“Cream Teas:
A Much More Successful Experience Than The
Cricket”
Match: 24
/ 630
Lost
by 32 runs
|
Team |
Total |
|
Stogumber CC |
175 - 6 |
|
J. Cartwright 2 - 23 |
|
|
|
|
|
FFTMCC |
143 - 5 |
|
R. Hadfield 32*,
L. Ainsworth 32* |
|
|
A long, long time
ago before computers broke at the turn of the second millennia, Edmund Lester
went to the Jude The Obscure pub to get pissed with his mates. After a
session of unknown length and unquantified consumption, landlord Noel Reilly
agreed to back Ed’s wishful idea to start a cricket team and invest in some
kit and a few cheap bats. That this idea conceived on a boozy night would
come to fruition is remarkable, more so that the team still exists today
albeit under a different name*.
The old Jude The Obscure. Another of Ed’s
imaginations was that of a Cricket Tour, taking his merry band of dishevelled
alcoholics on trips to Dorset (Bridehead in Little
Bredy) and Callington in rain splattered Cornwall. There they would bond and
create stories and memories that would live long in the memory after people
awoke on beaches or the wooden floors of pubs and hotels. But his greatest
coup before he left for a new life in New Zealand was that of orchestrating a
Tour to Minehead, Somerset in 2003. It was a hugely successful and symbolic trip,
which took in both the costal and rural beauty of an area that truly captures
the imagination. Fast forward some twenty
years later and many of team’s faces may have changed, but the beaches and
surrounds have not. Neither have many of the pubs, such as The Old Ship
Aground, where this year’s star-studded ensemble would meet for a pint or
three to decide on a final XI for the evening’s T20 soiree in Stogumber (a
Top Trump pick and coin toss).
The picturesque hilltop
ground is one that has entered MAD folklore and the journey there by steam /
diesel train is similarly fabled, either with the accompanying buffet wagon
or copious tins and bottles stashed in kitbags from the station café. This
year marked a slight deviation from previous excursions, with an hour-long
repair at the Stogumber station café and gardens for a lovely spread of cream
teas (a perfect antidote for those already showing symptoms of an afternoon
on the piss). On arrival at the ground
after a short tug of kitbags and Giant Ducks along a neighbouring B-road, the
tourists made quick use of the bar before making longer use of the bar. Young
Blake booted a ball about, Spam played with his camera, and all was lovely
with the world until the team realised Russ had left The MAD scorebook back
at the hotel.
Winning the toss, Mr
Hadfield quickly decided on getting the fielding out the way and watched on
as early wickets from Rundle and Hoskins were superseded by a clatter of runs
as Mike Reeves got humped and pumped around the Brendon Hills (skipper E
Hayes (34* retired) the tonkiest with three balls sailing into adjacent paddocks
and cornfields). Throughout this sunny evening
biff fest, Chairdude Bullock was exemplary behind the stumps with two catches
and a stumping, whilst wily old Joe Cartwright rolled back the years with a
cheeky 2-fer. Stoggy eventually completed on 176-6 from
their allotted overs. Non players Bateman, Howarth, Roberts, Shorten and
Williams drank some more and entertained young Blake by kicking a ball about.
In reply, requiring a
casual 9 per over for victory, with the action serenaded by a ghetto blaster,
the dismissal of Hotson allowed Hadfield and Ainsworth (both 32* retired) to
top up their averages, before things kind of fell away. Joe limped off, Russ
got sawn off and Geoff went out briefly to swat some flies before returning
moments later. Some late hitting from Reeves and Hoskins added some gloss to
The MAD total, with Mr Timms’ switch-hit for four off the final ball signalling
a MAD defeat by 33 runs. As was the case some 21 years earlier, the home side
used all ten bowlers. A thoroughly enjoyable
evening would be finalised by consuming some more alcohol, enjoying barbs and
banter with a very hospitable opposition, watching the sun slowly set behind
the dreamy hilltops and hoofing a ball about some more with little Blake. The
only slight aberration would be the decision by some to entertain near death
and injury by trying their hand(s) at some long-distance catching practice
under a now starlit sky (the mind boggles).
With the team picked for
the following day’s excursion to Carhampton
(below), Taxis back to Minehead were on very much on point, beer and wine
flowed at a pace at Wetherspoons, and everyone made it back to a bed (at some point)… bring on Day 2! * - Far from the MCC
’Histon O’Rien’
|
*
Statto Scorecards
|
Far From the MCC versus Stogumber CC Played at Stogumber, 1 August 2024 Far from the MCC won the toss and
elected to field Stogumber CC won by 33 runs Far from the MCC debuts: n/a |
24 / 630 20 over match |
|
Team |
Stogumber CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
Z. Rexworthy † |
c Ainsworth b Rundle |
0 |
|
- |
- |
1-0 |
|
2 |
B.
