Match Report

MSCC are sponsored by Nolan Oils and Nolan Gas

It has not rained very much this season. The new covers, kindly funded by Nolan Gas and Nolan Oils, have had more use as a sun shade than their intended purpose. This weekend they were in frequent use and saved a game that otherwise would have been called off. 

Saturday’s rain soaked the square and turned the grass back from washed out straw to verdant green. Sunday morning’s soaking was kept off the pitch with only the old ends preventing a prompt start to play. 

New visitors to Middleton Park, Elmhurst CC are a Reading based nomadic team. They have a connection to Middleton through Bruern Abbey teaching staff. From the outset they were enthused by the ground, the game and the people. 

Matt Bazeley and Tim Riley were early arrivals to remove the covers and titivate the pitch. They were joined by Max Nalborczyk, who sat on the roller. This is a slightly slower vehicle than the Land Rover he is developing for the Paris Dakar rally. No sooner than the covers were removed than the rain began. For the next hour there was a slow waltz as the covers came on and off.

There was time for the toss to be taken and an agreement to play a forty overs game made with the expectation that further time would be lost. Elmhurst won the toss. It was no surprise that Middleton were asked to bat first. Tim House and Mark Ford-Langstaff negotiated two overs when the rain began again. 

The second session lasted longer than the first, but not by very much. It was enough to determine that the pitch was bowler friendly. There was movement in the air and off the pitch. The movement off the pitch sometimes extravagant. There was time for Tim to pick up two boundaries, one a top edged six over square leg. The mark on the edge of the bat showed that it had hit the middle of the edge.

The second delay was longer than the first and resulted in five overs per innings being lost. Tim and Mark were able to reflect on the problems the difficult pitch was causing. Tim had time to nurse both hands which had been hit by rising balls, as well as rub his inner thigh.

The used ends on the square were wet, but Elmhurst were happy to play on despite the risk. Once the wicket keeper had slid over, smeared himself in loam and ignored the laughter of his team mates the game continued. Tim played the off drive of his life, front foot toward the ball, left elbow high, hands accelerating through the ball. The ball surged off the bat past extra cover, slowed in the damp outfield and pulled up inches short of the boundary. For every one of past 12 weeks the ball would have thumped into the groundsman’s shed, but not this week.

While Tim looked to accelerate Mark gave support. The change bowlers proved accurate and niggardly. Three times Tim smote mighty sixes in the general direction of long on. Mark’s best shots only found the fielders. Both players were granted lives when catches were dropped at mid wicket. Tim was caught for 46 in the 22nd over, a great effort on such a tricky wicket.

Sam Norley was eager to take his chance up the order. He started carefully particularly against the extravagant turn of off spinner Sandani. He did manage to keep the scoreboard ticking with a series of singles as the fielders began to spread out with just 10 overs remaining. Mark struck a second boundary but became a frustrated figure being unable to put bat to ball in his usual manner. 

The harder he tried to make contact the more he missed out. Some watching players, pads on, started to think that they could do better.  Mark succumbed to the pressure and was bowled by a ball that kept very low. Only four overs remained when Ahmad strode out to bat.

And the innings changed. Ahmad and Sam began to run the fielders ragged. Where there had been only singles, now there were twos. Sam began to find the boundary. The bowling was not as tight as it had been earlier. Ahmad hit a huge straight six. We had thought that 120 would be optimistic, to get to 162 was a great boost to the team when the innings closed. 

To have lost only two wickets when the ball was moving so much was remarkable. Unfortunately it meant that some who hoped to bat missed their chance this week. Such is the nature of the game.

It is always easy to spot a Tim House made tea. The sandwiches are denuded of their crusts and laid out in a geometrically pleasing manner. Thanks to Tim for adding some sophistication to the usual fare! We had been promised a 4.45pm shower as tea was taken, instead we got unbroken sunshine which stayed for the remainder of the game.

Our Afghan father and his son opened the bowling. It was a real bonus to have Ahmad’s bowling back but for once the batsman, notably Harris Khan, got the better of him. Hamidullah bowled tidily but other than one exuberant LBW appeal was luckless in his six over spell.

Khan and his partner Dewsbury were going well. Dewsbury could have been run out when felled by a delivery that struck him painfully amidships. The home team declined the chance to take advantage of his misfortune. In the sunshine Khan began to prosper, playing aggressively and by drinks he found out that he had passed 50.

A rallying talk was given by a slightly frustrated skipper. The visitors were in a good position but still needed to score at 5 or more an over, the game was not over yet. Seril Shah was bowling from the Farm End. Khan fancied his chances. Matt B at long on fancied his chances of catching him. 

Two half chances came. The first fell just short of Matt, bounced and struck him in the chest. A second was close, Matt ran in, lunged forward and got the tips of his fingers under the ball. The ball bounced out much to his displeasure. The following throw woke up Stevyn Jackson who was having a tough time keeping wicket.

The partnership had passed 100. Elmhurst looked in complete command. Tim House was called on to break the partnership. He nearly did so when Khan smashed the ball back at him at ankle height. Stopping the ball with his sole he saved a certain boundary but had now sustained injuries to both hands and both legs.

Ahmad came back for his second spell. He broke through Dewsbury’s defence bowling him for 38. This gave MSCC a new man to bowl out and hopes were raised. Tim Riley had been most likely to trouble Khan, Stevyn very nearly pulling off an excellent stumping to a ball that lifted and turned sharply. He now chipped in with two wickets in two balls and Ahmad picked up a second with the help of Tim House at Mid on.

It is usually the case in Sunday Friendly games that some of the stronger batters come in lower down the order. This is what the home side expected. Elmhurst’s position of strength had been weakened but with only 40 runs needed they were still favourites.

Tim R struck again in his final over, again taking two in two balls, one a whispered LBW appeal upheld. Meanwhile Khan was still going and had passed 75. His wicket was the one needed by the home team.

Tim House returned to the attack as Ahmad had completed his 8 overs. It was a remarkable over. Panic was the element that disrupted the rest of the innings. Matt Bazely, still stinging from his earlier drop, hovered with intent at backward point. Khan set off for an unlikely second run, Matt’s throw came in low over the top of the stumps. Stevyn pouched the ball and broke the stumps with Khan well short of his ground. The fifth  ball hit the stumps for the eighth wicket, the last was hit back to him, the non striking batsman ran, and Tim completed the formality of the run out.

Suddenly Elmhurst had lost 8 wickets for 8 runs and the game had turned upside down. Hamidullah came back. The first ball safely defended. The second ball was clattered into the off side, the striker set off. Ahmad dived to his right and pulled off a tremendous stop. Both batsmen were at the bowler’s end.

Elmhurst were generous in defeat, MSCC delighted to have pulled off a great escape. The beer tastes sweeter when you win, the burgers sweeter with the onions Rona provided. Thanks to all who helped keep the game on despite the weather and who ensured that score book, barbeque, and bar were efficiently managed. We look forward to a rematch with Elmhurst next season, they made a first class impression on both our team and our supporters.