“Average Joe Realises What he has Signed up For”

Match: 25 / 640

Lost by 7 wkts

Team	Total
FFTMCC	119 - 7
L. Ainsworth 58, R. Hadfield 22
Enstone CC	120 - 3
J. Nickel 2 - 19

Welcome then to the 2025 season. Welcome too, to Joe Nickel, player number 167. Joe is not old Joe Cartwright, or even young Joe Westmoreland, but middle Joe, average Joe. Purporting to know Rundle and Darley from some time wasted at the offices, he sensibly moved to London and then for reasons best known to himself un-sensibly moved from there to Botley.

It was a glorious day, mid-twenties, last seen at this venue in 2018, meaning we were in Enstona and Barbuda, rather than the eastern bloc wasteland of Enstonia. Enstone won the toss and put us into bat. Mike was particularly pleased with this as he arrived five minutes after the match started, having been delayed by 100+ tractors blocking the road through Shipston-on-Stour in an impromptu tractor festival. Although the word festival is doing more heavy lifting there than the combined haulage of 100+ of them.

Hadfield (22) and Ainsworth (58) opened the batting. AJ (average Joe) gamely and generously offered to umpire from the start and was rewarded when the very first ball crashed into Hadfield’s pads for a more than decent lbw shout. From 150 yards away beyond the boundary it was obvious to the entire partisan crowd that it was clearly going 0.5mm over the top of middle, but would Joe see that? Yes he did, well done Joe, well navigated out of a sticky situation.

From there the openers made steady progress against some better than average bowling. The departure of Hadfield bought Carter (0) to the crease. Having survived a few balls, he was run out by Ainsworth calling for a second run. Later in his innings Ainsworth tried to earn the nickname ‘Shipman’ for also trying to cause the demise of Cartwright (3).

Next up was Turner (0). Gary was umpiring and did his best to ensure he was walking home, by triggering him lbw second ball. No hard feelings though, it was apparently plumb. Having reached his 50, Ainsworth tried to up the rate, but holed out in the deep, for a 58, exactly the same score as the first match of last season. With Geoff also run out in that match, it was deja-vue all over again.

Library footage of Lee hitting something somewhere.

The MAD struggled to 119 in their 35 overs, not really a competitive score, but the best that could be achieved against good bowling and long grass in the outfield. There was no tea this time, so a relatively quick turn-around.

Reeves (7-1-30-1) and Nickel (7-2-19-2) opened the bowling as the tractors returned home from their festival. Both were pleased to pick up wickets with Joe bowling especially well to lead the way in the wickets this season. Enstone chugged along, always a little above the rate with plenty of wickets in hand and reached their target with 4.5 over to spare.

After the game Russ was honoured with a tankard to mark his 100th game as captain. He was presented with it by Gary, the only other player MAD enough to also pass 100 captaining games. After that we sat around in the warm evening sun for a bit, talking general shite and looking forward to a sunny summer to come.

’Reevsie’

*

Statto Scorecards

Far From the MCC versus Enstone CC Played at Enstone, 27 April 2025 Enstone CC won the toss and elected to field Enstone won by 7 wkts Far from the MCC debuts: Joe Nickel (167)

25 / 640 35 over match

Team	Far from the MCC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
	TOTAL	(for 7 wickets, 35 overs)	119

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ
1
2
3
4
5
6

Team	Enstone CC
#	Batsman	How Out	Total	Balls	4s	6s	FOW
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
	TOTAL	(for 3 wickets, 30 overs)	120

#	Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

MOTM: L. G. Ainsworth Champagne Moment: J. Nickel’s first MAD wicket (on debut) Buffet Award: D. Shorten’s expired oats in homemade honey (no spoon fingers only) MAD Moment: J. C. W. Hotson’s flatulence whilst keeping

Opposition: V0 / 0 Ground: G0 / 0 Captain: C0 / 0 Match No: 35 / 241