Far From The MCC

~ Est. in 1998 ~

“Captain’s Log”

It would seem every year for the Far From The MCC is a transitional year, and 2006 was no different. Previous skipper J. Hoskins made way for my goodself as he relinquished the pressures and responsibilities that the role of captaincy brings, and instead focussed his energies on being a team player once more. I would bring my experience of playing cricket in the Cornwall leagues (and for the Mad) to bare, and hopefully continue the good work that James had manifested over the past 3 years.

I must admit to being slightly nervous at the start of the 2006 campaign. It’s one thing standing in as captain for the odd tour game, but it’s another scenario altogether when you have a whole season to contend with, and all the myriad of problems and decisions that come your way over the course of it. Being the skipper of the Mad has learnt me one valuable lesson – that keeping the spirit going within the team is paramount to not only the club’s success, but also to it’s future. Without a good team spirit, the club and the day fail regardless of the result.

Team spirit would bring the best out of the Mad players.

One of the main differences between this season and last (as it transpired), would have to be the number of players who made themselves available. When in the past, previous skippers had struggled to fill a team sheet, my problem (and a good one I suppose) was having to choose people to “rest” for various fixtures. I tried to balance this as best I could whilst trying to keep everyone in the groove – making sure that players didn’t miss 2 games running and remained an integral part of the team. The wettest May in living memory would scupper these early designs as games against Wootton & Bladon and Tackley CC fell foul of the weather, but over the course of the season I would say things pretty much worked out (which is a credit to all concerned) - I only received the odd complaint – the most amusing being Mr. Cavanagh demanding an explanation to why his name was missing from a “strongest team XI”!

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We started the season well, and I was delighted for D. Edwards who notched the first Mad century in our win against Wootton & Boars Hill. I also felt vindicated in my decision to ask Stevie Dobner to concentrate on bowling for the season. We were blessed in the batting department, but lacked depth in bowling (at this point), and so when he returned figures of 4 for 9 to propel us to victory it gave me a huge smile.

“4 for 9. Would’ve been a 5-for if you dozy bastards could catch!”

The following month and a half would be very trying indeed – both for the Mad and myself. Despite reducing Cholsey to 32-5 protecting a score of 93 on another dismal track, we let the game slip to some late order slogging on their behalf. This disappointment was compounded the following week by losing another tight affair to R. T. Harris (a team we have never beaten). After some excellent bowling, and beginning our run chase with solid foundations, we again finished short by the sum of just 20 runs with balls to spare. This was perhaps my most disappointing moment of the season, as I was to finish stranded at one end and wishing I had batted myself up the order (put it down to experience). I also ran Martin out which gave up one of the quotes of the year (see report from that game).

After the rain of early May came a mauling at the hands of the OU Offices. Despite setting a handy score of 184, the Offices breezed past it thanks to a certain gentleman by the name of Roycroft (or the Director as they nicknamed him). This guy was in a different class to be honest, and as entertaining as it was to watch him slap us all over the centre of Oxford (including into the science labs of the adjoining campus), one did wonder what possible enjoyment the Offices were getting out of it (this would maybe have ramifications for our later encounter with them). Next up was Milton….

J. Hoskins fending off the Cholsey attack.

There is a low point to every season, and sure enough, mine, and probably the team’s, was what would transpire as the “Milton Debacle”. The world “debacle” – check it out on the internet and one of the definitions you’ll find is “a sudden and violent collapse”. There can’t be a more apt term to describe what happened in Bloxham that day – inexplicable maybe, but I really wondered where we were heading after that game. I further compounded the misery by sending out a rather terse e-mail on the Monday morning enquiring as to people’s availability the following week – again, put it down to experience, but I can’t help thinking that all teams need to hit rock bottom to appreciate the highs. Strange (and ironic) that one of the season’s real highs should then be the week after – a resounding 145 run win over OCA League team Hanney CC. It also marked a turning point in M. Westmoreland’s Mad career, who after registering a second golden duck of the season against Milton (and frustrating us all with his inability to convert his obvious talent into runs for 3 years), would become the Mad’s second centurion of the season. My nagging him to open the batting on this day, and asking Dan to talk him through the first few overs restored a lot of my happiness in captaincy - as did smacking my work colleague’s team all over Pembroke! If you were to have drawn a line graph of team morale over those 8 days in June – it really would have looked like the Manhattan skyline.

