Match Report

MSCC secure fifth place in the vital 5/6 play off in the Friendly League

MSCC are sponsored by NOLAN GAS and NOLAN OIL

September’s short season began with the play off game in the Friendly Cup. MSCC had finished third in their group and were paired with ISIS, a team we meet in the 20 over season but never  in an afternoon game. The weather had been kind, the covers had kept away the mid wicket rain and the pitch looked in tip top condition. Isis decided to have first bat when they won the toss, but admitted that due to a covid outbreak they only had 10 players.

The bowling machine that is Hamidullah bowled the first ball. Too full, the batsman glanced the ball to leg. Chastened his second ball was better.  It thudded into the opener’s back pad; bowler, keeper, and both slips yelled an appeal confident of success. The umpire shook his head.  The fourth  ball of the over resulted in another vociferous appeal, also turned down.  Hamidullah took his cap and muttered his way down to fine leg.

James Lyon had the Church end. He bowled an exemplary line and length and gave nothing away. His first spell of six overs went for just 9 runs. In between bowling his overs, James was instrumental in the fall of the first wicket.  Young Isis opener Lamb cut Hamidullah into the deep on the off side. James gave chase, turned and threw in flat. Lamb’s despairing dive left him short of his ground. 

All of the Isis order made a start, runs were accumulated steadily, boundaries were the exception as the home side’s bowling attack mostly bowled straight and to a good length. Paul Wordsworth took over from Hamidullah and beat the bat twice in his first over, change of pace doing the damage. John Floyd replaced James, instantly baffling the batsman with the ball sweeping in from wide of the crease into the leg stump. Drinks were taken after 20 overs with Isis scoring at just under four an over, with only one wicket lost.

As Isis looked to accelerate the deadly slowness of Seril broke through. Beaven (30) was sent on his way LBW, Seril assuring him that he ball was crashing into leg stump. In his following over opener Walter (35) was too early playing across the line to be bowled middle and off. Shaan bowled after Paul, and showed that he could swing the ball both into and away from the batsman. Duckett (25) was the most aggressive of the visiting team, hitting a pair of boundaries to deep midwicket. 

As the last 10 overs were bowled, John Floyd returned to complete his spell. A long hop to Duckett could have been despatched over the cows in the field, instead it picked out Mark Ford-Langstaff at deep mid wicket who never looked like spilling the chance. Hamidullah had three overs to bowl, he finally picked up a wicket in his last over, while James bowling the last over picked up two, a good way to finish his season before he gets back into hockey.

165 was the finished total. It did not look too threatening as the players sat down to Jen Lyon’s tea. You can tell a Lyon tea by the jam sandwiches! All the variety of sandwiches, fruit and cakes went down well, tea had to be extended by 5 mins as the Isis fielders tucked in. 

Isis Captain Richard Stevenson was by far the pick of the bowlers. An action from the MCC coaching manual ensured that his quicker ball had some spite behind it. Wilkinson, somewhat his junior supported him. Not with same pace but with a hint of movement in the air and from the pitch. Openers Mumtaz and Lancaster scored in boundaries and singles, and when required a gently cantered 2. Howard was the first to score a boundary with a beautifully timed leg glance.

With the reply nicely underway, Jay played an optimistic shot across the line and was given LBW for 13. Anirudh has not played for a month or two. He announced his return by smashing his second ball high over mid off. The fielders woke up, the bowler was changed. Howard not to be out done also found the boundary, his shot the result of timing and placement through extra cover.  Howard might have been lucky to survive an LBW shout. He was already walking back the pavilion. Umpire Hamidullah was not convinced and Howard remained at bat. The change bowlers were much slower, more in the style of Seril. Anirudh smashed his second delivery into the long grass at long on. Cunningly the bowler bowled a little wider. About 7 feet wider.  Anirudh chased the ball and his outside edge looped to backward point.

Mark Ford-Langstaff and Howard found that the bowling had little left to worry them. The waiting batsmen began to think they would not be needed, for John Floyd this was a little disappointment as he has not batted for two seasons. Mark survived two catchable chances in an otherwise serene progress to toward a half century. Both went to the same fielder at square leg. The first was a firmly struck shot that bruised the hand. The second a gentler shot that hit the bruise! 

Mark become the aggressor, timing the ball sweetly through the leg side. He was the first to fifty, followed not long after by Howard. The game was won with five overs to spare and by a margin of 8 wickets.  

Mark and Howard assisted on the bar and bbq as the game was discussed. Isis took the opportunity to hold an impromptu committee meeting in the evening sunshine. A coterie of spectators arrived just as the last over was being bowled, timings have to adjust to the earlier starts of late season games. Two weekends remain, but we will fit in three matches, next week is the Law Society, while the final week features a home game with the Gloucester Gypsies and a first away trip to Hampstead Norreys.