“Williams Sits at a Bar And Drinks Guinness”

Match: 23 / 609

Won by 10 runs

Team	Total
FFTMCC	107
C. Williams 32*, D. Shorten 13
Mandarins	97 - 7
M. Reeves 2 - 19, G. Timms 2 - 24

Matches against the touring civil servants stretch back to the relaxing of covid restrictions at the back end of 2020. An engaging and likeable group, the games have always been a very even affair with last year providing a notable tie with scores on parity in near darkness. As with that game, Horspath CC would again provide the pitch and bar, although the action was shifted to Pitch B due to extensive overnight rain.

Mandarins 2023.

An earlier start time was arranged with most of everyone managing to navigate the abysmal Oxford traffic in time to delay proceedings by downing a pint or two. Young Gemma Porter subsequently lost the toss and when asked what she would have liked to have done, Skipper Howarth obligingly agreed to have The MAD bat first.

I say bat, but walking out to the middle with a bat should not be confused with someone who can bat, these are two very different things. Given the fact The MAD’s lacklustre total of 107 was largely achieved by a man on one leg (Williams 32* with buggered calf) and some latter over hitting from the tail, this effort certainly wouldn’t have maxed out a highlights reel. In fact, there were elements of the innings that were so poor, they would have most probably dropped off the lowlights reel. Shorten got a few up front (13), Harris (12) looked okay before getting bowled and of course the partnership at the death between Reeves (11) and Carter just about stood out from the swamp of inadequacy that swallowed up 18.3 overs. Mandarin bowling was serviceable as a whole, but hardly unplayable, Heard and Foreman taking 3-fers on a pitch with a few vagaries.

A brief interlude allowed The MAD to take stock, grumble and moan a bit and have Williams retire to the bar to treat his injury with several pints of Guinness. This he did before realising it wasn’t working, so simply sat there and drank some more, his kitbag left out on the field.

As utterly crap as Team MAD’s batting was, their bowling was the polar opposite, Roberts (4-0-7-1) and Reeves (4-0-19-2) metronomic with line and length, the Mandarins limping to 34-3 off ten. The action then swung to the other end (ten overs bowled from each end to conserve time), with tweaksters Timms (4-0-24-2) and Harris (4-0-18-0) twirling away to an expansive leg side boundary. Only a combative 30 from Miss Porter and a measured 22 from Heather would keep the tourist’s dreams alive.

A returning Williams (left) earlier traipses off again with partner Carter (last MAD wicket).

With the light fast disappearing and fielders unable to see a bloody thing against a blinding sunset, the final rights to the match were exacted by Mr Webster (2-0-8-1), who after rediscovering how to bowl on Tour, here bowled with aplomb and produced the ball of the day which spun from outside leg to tickle the timber. MAD win by 10 runs and in doing so, make it four wins in four.

With everyone now retiring to join Williams at the bar, the teams exchanged good natured banter as has been the case in previous years. A most enjoyable evening contested against the most enjoyable company, they are most certainly welcome back whenever.

’Bar Tool’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far From the MCC versus Mandarins Played at Horspath CC, 1 September 2023 Far from the MCC won the toss and elected to bat Far from the MCC won by 10 runs Far from the MCC debuts: n/a

23 / 609 20 over match

Team	Far From the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	D. Shorten	c Foreman b Heard	13	(9)	3	-	1-18
2	R. J. T. Hadfield	b Heather	6	(6)	1	-	2-23
3	J. vdG. Webster	b J. Porter	4	(8)	1	-	3-23
4	R. P. Turner	b G. Porter	3	(13)	-	-	4-54
5	C. T. J. Williams	not out	32	(24)	3	2	5-78
6	J. Harris	b Forman	12	(13)	2	-	5-82
7	I. Howarth *	c Hawkhead b Forman	2	(3)	-	-	6-83
8	G. J. Timms	c Tivey b Forman	3	(6)	-	-	7-86
9	C. D. Roberts	b Heard	2	(7)	-	-	8-88
10	M. K. Reeves	b Heard	11	(13)	1	-	9-107
11	G. Carter †	b G. Porter	3	(9)	-	-
	Extras	NB2, W4, LB1, B9	16
	TOTAL	(all out, 18.3 overs)	107

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ
1	Heard	4	1	20	3	5.00
2	J. Porter	3	0	14	1	4.67
3	Heather	3	1	12	1	4.00
4	Forman	4	0	21	3	5.25
5	G. Porter	2.3	0	6	2	2.40
6	Tunbridge	0.4	0	5	0	7.50
7	Baker	0.2	0	1	0	3.00

Team	Mandarins
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1	T. Hawkhead	b Roberts	0	(4)	-	-	1-0
2	C. Baker	b Reeves	4	(6)	-	-	2-3
3	P. Mills	b Reeves	1	(2)	-	-	3-10
4	B. Tivey †	lbw b Timms	12	(26)	-	-	4-50
5	G. Porter *	b Timms	30	(41)	4	-	5-65
6	P. Heather	run out (Timms/Webster)	22	(23)	4	-	6-90
7	A. Heard	b Webster	5	(12)	-	-	7-97
8	G. Tunbridge	not out	2	(5)	-	-
9	J. Porter	not out	0	(1)	-	-
10	J. Hawkins
11	D. Forman
	Extras	W15, LB3, B3	21
	TOTAL	(for 7 wickets, 20 overs)	97 - 7

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ
1	Roberts	4	0	7	1	1.75
2	Reeves	4	0	19	2	4.75
3	Shorten	2	0	15	0	7.50
4	Webster	2	0	8	1	4.00
5	Timms	4	0	24	2	6.00
6	Harris	4	0	18	0	4.50

MOTM: C. D. Roberts Champagne Moment: J. vdG. Webster’s wicket spinning in from outside leg (bowled) Buffet Award: D. Shorten’s generous supply of nuts, fruit and honey MAD Moment: J. vdG. Webster sitting himself down on a chair with a pool of water on it

Opposition: V114 / 004 Ground: G046 / 014 Captain: C007 / 077 Match No: 20 / 181