“Gary is a Very Naughty Boy”
Match: 24
/ 620
Won
by 5 wkts
|
Team |
Total |
|
OUP |
137 - 5 |
|
D. Shorten
1 - 15 |
|
|
|
|
|
FFTMCC |
141 - 5 |
|
D. Shorten
45, J. Pyrah 32,
L. Ainsworth 30 |
|
|
With such an oasis of
sport clamouring for your attention at present, you’d be forgiven for being
distracted. Be it French Open tennis, US Open golf, the Euro Football
Championship in Germany or maybe the T20 Cricket World Cup being held across
the pond in the US and the Caribbean. But, taking your eye off the ball would
have meant missing last evening’s see-saw, middle-aged showdown between the
Oxford bookworms and that Sunday pub team with no pub, a celebrated duel now
spanning a quarter of a century*.
Winning the toss on an
unusually warm and sunny evening, Skipper Howarth had little hesitation in
fielding first after last year’s capitulation when opting to bat first. A
decision that looked immediately retarded in lieu of Mr Timms being stuck in
traffic commuting back from Istanbul via Luton airport. With huge spaces on an
expansive field to be found, OUP made hay in twatting up 60-plus in the first
8 overs (Gibson and Sharif retiring in the thirties). No wickets would fall during
this period and Gary remained somewhere in transit. During the second phase
of the OUP innings, brakes were applied firstly by Howarth and Ainsworth
(4-0-19-1) and laterally by Shorten (4-1-15-1) who had quite the evening out.
David bowled the mighty Big Bird (Heron 5) with a beauty that nipped back,
affected two run outs from the deep (with accurate throws to Keeper Turner)
and of course batted superbly in reply which we will move on to later. OUP completed their
innings on 137-5 with the sage-like OUPer Mr
Lawrence noting “…we’re probably about 20-runs short
there.” It could/should have been some 30-short, but for the muck that Ian
threw down in the final over, the one that actually pitched getting swatted
ironically for four. As a footnote, Timms had now arrived at Jordan Hill and
fielded for the last 4 overs, he didn’t get a bowl and nor should he have
(cricket etiquette correctly applied here), though he did score a direct run
out with hookah impaired vision.
Hadfield leaves stage right (out of frame)…. A quick turnaround saw
Hadfield (5) cream his first ball through the covers off the impressive
Lawrence (4-0-11-1) and then return whence he came by hearing the death
rattle. John Pyrah is new to The MAD team and already looks the goods as he
shakes off years in the sporting wilderness and feels his way back into the
sport of cricket. A Kidlington regular back in the day, John’s (30) innings
occasionally sparked, flatlined before bursting into life at the end with a
succession of impressive [pyrah-technic?**] tonks to the
boundary. We hope he volunteers his services more often and lovely to see his
small entourage cheer him on. Despite an enforced
retirement at 30 (end of the over), Shorten was able to propel himself to a
lofty and imperious 45 courtesy of a final over flourish off Jackson (that
wielded 16 runs). David really does look at peace with his game at present,
pacing his innings beautifully and giving his team that perfect platform to
build on. His good work was continued by the ever-reliable Ainsworth (31) as
he ran poor Pyrah into the ground.
Pyrah and Shorten enjoyed a fruitful partnership
(46). A comparatively
straightforward chase was somewhat undone towards the end with some excellent
blockhole bowling by S. K. Ravi (4-0-15-0) and six overs would realise only
19 runs. Thankful then to Lee’s productive 18th over off OUP skipper Beaumont
(and selfless run out) as it meant scores would at least be tied going into
the final over. Best then now for Timms (11) to step across the line (lbw) and
increase the tension another notch. Though to be fair to Gary, he does gain
some credit for a bloody good moan about the height of the delivery (where it
struck him). Now sensing an awkward
time to go out to the middle in fading light, Mr Cartwright duly stole the
Captain’s armband and instructed Howarth to venture out to finish things off
instead. Who can argue with a man’s longevity and peerless wisdom? Thus, Ian accepted
his orders, dismissed the cautious and sensible advice of Darley out in the
gloom and heaved his first ball for four over straight cow. MAD win by 5
wickets and the demons of last year’s pitiful showing are put to bed. An enormously enjoyable
evening for obvious reasons, but one must make mention of the excellent
spirit by all out on the field and back in the bar after the sun went down.