The Football World Cup interfered with our now traditional Lemmings encounter, reducing the overs of the game to suit the kick-off of an England game. So although we would ultimately lose this match, I didn’t see it as a major failing by anyone – save for myself who got bowled having a moo with my dad umpiring at the bowler’s end! He never does see me get any runs….

July was a golden month for the Mad.

July was simply superb. A golden month to live long in the memory (apart from my suffering a case of dehydration in one encounter) as the Mad won all 5 of their games and enjoyed a bucket load of sunshine and runs to boot. The Offices would get their just deserves after our earlier loss to them at the University Club – Martin would again notch an undefeated ton, and together with D. Edwards, pretty much batted them out of the game. Our fielding was energetic, and the bowling of S. Parkinson, A. Mann, S. Dobner and M. Reeves would torment the opposition just like they would in other games that season. I was also heartened to see ex-skipper J. Hoskins getting back amongst the wickets after speaking with him at length about getting the field setting right for him. It’s always nice to reap the rewards for exercising some thought into a problem. Captaincy would seem to be as much about keeping your eyes on everyone else (making sure heads don’t go down), as keeping tabs on the game itself as it progresses to it’s inevitable conclusion (again you learn learn learn).

New opponents Tackley would then be ran over, and our old adversaries Wootton & Bladon would be humbled as the Mad posted a massive 234-4 under the guidance of my vice skipper D. Edwards. Easy victories then followed against the Bodleian and the OU Press – yet whilst the performances of the players were excellent, these games would maybe underline differences of opinion as to our approach to the games when the opposition was clearly struggling. I didn’t see a huge amount wrong in our attitude (or what decisions I made), but I concede I could have mixed the bowling up a little and maybe made more of a game of things when it became obvious the opposition were not going to win. Once more, you put situations such as these down to experience, and it only goes to underline the fact you can’t keep everyone happy all of the time.

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Charles Thomas Mander (5^th Mad baby of the year) – a leg spin bowler maybe?

Due to the amount of babies* being produced by the player’s of the Mad over the course of 2006, it was hardly surprising that our annual summer tour never got off the ground - people were unable to commit to certain dates, and as such a proposed trip to Holland was scrapped resulting in August looking a little light on action. First up would be a return of the Swindon Nomads to our Pembroke home. They proved a more than worthy adversary, and would serve up the Mad’s first defeat since the Lemmings game. I applauded their approach to that game – mixing aggression with good banter, and it’s just a shame we didn’t perform on the day (including myself who retired after copping a blow to the elbow). A trip to Hanney a few weeks later would again allow our batsmen to fill their boots, and in particular G. Littlechild who notched the Mad’s fourth, and highest ton of the year (117*). His batting end of season was a revelation, and when you consider the confidence his wicket keeping has given our bowlers, it is not hard to see how the Mad miss our Barrow Boy when he is in detention.

The curtain would finally come down on the season after a gripping win against a very worthy Cholsey outfit. Matches against the Cheese Boys are always competitive, and again it would be the in-form Gary who would star with the bat, but it would be a dereliction of duty in failing to acknowledge the team’s collective spirit on that day – animated and joy to behold. As captain, that is something I am rightly proud of and it has made my job so much easier on many occasions this term.

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Just some of the regulars who contributed to a successful 2006 season.

I’ve mentioned a few names in passing over the course of this log, but everybody who played for the Mad during 2006 contributed to the success. I feel they all responded to me in a positive way and after managing to win 60% of our matches, as a team we should feel rightly chuffed with ourselves. The spirit of the Far From The MCC was begun 8 years ago and the heartbeat is still going strong, and with the many new faces that would turn out for us over the course of the season, it not only gave the club an injection of life but also safeguarded it’s future.

Here’s to an equally successful and enjoyable campaign in 2007, in whatever capacity I share the fun. As long as I’m the Director, Chairman, Captain, Vice-Captain, Treasurer, Fixtures Secretary, open the bowling and the batting, and take all the corners and penalties.

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Mini Moo will mostly be using the leg-side.

* - Post season congratulations to both Martin and Mel Westmoreland who celebrated the birth of their first child Daniel, and also to Ben and his girlfriend Vickie who brought Charles Thomas Mander into the world.

‘Spam’

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