Wilson |
c Bullock b Hoskins |
7 |
|
1 |
- |
2-42 |
|
3 |
W. Moore |
retired |
33 |
|
6 |
- |
3-106 |
|
4 |
E. Hayes
* |
retired |
34 |
|
3 |
3 |
4-114 |
|
5 |
C.
Jenkins |
retired |
30 |
|
3 |
1 |
5-120 |
|
6 |
B. Rexworthy |
c Bullock b Reeves |
8 |
|
2 |
- |
6-163 |
|
7 |
G.
Harper |
st Bullock b Timms |
1 |
|
- |
- |
|
|
8 |
A. Elgar |
c Reeves b Cartwright |
2 |
|
- |
- |
|
|
9 |
C. Smith |
not out |
23 |
|
3 |
- |
|
|
10 |
S. Yaw |
c Turner b Cartwright |
20 |
|
1 |
2 |
|
|
11 |
J.
Jenkins |
not out |
10 |
|
- |
- |
|
|
|
Extras |
NB2, W1, LB1, B4 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 6 wickets, 20 overs) |
176 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Rundle |
3 |
0 |
21 |
1 |
7.00 |
|
|
2 |
Hoskins |
3 |
0 |
24 |
1 |
8.00 |
|
|
3 |
Reeves |
3 |
0 |
43 |
1 |
14.33 |
|
|
4 |
Timms |
3 |
0 |
25 |
1 |
8.33 |
|
|
5 |
Ainsworth |
2 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
7.00 |
|
|
6 |
Turner |
3 |
0 |
24 |
0 |
8.00 |
|
|
7 |
Cartwright |
3 |
0 |
23 |
2 |
7.67 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Far from
the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
R. J. T.
Hadfield * |
retired |
32 |
(30) |
3 |
1 |
1-47 |
|
2 |
J. C. W.
Hotson |
c unknown b Harper |
6 |
(17) |
- |
- |
2-73 |
|
3 |
L. G.
Ainsworth |
retired |
32 |
(32) |
4 |
- |
3-91 |
|
4 |
J. A.
Cartwright |
retired hurt |
1 |
(1) |
- |
- |
4-134 |
|
5 |
G.
Carter |
b B. Rexworthy |
1 |
(6) |
- |
- |
5-139 |
|
6 |
R. P.
Turner |
run out |
4 |
(3) |
- |
- |
|
|
7 |
M. K.
Reeves |
not out |
16 |
(14) |
1 |
1 |
|
|
8 |
J. D.
Hoskins |
st Z. Rexworthy |
11 |
(9) |
1 |
1 |
|
|
9 |
M.
Bullock † |
c unknown b Yaw |
5 |
(5) |
1 |
- |
|
|
10 |
G. J.
Timms |
not out |
4 |
(3) |
1 |
- |
|
|
11 |
M. S.
Rundle |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
W10, LB3, B13, PEN5 |
31 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 5 wickets, 20 overs) |
143 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Smith |
2 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
8.50 |
|
|
2 |
C.
Jenkins |
2 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
7.00 |
|
|
3 |
Harper |
2 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
5.50 |
|
|
4 |
Wilson |
2 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
5.50 |
|
|
5 |
Moore |
2 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
4.50 |
|
|
6 |
B. Rexworthy |
2 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
4.00 |
|
|
7 |
J.
Jenkins |
2 |
0 |
18 |
0 |
9.00 |
|
|
8 |
Hayes |
2 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
5.00 |
|
|
9 |
Elgar |
2 |
0 |
23 |
1 |
11.50 |
|
|
10 |
Yaw |
2 |
0 |
10 |
1 |
5.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: R. J. T. Hadfield retired
63-1 (9.0 ovs), J.
A. Cartwright retired hurt 66-1 (9.3 ovs),
L. G. Ainsworth retired 115-3 (16.3 ovs) |
|||||||
|
MOTM: J. A. Cartwright Champagne Moment: G. J. Timms’ switch hit
for four (final ball) Buffet Award: M. K. Reeves’ Nottingham sausages with extra chips (salad side) MAD
Moment: J. D. Hoskins run out fiasco
after hearing umpire I. Howarth say “well caught” to a drop and walking out
of crease to pavilion (called back) |
Opposition:
V031 / 006 Ground: G022 / 006 Captain: C034 / 002 Match No: 20 / 188 |