We very much look forward to hosting one of our oldest adversaries in the
longer format of the game in a few weeks’ time.
* - A point of note: Mr Hadfield has now contested the first
and this (last match) versus OUP. He was also vastly better (72) on that day
at the turn of the millennium. ** - Suggested MAD nickname copyrighted by the guy who had the
audacity to field for just a fifth of the OUP innings. ’Usurped Skipton’
|
*
Statto Scorecards
|
Far From the MCC versus Oxford
University Press CC Played at Jordan Hill, 12 June 2024 Far From the MCC won the toss and
elected to field Far From the MCC won by 5 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: n/a |
24 / 620 20 over match |
|
Team |
Oxford University Press CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
S.
Gibson |
retired |
34 |
(27) |
4 |
- |
1-89 |
|
2 |
A.
Sharif |
retired |
32 |
(20) |
5 |
- |
2-103 |
|
3 |
A.
Beaumont * |
c Pyrah b Ainsworth |
19 |
(20) |
2 |
- |
3-119 |
|
4 |
C. A.
Heron |
b Shorten |
5 |
(12) |
- |
- |
4-120 |
|
5 |
B. Coney |
run out (Shorten/Turner) |
12 |
(23) |
1 |
- |
5-122 |
|
6 |
R.
Jackson |
not out |
10 |
(12) |
1 |
- |
|
|
7 |
A. Reddy
† |
run out (Shorten/Turner) |
1 |
(4) |
- |
- |
|
|
8 |
S. K. Ravi |
run out (Timms) |
2 |
(2) |
- |
- |
|
|
9 |
S.
Lawrence |
not out |
5 |
(5) |
- |
- |
|
|
10 |
Raj |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
J. Paul |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
NB5, W5, LB1, B6 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 5 wickets, 20 overs) |
137 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Darley |
4 |
0 |
34 |
0 |
8.50 |
|
|
2 |
Roberts |
4 |
0 |
35 |
0 |
8.75 |
|
|
3 |
Howarth |
4 |
0 |
27 |
0 |
6.75 |
|
|
4 |
Ainsworth |
4 |
0 |
19 |
1 |
4.75 |
|
|
5 |
Shorten |
4 |
1 |
15 |
1 |
3.75 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: G. J. Timms finally
entered the field in the 17th over |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Far from the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
D.
Shorten |
c & b Jackson |
45 |
(30) |
7 |
1 |
1-22 |
|
2 |
R. J. T.
Hadfield |
b Lawrence |
5 |
(4) |
1 |
- |
2-68 |
|
3 |
J. S.
Pyrah |
b Paul |
32 |
(30) |
5 |
- |
3-99 |
|
4 |
L. G.
Ainsworth |
run out |
30 |
(28) |
4 |
- |
4-132 |
|
5 |
G. J.
Timms |
lbw b Beaumont |
11 |
(22) |
- |
- |
5-137 |
|
6 |
A. Darley |
not out |
0 |
(1) |
- |
- |
|
|
7 |
I.
Howarth * |
not out |
4 |
(1) |
1 |
- |
|
|
8 |
J. A.
Cartwright |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
R. P.
Turner † |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
G.
Carter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
C. D.
Roberts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
W4, LB6, B4 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 5 wickets, 19.2 overs) |
141 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Lawrence |
4 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
2.75 |
|
|
2 |
Raj |
3 |
0 |
31 |
0 |
10.33 |
|
|
3 |
Paul |
3 |
0 |
22 |
1 |
7.33 |
|
|
4 |
Jackson |
2 |
0 |
28 |
1 |
14.00 |
|
|
5 |
Ravi |
4 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
3.75 |
|
|
6 |
Beaumont |
3.2 |
0 |
24 |
1 |
7.20 |
|
|
MOTM: D. Shorten Champagne Moment: L. G. Ainsworth’s late
cut for four (at the death) Buffet Award: C. D. Robert’s caramel tarts (cream topping with choccy bits) MAD
Moment: R. P. Turner’s “walrus on the
beach” moment scrambling behind the stumps as keeper |
Opposition:
V019 / 033 Ground: G013 / 029 Captain: C007 / 079 Match No: 20 / 184 |