clubbed Hoskins and Timms into nearby Kennington.

 

In riposte, following the dismissal of Reeves for 9, Hadfield (29) and Roberts shared a pulsating partnership where they swung and missed, swung and edged it and swung and lumped it. Bob (32 ret) achieved that inconceivable milestone of retiring unbeaten, which maybe just goes to show all dreams are achievable, so bloody well done him and what a rapturous applause as he returned to rank and file.

 

 

A group of people playing cricket Description automatically generated

 

All action out in the middle….

 

 

Then things all got a bit silly really, confusion around the scorebook, confusion out in the middle, retirements, golden ducks (Webster, Hotson) and suddenly there was a scramble for pads and gloves and an awareness that some guys drinking beer would actually need to bat. 148 was always a distant target, but a belligerent 26 from Bateman helped The MAD finish just 24 in arrears at the end, Howarth (8*) and Timms (0*) protecting their averages.

 

 

A picture containing grass, tree, outdoor, sky Description automatically generated

 

 

An engaging match where everyone did their bit to ensure the tourists enjoyed their day, including the weather gods. Time to pack up and fuck off to the pub where the revelatory experience of being able to order at the bar without a face mask was now on Tap (Social). Ordering at the bar!? Whatever next… no apps?? After spending an hour deciding Bob should almost complete a modern-day Hogging of the Game (all four post game awards and not the three of yesteryear), Russ would thank the tourists for the game, wish them well and hand them a signed copy of the Bodleian’s favourite cricketing read ‘Never at This Level’.

 

It was during this post-match banter at the pub that the name of our opposition was explained to us, and what a wonderful backstory it was…. Great Beardon is of course a shortened anagram of ‘to be rearranged’, a term used by Mike Ashton of Barry Wanderers CC, a club whom several of the current team used to play for. Sadly, Mike passed away a few years ago, and so the club was rebranded in honour of a wonderful man who played some 1,700 matches. Here’s to you, Mike… and a lovely essay is provided below….

 

 

A picture containing text, red Description automatically generated

 

Text Description automatically generated

 

 

 

 

Before people disappeared off into the embrace of a sultry Oxford evening, and among much fanfare, excitement, balloons and ticker tape razzmatazz, The MAD Tour party to Brighton would be announced….

 

 

The FFTMCC 2021 Tour squad in full:

 

 

A group of people standing in front of a crowd Description automatically generated

 

 

James ‘I bring the average age of the Tour party down’ Bateman

Matt ‘I’ve got some drinking to catch up on!’ Bullock
Geoff ‘Pink ball bowler par excellence’ Carter
Joe ‘Male voice choir’ Cartwright
Andy ‘Guns in an undisclosed bag’ Darley
JMO ‘Relentless positivity and now a batsman again’ Hoskins
Jake ‘There (still) better not be any kettles in my room’ Hotson
Ian ‘Skittle alley and dietary king’ Howarth
Jon ‘Oh yeah! Buttheads coming again too’ Newman-Robson
Mike ‘I’ve sorted just about everything once again, so fuck off!’ Reeves
Chris ‘I’m a batsman now’ Roberts
Mark ‘I’ve got to share the same shithouse as Spam?’ Rundle
Dave ‘I own a wood and a mansion you know’ Shorten
Gary ‘G&T beach hermit and Giant Duck cuddler’ Timms
Russ ‘I can drink massive cocks of cider and have an extensive handbag range’ Turner

 

 

 

‘Saga Holidays’

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

Statto Scorecards

 

 

 

Far from the MCC versus Great Beardon CC

Played at Brasenose, 26 July 2021

 

Far from the MCC won the toss and elected to field

Great Beardon CC won by 24 runs

 

Far from the MCC debuts:  n/a

 

 

21 / 546

 

 

 

 

 

20 over match

 

 

 

Team

Great Beardon CC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

J. Hassett

c Turner b Howarth

12

 

2

-

1-23

2

I. Crispin

run out (Timms)

12

 

2

-

2-38

3

S. Crispin

c Hoskins b Timms

18

 

2

-

3-85

4

B. Line

retired

34

 

1

3

-

5

J. Keir †

c Reeves b Hotson

19

 

2

-

5-128

6

A. Kinch *

c and b Reeves

25

 

3

-

4-124

7

L. Harris

not out

12

 

-

-

-

8

R. Morris jnr

not out

8

 

-

-

-

9

O. Donovan

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

P. Frame

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

D. Rickard

 

 

 

 

 

 

12

R. Morris snr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

NB4, W3, B1

8

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(for 5 wickets, 20 overs)

148

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

Econ

 

1

Webster

2

0

14

0

7.00

 

2

Howarth

3

0

13

1

4.33

 

3

Bateman

2

0

16

0

8.00

 

4

Hoskins

2

0

25

0

12.50

 

5

Roberts

2

0

10

0

5.00

 

6

Timms

2

0

20

1

10.00

 

7

Carter

2

0

23

0

11.50

 

8

Reeves

3

0

13

1

4.33

 

9

Hotson

2

0

13

1

6.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team

Far from the MCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

R. J. T. Hadfield

run out

29

(36)

3

-

2-84

2

M. K. Reeves

b Morris snr

9

(18)

1

-

1-18

3

C. D. Roberts

retired

32

(24)

4

1

-

4

J. D. Hoskins

c Line b Donovan

12

(9)

1

-

3-84

5

J. vdG. Webster

b S. Crispin

0

(1)

-

-

4-84

6

J. C. W. Hotson

b Donovan

0

(1)

-

-

5-85

7

J. C. Bateman

st Keir b Rickard

26

(18)

5

-

6-107

8

G. Carter

c Line b Donovan

3

(8)

-

-

7-124

9

I. Howarth

not out

8

(4)

1

-

-

10

G. J. Timms

not out

0

(2)

-

-

-

11

R. P. Turner *†

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

NB1, W3, B1

5

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(for 7 wickets, 20 overs)

124

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

Econ

 

1

R. Morris jnr

2

0

3

0

1.50

 

2

Rickard

3

0

14

1

4.67

 

3

Frame

4

0

39

0

9.75

 

4

R. Morris snr

2

0

6

1

3.00

 

5

Harris

3

0

18

0

6.00

 

6

Donovan

2

0

13

3

6.50

 

7

Hassett

2

0

17

0

8.50

 

8

S. Crispin

2

0

13

1

6.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note:  C. D. Roberts retired at 70-1 (12.4 overs)

 

 

 

 

 

MOTM:  C. D. Roberts

Champagne Moment:  C. D. Roberts’ tonk for six over cow

Buffet Award:  J. D. Hoskins’ undercooked margarita pizzas (poor tomato sauce)

MAD Moment:  C. D. Roberts and R. J. B. Hadfield discussing a single in the middle of the wicket and then retreating back (no run)

 

 

Opposition:  V120 / 01

Ground:  G040 / 84

Captain:  C024 / 49

Match No:  20 / 155