Far From The MCC
~ Est. in 1998 ~
*SPOILER* Quite
Possibly
The Best Comeback
The MAD Has Ever
Seen
As OUP Collapse In
The Heat
*/SPOILER*
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Sunday 23rd May
2010 |
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Result: Won by 9 Runs |
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Venue: Jordan Hill |
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40 overs |
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FFTMCC |
148 ao |
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D. Edwards 63,
S. Dobner 19 |
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OUP |
139 ao |
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M. Westmoreland 4 - 27,
S. Dobner 2 - 10 |
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1973 Grand National: Red Rum to win by a nose from being 25
lengths behind at the last fence. 1994 Boxing
Heavyweight World Title: George
Foreman coming out of 10 year retirement to win again at age 45. 2005 Champions
League Final: 2000 Olympics: Steve Redgrave winning fifth consecutive
Gold Medal after asking to be shot if ever seen in a boat again in 1996. 1985 Snooker World
Championship Final: Dennis
Taylor to recover from 8-0 down to win 18-17 on the black ball in the final
frame.
Finally – proof – J. Hoskins actually does something for this club (scoring). And
finally: 1981 Just a few mediocre sporting comebacks to
set the scene of recounting the MAD’s latest victory at Jordan Hill this
Sunday last. In future days, youngsters Googling the list of “Greatest Ever
Sporting Comebacks” will have one more example to ponder and be inspired by: 2010 OUP 40 Over
Match at Jordan Hill: MAD post
148, when all seemed lost with OUP cruising on 87-0, to recover they skittle
the oppo and win by 9 runs. Well ok, maybe it isn’t that great, and
doesn’t really roll off the tongue, but hey, it was a comeback nonetheless.
Unsportingly - OUP tried bowling
at the back of Dan’s head. The
MAD were always up against it after winning the toss and the Skipper neglecting
earlier weather reports that the sun would be hotter later in the day,
decided to bat first. A popular choice nonetheless totally ignoring the cries
of previous Stalwart openers of Edwards and Hebbes got
off to a structurally steady start being careful not to lose early wickets to
the opening bowlers. A tactic which paid dividends to Edwards (63) after
accelerating after the first 28 balls (for a minute Jake was getting excited
about his 31 ball duck record) but no so handsomely for Hebbes (8) who
suffered from Titanic like sluggishness once the pedal was pushed. From there we saw somewhat worryingly water
drinking sober Emerson (6) posted a useful 20 minute session – useful for his
confidence as many more balls were faced than in recent excursions.
Chris Roberts (6) perfects the
cover drive during the Mad finale. A
partnership started to build from there lasting a full half hour with Dobner
(19) looking in fine fettle trotting along with a good strike rate (70) until
deciding that it would be fun to try and balance the ball on top of his own
stumps without knocking the bails off. The lower order this weekend struggled to
get wagging with Cameo performances from Westmoreland (9) and the ‘Goose (9)
the pick of the low scores. Chris ‘Rain Man Apparition Doesn’t Really Have A
Nickname Yet’ Bob Roberts (6), determined not to join the long list of Duck
Debutants creamed his first ball for four to much cheery from the ropes, but
then attempted to cream his fourth ball for four as well, to much cheering of
the straight bowler. We retired to tea in the shade on 149
(Morley 0, Smith 1, Leggate 3, Hotson 1*), pondering whether this would be
enough to deflight the bird of Heron, let alone the entire OUP Team.
The Mad’s use of three batsman at
a time has proved highly controversial. OUP
started very brightly with Heron (50) and Halsey (32) getting off to a crisp
high scoring start looking set. But there was something about Heron that
didn’t look quite right. He skied a few chances, was hobbling down the pitch
for singles when twos were on, and he was giving chances. Many many chances
but the bird would not fall. By drinks OUP were on 79 without loss and it the
outlook of the result was looking directly disproportional to the weather
which seemed to be getting warmer. But <Spoiler>
inspirational comebacks don’t come about without a battering at the beginning
eh? </Spoiler> Inspirational meanderings from Moo started
at drinks, reporting in a boundary interview “We wouldn’t mind this score if
they were four down would we?” No we wouldn’t Moo. But they’re not are they,
and Heron seems to have turned into a Cat. Moo wasn’t the only inspirational member in
the team as Hebbes cajoled Hoskins (8-0-28-1) to stop bowling like a turd and
all seemed to rally in the field following Moo’s lead.
Skipper Westmoreland (batting)
proved inspirational all day. The
breakthrough finally came from none other than the Skipper himself (7-2-27-4)
eventually clattering the Limping Bird’s off stump with a straight one. “One brings Ten” was the cry from behind the
stumps. 87-0 dramatically turned into 102-6 for OUP as the Skip bagged three
quick wickets. Only then spirits were driven higher in the MAD field. Emerson (8-0-35-1) put in a workmanlike
performance stepping in for the tired tireless Moo who took himself off on a
four-for and after a poor start to a second spell, managed to bag a well
deserved wicket and then tighten the run rate to six runs in his last 3
overs. But Crowcroft was putting up some renowned
resistance with Halliday (25) and started to put on a worrying partnership
bringing them tantalisingly close to the 149 target. Time for the Champagne moment as the ever
dangerous Crowcroft (3) tried to slap one over the inner fielders only to be
met by a Pork Pie hat wearing Thornton with an Inspector Gadget type catch
gloving the ball down from the stratosphere. The tail were surely exposed now with OUP on
122-7 and the MAD feeling like the collapse was back on the cards. The call from the skipper was for wickets,
as he orchestrated the field like a Symphony to keep the run rate down and
pile the pressure on the oppo’.
N. Hebbes – all rounder with
ball, bat, fennels and stupid hats. There
was even a time for an inspiration piece of good sportsmanship in the midst
of excitement when Hebbes (6-1-15-2) called back a retiring batsman claiming
he hadn’t touched the ball with his bat despite every other player and the
umpires on the pitch thinking otherwise. “I’m the bowler and I didn’t
appeal.” A stark contrast to that *twat* in Halliday was surely the danger here but then
an inspired bowling change bought on the workhorse of Dobner (5.3-1-10-2) who
seemed to find an extra ten miles an hour to clatter the stumps of Halliday
at a crucial time. 9 runs required off ten balls for OUP to
drag themselves out of the mire but there was only going to be one outcome.
Winning dot balls abounded and when one was returned straight to Dobner as
bowler who reacted with the instincts of a tiger (or was it a fluke we shall
never know) and ricocheted the ball onto the stumps and ran out the non
striking batsman. A further moment of sportsmanship ensued in the Umpire
giving the batsman out only on the Bowlers claim that he had touched the
ball.
The exciting finish proved too
much for the Edwards clan. A fine display highlighted by a superb Captain’s innings (MOTM), where it was proved that: cricket again wins through; inspiration comes from the field; it really does get hotter in the late afternoon; and that the game is never ever lost until the last ball has been bowled. ‘Hoskers’ |
*
MOTM: M. Westmoreland’s
wickets and leadership
Champagne Moment: T. Smith’s
super catch
Buffet Award: Chris
Robert’s elongated sausage rolls