“MAD Uninspired by Northern Lights”
Match: 24
/ 614
Lost
by 3 wkts
|
Team |
Total |
|
FFTMCC |
193 - 7 |
|
I. Howarth
48, R. Turner 33* |
|
|
|
|
|
Wantage & Grove CC |
194 - 7 |
|
G. Timms
2 - 34 |
|
|
Most of everyone woke up
on the Sunday morning having failed to see any aurora borealis fireworks, but
they did get to see sunshine streaming around the edges of bedroom curtains
to signal the one day of the British summer having arrived. That, or they
didn’t see either as they were face down on the mattress with a crunching
hangover. The start of any MAD
season begins on the road and today’s adventure would reunite the team with
Wantage & Grove to the southwest of Oxfordshire, a leafy little ground
which saw everything go right for the visitors last year and everything go
further south for the hosts. It is also fondly remembered by those who didn’t
crack their skulls*
on a hardened pitch, as venue to the greatest cricket tea served up in the
21st century.
Carlisle effort above by MAD Player #085
Having avoided A34 road
closures and multiple roadworks on surrounding B-roads, a contrasting team to
the previous weekend decanted to the Lord Nelson for the obligatory pre-match
pint and soul-soothing moan. In absence of Ainsworth, Howarth was moaniest
with Timms chuntering on about the farce of the now political Eurovision Song
Contest. It would be a beautiful
day, in stark contrast to a miserable, elongated winter of incessant rains,
winds and buggered temperatures, and after a short
commute to the ground, Captain Turner wasted little time in maintaining his
100% record of losing the toss [this term] and being pleasantly surprised to
be asked to bat first [again]. A re-jigged batting
order saw Shorten flex his shoulders with a robust bash of 28, with the more
studied efforts of partner Lucan (27) being undone by one that kept low
[exhibit numero uno of 2024’s material for the famed Exhibition of Batting
Incompetence (EBI) to be found on the club’s website].
Hadfield cutting to cover. Hotson (2), Roberts (0)
and Rundle (0) went cheaply, with Williams’ promising knock of 22 being
undone by an unpromising thrash at something that wasn’t really there for a
thrash. 93-6 after 20.5 and all things MAD looking visibly wobbly on a track
as steady as a sniper’s rifle. This uncertain beginning was probably Geoff’s
fault, and although he had contributed nothing of note thus far and done
nothing wrong, it is just a safe bet. Joining his skipper at
the oche, Howarth listened to Russ’ sage-like advice of steadying the ship
before upping the ante, and then deciding he knew best by attempting to twat everything into nearby housing estates without a care
in the world. Fortune favours the
Spam getting caught on the boundary. Teas were not on the
same grandiose, Indian banquet levels of pre-pandemic times, but they were
certainly hearty and extremely well received. So much so, Skipper Turner buggered off after the match without paying for them. The Wantage innings
began as The MAD one had ended, with delicious pick n’ mix truffles supplied
by Roberts (6.2 per over) and Williams (9.5 per over) despatched with
alarming regularity. Rundle (6.5 per over) and Timms (6.8 per over) were
equally profligate, but at least the latter had the audacity to appeal for an
lbw about 5 feet outside off stump [the unfortunate Bramley given by their
umpire on the reverse sweep]. A cricketing sea-change
would finally be affected by the previous week’s luminary, Cornelius Vermaak.
Having checked out the bowling conditions of neighbouring Harwell [yes, he
did go to the wrong ground again], his skiddy Afrikaans efforts of 7-2-26-1
were perhaps less than he deserved. He was complemented firstly by Howarth
(3-0-9-0) and then the wiles of Shorten (4-1-13-1) who finally broke through
Worsley’s defences for a spirited and entertaining tonk of 80. It all came down to the
home side requiring 22 for victory from the final 4 overs with new batsmen at
the crease, and with a grandstand finish beckoning it, erm… never happened. Thanks to some comedic MAD
fielding, where to the casual observer appearances took on that of the
generally infirm and decrepit, catches went to grass, run out attempts became
laudable, and Geoff didn’t do anything much. As such The Grove cantered home
with an over to spare.
