“The Ainsworth’s Swap Truck for a Truck”
Match: 25
/ 661
Lost
by 16 runs
|
Team |
Total |
|
Stogumber CC |
161 - 6 |
|
L. Ainsworth
1 - 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
FFTMCC |
145 - 7 |
|
M. Reeves
30*, C.
Williams 28* |
|
|
Following endless rambles
and bollock-ons since the start of the season, The
MAD Tour had suddenly arrived. Every year it seems that time gets distorted
in a quicker and quicker manner, or is that just the process of growing
older? Twenty-two years ago,
The MAD first made the trip to Somerset, back when we Found Nemo, Federer
began his domination of Wimbledon, and the US decided to invade Iraq. The
excursion would be serenaded by Blu Cantrell and some Jamaican dude called
Sean Paul, whose love of cricket would have him perform the World Cup opening
ceremony some 4 years later. Right, that’s the history lesson sorted, move it
on….
Memories of 2003…. Chairdude Bullock giving it
the stare top left (with pint). A party of XVI would be
trimmed down to XV with the late withdrawal of Mr Nickel. His absence due to
a covid inspired nod to Tall Bob, who infamously (and sadly) was forced to
leave the previous West Country adventure due to the same maligned, Chinese
laboratory ailment. The tourists would split themselves amongst several vehicles,
with passengers analysing each other’s journey times via live location bleeps
from mobile phones. Naturally Matt was the quickest, our CAMRA endorsed Chair
in tune with early pub opening hours. On arrival, The MAD
posse drank several pints outside the Ship Aground pub and had little Blake
(Ainsworth) draw Top Trumps to decide on the Thursday team makeup. Those that
then flipped a coin and saw heads would play, those that failed to complete
this secondary task did not and drank some more.
With the traditional
running of the steam train to Stogumber being put back an hour, the team fannied about and drank some more before boarding the
wrong carriage. With the situation rectified, players were then able to sit
in direct sunlight for three quarters of an hour and drink some more bottles
of beer. Guzzling away, they moaned in chorus about bagged cream teas
replacing the popular cafe stop at the other end (time restrictions) and
obviously having to organise the green recycling of said items. Howarth
grumbled furtherly about his cash wallet being cleared out due to a failed
card reader.
West Sussex Railways. Lovely people. Stogumber have always
been a most genial, hospitable host over the years, fully understanding
friendly cricket and the touring ethos. On this day they did themselves proud
by organising a pickup truck to ferry kitbags and team members from the
station to the ground. This was as unexpected as it was seminal, one of those
abiding memories will be that of lazy MAD players squashed between Giant Duck
and kitbags in the back, moments before rumbling off into the distance to
whoops and cheers.
On arrival at the
ground, Captain Timms quickly drank a pint or two, won the toss and opted to
sensibly get the fielding out the way as opposed to batting like drunken
pricks. Most the team would then clamber up and down embankments over the
next hour and half, searching amongst nature for lost balls, whilst the
moments were caught at irregular intervals by non-players Bob and Darley as
they circled the boundary with a camera. Everyone bowled, less Geoff who kept
wicket and for the record, shocked most of everyone including himself by
doing a bloody good job. Maybe the drinks do work? A total of 161-8 by the
hosts included several retirees and a bunch of clumpy thwacks to the
boundary. The MAD standouts in the bowling department being the accurate
Ainsworth (1-4) and the skipper himself with velvety figures of 1-7, this
after choosing his moment to toss the flan against some local kids at the
death. All in all, not too bad and nobody injured thus far. Time for another
drink.
Hotson entertains some sheep whilst trying to hit
something.
Mike (batting) can just about see a pink ball as
the light fades. The MAD top order would
melt away like a lolly on Minehead beach, but thankfully Williams was on song
to clobber 28 retired. He perhaps would have scored a few more (to pass 30),
however scorer Shorten was distressed by drink and failed to do the maths.
He's a builder, not a mathematician, but thanks anyway, David. The FFTMCC total was
given a coat of varnish by Reeves (30 ret) and Timms (25) in the latter
stages, making sure to put the bad ball away and certainly looking proactive
trying to put the good ball away too. They swiped six fours and three
maximums in total, with the sun slowly disappearing behind the hills in the
background as cameraman Spam scrambled around to capture the moment(s). That
left just enough time for Rundle to walk out into the gloom, waste his time
and one ball, and then come back again chuntering under his breath. MAD lost
by 16 runs.
Both teams enjoyed a
drink and banter thereafter, with The MAD tourists posing for a team photo
with black armbands in honour of the recent passing of Patron Tony Mander. We
miss you already ole boy, all the best in your new life. The day would complete
with a Top Trump draw for the next day’s squad, followed by a platoon of
taxis arriving sometime later to spirit people and kitbags back whence they
came. Thankyou once more for the memories Stogumber CC, we hope to see you
again in the near future. Time for another drink.
