Far From The MCC
~ Est. in 1998 ~
“Edwards Creates History
As The Mad Hit The Ground Running”
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Sunday 30th
April 2006 |
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Result: Won by 51 Runs |
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Venue: Wootton & Boars Hill |
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40 overs |
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FFTMCC |
191 - 5 |
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D. Edwards 103*,
G. Littlechild 22 |
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Wootton & Boars
Hill |
140 ao |
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S. Dobner 4 - 9 |
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Under the glare of
the media spotlight, D. Edwards fielded questions from Sky Sports interviewer
J. Agnew, after his historic efforts with the bat earlier in the day: J: “Well, Dan, you must be one happy man after
today’s performance?” D: “Haha. Thanks, Jonathan. It’s all a little
bit surreal right now, I’m over the moon. But I couldn’t have done it without
the help of my team-mates. So I’d just like to thank them for making this
dream happen. Especially Matt who kept the scoreboard rolling as I neared my
ton.” J: “It has been suggested by some of the
spectators that you became very self-important at this stage of your knock.
How d’you defend yourself against these allegations?” D: “Well, Jonathan, it just kinda happened. I
got a little carried away. You know – great knock, great baby, great wife,
super dog etc etc.” J: “Ha. I guess we can give you a little slack
there, Dan. Would you like to add anything as I close this interview out?” D: “Sure. I’d just like to thank god for
making this happen, and if anyone needs any trees cutting to size, then Branching
Out can cater for all your needs and requirements. The number is…. etc
etc.”
D. Edwards (left) became the Mad’s first centurion. * * * A new season. A new era. A new skipper. And a couple of new
faces. 2006 had gotten
underway on a rather chilly day at a picturesque ground belonging to Wootton
& Boars Hill. It was the kind of day that threatened to turn sunny and
leave the players requiring only 16 jumpers each as opposed to the 31 which
most were sporting. Unfortunately, what sun there was, was so brief as to be
pointless. But you know, this was April not summer, so moaning about it
seemed a little unfair. But moan we did. And the moaning increased as a succession
of Spitfires, Tornado jets, and other assorted aircraft tore through the grey
skies above as they entertained a nearby crowd at an air-show. I mean how
selfish is that? Do these organisers not check that there may be a game of
cricket being played nearby? Dumb ass-holes.
The scenic Wootton & Boars Hill ground. Winning the toss,
new Sports teacher, and
part-time bionic man G. Littlechild (22) took up the baton, and together with
the dogged Edwards, ushered the score to 79 before he was caught playing a
rather lazy pull shot. A shame, as
“Jesus! All these f*cking wickets falling – I can’t keep up!” All the while
Edwards was quietly accumulating at the other end, and he found an able ally
in G. Carter. Together the pair began to unfurl some more adventurous shots,
and pretty soon the Wootton bowling became ragged, especially with loaned
Madster A. Morley refusing to catch any of Dan’s skied offerings. Spellcaster
was particularly savage in the twilight of his innings as he took full
advantage of a short leg-side boundary and peppered it with fours and sixes.
And with an over to spare, Edwards had progressed to the dizzy heights of the
high nineties. Now if anyone knows anything about Mad history, then one of
the more astonishing facts is that the team, in it’s many different guises,
had never realised a century maker – despite some painfully close attempts.
Was this finally to be the day? Yes it was. After nudging the ball into a
vacant gap in the field, Edwards, perspiration flowing from under his helmet,
secured the single to achieve the milestone – the first Mad century since the
team had been formed 8 years ago! He was greeted with lengthy applause, and
even grandmother Esther Marmalade was woken from her slumber to clap his
achievement. Edwards (103*) and
Carter (17*) remained unbeaten at the end, as the Mad finished on 191-5 after
an unbroken partnership of 73. It was a good total after the slow beginnings,
and one that allowed the team to enjoy their tea after a job well done.
Amazing how It was 17:00 when
the FFTMCC took to the field, and what warmth there had been during the
afternoon had long since gone. So it was no surprise to see ex-skipper, J.
Hoskins, take to the field with a fleece-jacket under his sleeveless cricket
sweater. The fact he looked like a homeless bum was irrelevant to him as he
laughed at his shivering team-mates from under his sheep-like exterior. The Wootton innings
began with a bang, as neither A. Mann (8-0-35-0), nor M. Westmoreland
(5-1-20-0) could snare a wicket between them. In fact, the only real
happening was the ball being despatched with alarming regularity to the
boundary after a succession of short deliveries. Pretty soon, the Wootton
unit had pulled and clubbed their way to 72 without loss in only the 13th
over. It wasn’t good, and the omens looked bad for the Mad at this stage. The introduction of
debutant, M. Reeves (5-1-20-1), had failed to stem the flow of runs, but he
then produced one to have young opener, A. Fisher (30) caught at mid on - a
fine catch by Goldenballs himself, D. Edwards. This dismissal seemed to
unsettle Wootton, and J. Hoskins (6-1-22-1), twirling and whirling from the
Power Station End, had the rampaging J. Studds (40) caught at square after a
poorly placed pull shot. It was an excellent catch by M. Westmoreland, and
after a golden duck, a broken bat, and a would-be wicketless day, it was
something for his team-mates to congratulate him on, and something for him to
feel a whole lot happier about. Although Moo would later be applauded for an
ornate treasury box he had brought to proceedings….
The Mad soon cluttered the pavilion up. Wootton were still
in it, but with the dismissal of their talented openers in successive overs,
cracks began to appear in their batting makeup. Step forward Walmart Floor
Supervisor, S. Dobner – bristling with intent, and desperate to lay his paws
on the cherry and prove he was back from the bowling wilderness after a year
out where he would “never bowl for the Mad again”. In a quite superb
spell, Twinkle (8-2-9-4) ran through the opponent’s middle order reducing
them to 127-8 with the kind of accuracy that left his team mates scratching
their heads. Where had he been? It could have been better too - especially if
the skipper had clung on to a sharp one-handed catch, or the maligned Moo Boy
hadn’t spilled a dolly in the covers. A 5-for and a century on the same day?
Maybe too much to ask for. It was just left for
the skipper (1-0-6-1) and ‘Spam’ |
*
MOTM: D. Edwards
– who else?
Champagne Moment: D. Edwards
bringing his ton up!
Buffet Award: T. Smith’s
vegetarian lasagne