In summation, a great
match played in excellent spirit and humour throughout against very
like-minded opposition. Both teams would share a beer and some banter
thereafter, and I’m convinced The MAD have found an alter ego, long may it
last. * - R. P. Turner the unfortunate absentee for an Indian state
banquet, opting for a meal in a bag at the JR instead. ’Tonk Daily’
|
*
Statto Scorecards
|
Far From the MCC versus Wantage &
Grove CC Played at Wantage & Grove, 12 May
2024 Wantage & Grove CC won the toss
and elected to field Wantage & Grove CC won by 3 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: n/a |
24 / 614 35 over match |
|
Team |
Far From the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
R. J. T.
Hadfield |
b Turnbull |
27 |
(45) |
3 |
- |
1-45 |
|
2 |
D.
Shorten |
lbw b Preston |
28 |
(18) |
6 |
- |
2-47 |
|
3 |
J. C. W.
Hotson |
c Sparrow b Preston |
2 |
(11) |
- |
- |
3-48 |
|
4 |
C. D.
Roberts |
b Turnbull |
0 |
(6) |
- |
- |
4-73 |
|
5 |
C. T. J.
Williams |
c Morgan b Buckland |
22 |
(27) |
2 |
1 |
5-85 |
|
6 |
R. P.
Turner * |
not out |
33 |
(54) |
2 |
- |
6-93 |
|
7 |
M. S.
Rundle |
b Turnbull |
0 |
(8) |
- |
- |
7-159 |
|
8 |
I.
Howarth |
c Bramley b Preston |
48 |
(33) |
6 |
2 |
|
|
9 |
G. J.
Timms |
not out |
18 |
(10) |
3 |
- |
|
|
10 |
C. J.
Vermaak |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
G.
Carter † |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
NB2, W10, B3 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 7 wickets, 35 overs) |
193 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Malyon |
6 |
0 |
45 |
0 |
7.50 |
|
|
2 |
Preston |
7 |
1 |
22 |
3 |
3.14 |
|
|
3 |
Turnbull |
7 |
0 |
28 |
3 |
4.00 |
|
|
4 |
Buckland |
7 |
0 |
26 |
1 |
3.71 |
|
|
5 |
Worsley |
2 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
10.00 |
|
|
6 |
Morgan |
5 |
0 |
37 |
0 |
7.40 |
|
|
7 |
Bramley |
1 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
15.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Wantage & Grove CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
J.
Worsley |
b Shorten |
80 |
|
11 |
- |
1-40 |
|
2 |
T.
Faraday |
c Turner b Roberts |
12 |
|
2 |
- |
2-94 |
|
3 |
S.
Bramley |
lbw b Timms |
39 |
|
5 |
2 |
3-100 |
|
4 |
L.
Moradi |
b Rundle |
4 |
|
1 |
- |
4-140 |
|
5 |
T.
Sparrow † |
c Hadfield b Timms |
13 |
|
2 |
- |
5-164 |
|
6 |
A. Wong |
b Vermaak |
9 |
|
1 |
- |
6-171 |
|
7 |
S. Malyon |
run out (Shorten/Roberts) |
11 |
|
- |
- |
7-183 |
|
8 |
K.
Morgan * |
not out |
3 |
|
- |
- |
|
|
9 |
A.
Buckland |
not out |
8 |
|
1 |
- |
|
|
10 |
J.
Turnbull |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
O.
Preston |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
NB1, W9, B5 |
15 |
|
|
||
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 7 wickets, 34 overs) |
194 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Roberts |
5 |
0 |
31 |
1 |
6.20 |
|
|
2 |
Williams |
4 |
0 |
38 |
0 |
9.50 |
|
|
3 |
Rundle |
6 |
0 |
39 |
1 |
6.50 |
|
|
4 |
Timms |
5 |
0 |
34 |
2 |
6.80 |
|
|
5 |
Howarth |
3 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
3.00 |
|
|
6 |
Vermaak |
7 |
2 |
26 |
1 |
3.71 |
|
|
7 |
Shorten |
4 |
1 |
13 |
1 |
3.25 |
|
|
MOTM: I. Howarth Champagne Moment: I. Howarth’s second maximum
onto the clubhouse roof Buffet Award: C. T. J. Williams’ marmalised eclairs (extra choccy bits) MAD
Moment: R. P. Turner absence of duty
by watching ball fly past him and doing nothing to furtherly
then watch Bob chase it despairingly to the boundary [for four] |
Opposition:
V098 / 003 Ground: G089 / 003 Captain: C024 / 084 Match No: 35 / 229 |