Far From The MCC

~ Est. in 1998 ~

 

“Sun Sets On The Offices

In Final T20”

 

 

Friday 23rd July 2010

Result:  Won by 2 Wkts

Venue:  Jesus College

20 overs

OU Offices

122 - 9

D. Edwards  3 - 6,  T. Smith  2 - 19

FFTMCC

124 - 8

D. Edwards  30*,  D. Emerson  22

 

 

 

Everyone thought it was a rivalry that had lasted ten years - surely it seemed that long? But looking back through the record books the first recorded match between OU Offices and Far From The MCC (under the subtly different former name of 'Far From The Madding Crowd CC') was indeed only six years ago. Look in the book and you will see the first wicket to be taken was that of OPENER J. Hotson b.3 Malik - how things have changed. Partnered by I. Howarth b.38 by someone by the name of Darley - some things never change. Darley would be the lynchpin of the OU Offices side for years to come, enjoying having Howarth as his bunny as well as being the bunny of one A. Mann. Six years later, eleven matches and 2,977 runs later, the teams would meet for one more T20 experience at Jesus College for what might be the last game between the two sides.

 

 

Guard of Honour for the OU Offices….

 

OU Offices fielded a side with no less than three regular MADsters, captained by Darley himself, who won the toss and elected to bat.

 

Getting off to a battering start, P. Mellor (29) flayed the ball to all corners of the circular boundary before being caught and bowled by T. Smith, partnered by Williams (6) the run rate was kept high for the first five overs. Westmoreland provided the breakthrough (4-0-20-1) and J. Pearson (4-0-20-1) mirrored his performance admirably.

 

Psycho (14) entered the fray with intent to clear the boundary with every stroke before being tempted with one too many of Hoskins (3-0-34-2) pies - looping it straight into the safe hands of Moo at cow. The potentially joyous double of Psycho and Darley in consecutive balls however was thwarted by an expensive drop at mid-off, and Darley tried to make best use of his good fortune by knocking some splendid shots over the long on Boundary rope. Farenga (0) was next to go for a duck bowled regretfully by Thornton (3-0-19-2). Regretfully being the word, because, as the game was being played in such good fashion with banter from either side, it seemed as though everyone wanted everyone to have a good game. Darley continued to spray the ball around with the bat however his downfall was marked upon claiming a "Shallow like over" which did nothing but motivate Hoskins to bowl a scintillating over of pace culminating in an attempted reverse sweep by Darley (20) which saw his off-stump cartwheel (yes cartwheel) out of the ground.

 

 

Psycho watches on as J. Pearson and D. Edwards help steer the Mad home.

 

Malloy (14), Timms (7) and Fleet (14) had more in common than their scores being divisible by seven - despite keeping the run rate ticking over at a steady six an over for the Offices, they fell to the canny flighted deliveries of D. Edwards producing the wizardry figures of (3-0-6-3). Leggate's pies failed to tempt this game producing some rather familiar 14 related figures of (2-0-28-0 at an avg. of 14 runs per over) Fourteen is cropping up a lot in Leggate's life just lately - what can this possibly mean?

 

Our very own T. B. Roberts (4) and Coleman (1) steered the Offices home to a total of 122... maybe enough, maybe not.

 

A quick turnaround was required as the light was dropping, and an unfamiliar opening partnership of an inform Reevsie (8) and T20 specialist Emerson (22) put on a very quick partnership of 31. Leggate unfortunately didn't manage to continue the 14 form, being returned to the hutch on a Golden, quickly followed by N. Hebbes for another duck. A mini collapse of four wickets for five runs ensued and the run rate fell alarmingly. The ship was steadied however by D. Edwards (30*) and J. Hotson (5) putting on a much needed partnership.

 

 

Traitor, D. Emerson (22), carts his old mates about Jesus College.

 

Cameos and no more were played out by J. Hoskins (7) and M. Bullock (6) who didn't waste any balls but wickets kept falling thick and fast with T. Smith (1) also falling cheaply.

 

With just two wickets remaining and the light failing, the MAD still needed 20 runs off the last three overs with Westmoreland (5*) and Pearson in at the death. Tension mounted with a rally of dot balls to Pearson before finally being reminded to "stop batting like a Public Schoolboy" by umpire Emerson to produce a rally of boundaries and twos to bring us needing 2 runs off the final ball to tie the match.

 

Fitting then it was for Darley (3-0-17-0) to bowl the final ball full and good line, only to be cover driven by Pearson to a waiting fielder at long off. Fortunately for the MAD, Pearson picked the right fielder out, as the ball somehow dematerialised through the fielder and went on to the boundary to notch an unlikely victory for the MAD.

 

 

The sun signals the end of an era… maybe.

 

And so it ends - maybe. For the Offices side may not exist next Season, at least not in their current form. A fitting match to end an era of good banter, good nets, good matches and great friendships. Let's see what the new era brings....

 

 

‘Hoskers’

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

ne

Statto's Scorecard

No Fines on this Day

 

 

MOTM:  D. Edwards’ 3-for and runs

Champagne Moment:  D. Emerson’s six

Buffet Award:  I. Leggate’s marinated chicken breasts (with plum sauce)

 

 

 

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