Match Report

“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.”   Mike Singletarry.

 

Three weeks ago only six players had signed up for the match agains UOHCC. In the usual MSCC manner, by the morning of the match, the remaining five places had been filled, volunteers had been found to make the teas and one extra player was prepared to fill in, (if it didn’t matter that he was an hour and a half late for the start.

One of the extra players contacted the Captain on Friday saying, “the forecast for Sunday looks ominous, rain, rain and more rain, will we still be playing?” The captain was more optimistic, “we might miss the showers it will be fifty fifty”.  Weather forecasts and apps aplenty were poured over. The players who arrived early were convinced that rain would come sooner or later, and that when it came it would be the end of the game, but all hoped that at least a start would be made. 

Most enthusiastic of all were two players making their debut, both at the younger end of the MSCC scale, both who play junior and Saturday cricket at Bicester. As the Captain and Vice Captain prepared the wicket and readied the pavilion some of the remaining players and the opposition arrived at the ground. 

Three Middleton players were delayed as the home took the field to bowl. UOH kindly lent two fielders and the fun and games began.  Tim House, more usually a change bowler and Robin Cummings opened. A rusty Tim was wayward at first but soon settled into pleasing rhythm.  Robin found that in the heavy atmosphere, rain was indeed coming, meant the ball was swinging. His inswingers tested Matt Carpenter behind the stumps who was soon diving to his left. 

Three overs in and all of Middleton’s delayed players had taken to the field. Asif Kamal in such a rush that he left the windows wide open in his car and his spiked boots on his back seat. Thunder rumbled away to the East.  UOH picked up boundaries on the leg side and were looking well set on 21 for no wicket when the first rain drops began to fall. Two overs later and the rain intensified, led by Robin the players of both teams rushed cover the wicket and retire to the pavilion expecting an hour of heavy rain. 

In the blink of an eye the rain had stopped, the covers removed and the players had returned to the field. Tim House took the first wicket, very nicely pouched by Jamie Lyon, one of the two younger debutants. Asif replaced Robin. Conditions were perfect for him in every way, except that he had forgotten to change into his spikes when he rushed to wind up the windows in his car. First ball of his over he slipped and realised the error of his ways. 

Tim struck a second time bowling a peach of a delivery that cut back from just outside the off stump to hit middle and off. Asif, now sure footed, bowled a very tidy spell of 8 overs for just 10 runs. It included one wicket, a second catch for Jamie, who moved back smartly at cover and made a difficult catch look easy.

UOH spent time consolodating thier position. Finlay Moss, the second young debutant, bowled a very promising three over spell, and Seril Shah was treated with utmost respect as he kept to a very tight line and lenght. Chowdray usually opens and  is a batter usually successful in Middleton Park. He and Halfhide took the visitors  to 81 for 3 at drinks. 

Jamie was bowling from the farm end, when Asif, alert in his spikes sprinted to the ball, threw accurately to the bowler and ran out Halfhide. Tim Riley found that bowling to the new batsman was a good time to come on. He combined with Matt the keeper to  pick up two stumpings. Sensing that partners were unlikely to stick around long, Chowdray switched to all out attack. He survived a very close LBW shout before hoisting Tim R to the boundary edge for two fours.

Finaly returned for a second spell. He took his first Middleton wicket courtesy of Matt Carpenters juggling skills behind the stumps. Chowdray was in full flow. He hit four sixes in five balls, two only just clearing boundary rope and outsretched fingers. Mark Ford Langstaff was apologetic when a fumble in outfield allowed Chowdray to keep the strike. 

Mark made up for his error immeadiately, a quick pick up and throw to the bowler for the eighth wicket, a comfortable catch at mid off for the ninth and a quick pick up and throw to the keepers for the final wicket.

Tea was taken a few minutes early, UOH all out for 148. The two Tim’s had catered, Andrew Hickman had ensured that the Urn was boiled and Mark remembered that there were pork pies to be cut up in the fridge.

Mark and Stevyn, Stevyn nursing a bruised shin from fielding, opened the batting. Mark hit the first boundary, a six over long on which hinted of more to come. He was cursing when he left the field three balls later having top edged an wide leg side long hop into the hands of square leg. 

Jamie Lyon joined Stevyn. Stevyn had to keep his wits about him with the speed of Jamie’s running between the wicket. Jamie looked assured at the wicket. He defended the good ball, left those which were wide an picked up singles behind square on the on and off sides of the wicket. Calling for a second run, Stevyn was struggling to make his ground at the Church end. The throw came in, the bowler deflected the ball onto the stumps. Howzat! shouted the fielders, up went the finger of Umpire Shah. But wait, somehow the bails had not been dislodged. Stevyn was alive to run again.

His luck was not repeated a second time. He was bowled by a delivery which rebounded from his pads onto leg stump. It was not quite as high as the Harry Brook dismissal, but unusually it is recored in the score books as “out, step on bail”.

The day’s third debutant, Craig Irvine, is somewhat older and somewhat larger than the other two playing for the first time. Before he had faced there was running confusion. He recovered to arrive at the bowler’s end fractionally before the ball. 

Both players adjusted to the conditions and the change in the bowlers. Both hit boundaries through the offside, Craig pleasingly through the covers just to the place where his wife and children were watching admiringly for Father’s Day. Middleton were in a strong position when another run out looked to have Craig in trouble. Fortune was on his side as an errant fielder wandered in front of the umpire at the critical moment, who unsighted was unable to make a decision.

Having scored 27 Craig pulled a ball to the errant fielder, who made up for his error by taking a low catch, with the help of his forearms and hands. Tim House, playing today in full all rounder capacity, batter, bowler and cake maker, took the attack to the the visitors. Jamie was looking in masterful form and unlikely to get out and the game looked in the bag for MSCC.  Tim went big over long on,  following on with a second shot over mid off just shy of the rope.

Thinking not to hit a third boundary, Tim turned a gentle full toss to the legside, top edging to the errant fielder for his second square leg catch. Matt Carpenter joined Jamie with the intention of cruising home. 

Jamie was most unlucky to have the only ball of the day which kept very low. He was LBW for a team top score of 36, a memorable debut indeed. Tim Riley joined Matt, both were circumspect, taking advantage of gaps in the field to pick up singles, edging toward the target. 

Matt dragged a wide ball on to the stumps with 20 runs still needed. Asif was at number 8, he played his first ball with a determined straight bat, intent on keeping the bowler at bay. The skipper decided the time had come to show some authority with the bat, five quick boundaries later and the game was done. 

It had been a lovely game on a day when few had expected to complete the game. New people had been met, and old friends had gathered by the pavilion. Rona started the bbq for Robin to continue, beers were sunk and the players and supporters melted away slowly as the solstice sun began to set.

The next matches include the away game at Blenheim Palace, and new visitors Napton CC next Sunday.