Far From The MCC

~ Est. in 1998 ~

 

“A Game They Should Win,

A Game We Should Have Won”

 

 

Thursday 6th July 2003

Result:  Lost by 52 Runs

Venue:  Pembroke College Sports Ground

35 overs

Bodleian

165 ao

B. Mander  4 - 31,  A. Mann  3 - 20

FFTMCCC

113 ao

I. Howarth  51,  T. Smith  20

 

 

 

Sitting here, watching England play South Africa in their last group game of the Natwest Series sitting pretty needing 100 runs from 20 overs, my mind drifts back to the action on the track at the Pembroke College ground just three days ago. Is it just me or is the season flying by? Can it possibly be nine games into the season, when we first lose a game that we shoulda, coulda won? Back to the Natwest game, Vaughan strikes another fine square cut to reach his fifty, reminiscent of I. Howarth’s fine square cut attempt when he was trying to reach 52. Ney, this was not a game of results. It was a game of class. Performances of sheer mastery. Fielding that good old Jonty would be proud of. I mean, how many times do you see first change bowler D. Jones receive a seam mark on the forehead in his eagerness to get the leather back in his hand? We did well Madsters, we shoulda won.

 

Yet again the skipper Hoskins got the result he wanted from the toss by hypnotising (after a master class from Steady), the opposing captain into calling heads correctly. They fell into the skippers trap, and boy did the Mad cry out in sheer joy when they found out they were to field first in 85-degree humidity. But oh, how those mighty Bods would suffer was the cry from the skip. Flintoff out for 54, good job I sold at 75 two overs ago.

 

 

More beautiful weather was in evidence at Pembroke for the Bodleian game.

 

The Bods started out seemingly better than the first game of the season, opening with their second highest scorer from the first game, and a new boy Tuck, who it must be said did resemble the Friar. It wasn’t long before the Mad struck home with a sizzling display of medium paced sizzingly fast in-swingers from their opening bowler A. Mann (7-0-20-3), a loud shout from the strike bowler sent the Friar back to the winery lbw, and there started the rot.

 

Joint opening bowler S. Dobner returned to an economical rate (7-2-23-0) but had little luck with the wickets, having just one one-zillionenth chance ‘dropped’ by the keeper (J. Hoskins) who saw the ball fly past twenty feet away on the ground, cursing already at the disgruntled fine he would no doubt receive. First change, D. Jones (7-0-31-2) kept up the run with a fine spell, clean bowling Fairweather for two leaving him looking like a battered yacht after a storm. Number four jaunted to the crease looking like he had the world on his shoulders, big shoulders they were that tried to drive the Drag-on down the track, only to sneak an edge into the waiting keepers gloves. Startled, it must be said, were the field.

 

The Bods were reeling, but the Lefty loomed. He who had scored fifty plus on nearly every previous appearance against the Mad was walking into the Valley Of Death. Whispers of doom spread through the ranks, and indeed the Dark Night Of The Soul dawned upon us. “Once more to the breach, Once more to the breach Madsters”, but the Lefty soon took control of the seam bowlers, and a dangerous looking partnership of 30 was reached by Lefty and the opener.

 

But the secret weapon was yet to be revealed. A cunning change of bowling brought on the deadly arm of Iron Hand Mander. Struggling this season with a slight lack of form thus far, young B. Mander showed a level head under his not so level hair, and rose to the challenge of the Lefty who had reached a threatening 20. A right little dunker brought the Lefty out of the crease to smash a kind weird looking, but extremely deadly shot that looked like it would pierce 2-inch lead plating, straight back to the Mad Mander. Little did Lefty realise the sheer power of the Iron Hand, who plucked, nay nestled, said bullet safely into the palms of his hands. Wow.

 

The tail-enders wagged, but hardly enough to rustle a feather as Mander (5.4-0-31-4) took three more wickets, one of which a stumping which left the field, and the keeper, startled. Highlights were I. Howarth (7-0-26-0) doubtless missing the rain in his face, failed to take a wicket but kept the runs hard to get and the Bod total low. J. Hotson filled the one-over void with a brave display although I won’t comment on the levelness of his hair. M. Westmoreland taking a stunning running/hobbling catch low to the ground seemed to suffer from a comical groin injury, which no one knows how he received although doubtless it involved being Northern.

 

So the Bods had reached a fair total of 165, with their opener scoring 78 before being clean bowled by A. Mann. A total which surely was in the reach of the Madsters after their stunning debut 20/19 match performance mid-week

 

The Mad Innings started well with an opening partnership of 30 struck with ease by the openers A. Mann (10), and I. Howarth. T. Smith (20) strode to the crease, determined to repeat his mid-week performance and started to swing the willow with customary style. Things were looking good – positively awe-inspiring – as Smith and Howarth duelled for the limelight trading fours every other shot, or at least they would have been if the Bod outfielders could have seen the boundary markers. Easy Tiger, living up to his name, prowling the boundary soon put a stop to that.

 

T. Smith’s wicket fell for 20, goodness knows how, as the stroke-master was playing with his usual Atherton-esque style but the ball passed the bat somehow, and cleaned bowled Goat-Boy returned to the Pavilion.

 

93-2     93-2     93-2     Shoulda….

 

A sparkling display of batting saw I. Howarth sail past the jug mark for the first time for the Mad, and a confident display by his gloves signalled 15 to the pavilion - the number of runs needed to surpass the Goat Boys mid-week knock. What went wrong? Was it a mass rush of Strongbow to the head? A flash of light reflected from Goat Boy’s watch on the boundary? Who knows, but just as the last ball was bowled from the opening bowlers hand, Howarth surrendered his wicket for 51, still 15 runs short of his personal target. A mighty display, and now we had the pie-chuckers coming in with strike-batting still to enter the fray. Confidence abounded around the scorer’s desk, for all of three minutes….

 

England Won. We should’ve. The Mad collapse ensued, resulting in a total 52 runs short of the target. Fleeting visions of last season spread throughout the team for the first time this year. It will not happen again. For the enthusiasm shown in the team that makes team psychologist Steady’s eyes glint with pride will surely mean that it will not happen again. The Mad reflected in the hostelry afterwards a game which they knew they should have won, and saw a game which they know they will not lose next time, if under the same circumstances.

 

The Mad are on a roll. Odds On, victorious we will be in our next battle.

 

 

‘Hoskers’

 

 

 

 

 

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