Fifth Test Update Day
1: India 204-6. ’D. R. U. N.Kard’
|
*
Statto Scorecards
|
Far From the MCC versus Stogumber CC Played at Stogumber, 31 July 2025 Far From the MCC the toss and elected
to field Stogumber CC won by 16 runs Far from the MCC debuts: n/a |
25 / 661 20 over match |
|
Team |
Stogumber CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
B.
Wilson * |
b Howarth |
20 |
(12) |
2 |
1 |
1-1 |
|
2 |
S.
Sturgess |
b Rundle |
0 |
(1) |
- |
- |
2-29 |
|
3 |
B. Rexworthy |
retired |
30 |
(25) |
1 |
2 |
3-51 |
|
4 |
M.
Fairman † |
lbw b Ainsworth |
12 |
(14) |
2 |
- |
4-66 |
|
5 |
Lu.
Laage |
c Carter b Williams |
2 |
(4) |
- |
- |
5-125 |
|
6 |
S. Yaw |
retired |
33 |
(23) |
2 |
3 |
6-141 |
|
7 |
G. Mann |
retired |
20 |
(19) |
3 |
- |
|
|
8 |
A. Elgar |
c & b Timms |
5 |
(9) |
1 |
- |
|
|
9 |
Levi
Laage |
c Carter b Bullock |
7 |
(6) |
1 |
- |
|
|
10 |
J. Kelly |
not out |
9 |
(4) |
1 |
- |
|
|
11 |
H. Laage |
not out |
5 |
(3) |
1 |
- |
|
|
|
Extras |
W10, LB2, B6 |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 6 wickets, 20 overs) |
161 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Rundle |
2 |
0 |
13 |
1 |
6.50 |
|
|
2 |
Howarth |
3 |
0 |
21 |
1 |
7.00 |
|
|
3 |
Reeves |
2 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
7.00 |
|
|
4 |
Ainsworth |
2 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
2.00 |
|
|
5 |
Williams |
2 |
0 |
20 |
1 |
10.00 |
|
|
6 |
Turner |
2 |
0 |
30 |
0 |
15.00 |
|
|
7 |
Cartwright |
2 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
8.50 |
|
|
8 |
Timms |
2 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
3.50 |
|
|
9 |
Bullock |
2 |
0 |
15 |
1 |
7.50 |
|
|
10 |
Hotson |
1 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
10.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Far From
the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
L. G.
Ainsworth |
c Lu Laage b Sturgess |
4 |
(8) |
1 |
- |
1-5 |
|
2 |
C. T. J.
Williams |
retired |
28 |
(22) |
3 |
1 |
2-21 |
|
3 |
I.
Howarth |
b Sturgess |
9 |
(12) |
2 |
- |
3-21 |
|
4 |
R. P.
Turner |
c H. Laage b Sturgess |
0 |
(2) |
- |
- |
4-38 |
|
5 |
M.
Bullock |
b Levi Laage |
2 |
(7) |
- |
- |
5-72 |
|
6 |
M. K.
Reeves |
retired |
30 |
(27) |
4 |
1 |
6-145 |
|
7 |
J. C. W.
Hotson |
c Wilson b Rexworthy |
2 |
(10) |
- |
- |
7-145 |
|
8 |
G. J.
Timms * |
b Levi Laage |
25 |
(24) |
2 |
2 |
|
|
9 |
J. A.
Cartwright |
not out |
11 |
(9) |
2 |
- |
|
|
10 |
M. S.
Rundle |
c Sturgess b Levi Laage |
0 |
(1) |
- |
- |
|
|
11 |
G.
Carter † |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
NB5, W21, B8 |
34 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 7 wickets, 20 overs) |
145 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
H. Laage |
2 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
4.50 |
|
|
2 |
Sturgess |
2 |
0 |
11 |
3 |
5.50 |
|
|
3 |
Levi
Laage |
4 |
1 |
19 |
3 |
4.75 |
|
|
4 |
Elgar |
2 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
7.50 |
|
|
5 |
Lu Laage |
2 |
0 |
16 |
0 |
8.00 |
|
|
6 |
Rexworthy |
2 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
3.00 |
|
|
7 |
Kelly |
2 |
0 |
27 |
0 |
13.50 |
|
|
8 |
Mann |
2 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
10.00 |
|
|
9 |
Yaw |
2 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
5.50 |
|
|
MOTM: G. J. Timms Champagne Moment: C. T. J. Williams’
cover driven maximum first ball Buffet Award: R. P. Turner’s steak barbeque (extra large baps) MAD
Moment: D. Shorten (scoring) retiring
Williams on 28* (should have been 30 or more) |
Opposition:
V031 / 007 Ground: G022 / 007 Captain: C022 / 118 Match No: 20 / 201 |