Match Report

A Sudden Change of Fortune.

Back in April Oxenford had come to the Park for a Sunday game and won. It was the only game this season in which Matt Dipple had been dismissed, he has nearly forgiven the umpire of the day for giving him out. This was the only game in the season where the home side had tasted defeat so revenge was in the hearts of MSCC’s X . MSCC had ten players as Oxenford had borrowed one to bring their team up to ten, it only seemed fair. 

The April day had been cold, but the dryness of the season was noted even then. Now in the heat of a breathless July evening the dryness had become extreme. Out of the sight of most, Paul Wordsworth had been spending hours applying the hose to the square and achieved a minor miracle. There was some green to be seen admist the acres of brown.

The nominated skipper won the toss and chose to bat first, then nominated himself to play for the opposition and passed the buck to Mike Robinson, captaining for the first time for Middleton Stoney. In a fine example of leadership from the front, there had been a lack of volunteers, he opened the batting with himself and Howard. 

A guided edge from Howard started the scoring. Mike was more forceful in hammering a straight drive back past the bowler. Ezrar caused problems for both, bowling at a lively pace from the Farm End. He dismissed both, Howard beaten by lack of bounce, Mike by a ball that swung back to hit leg stump.

Shaan came in next and teased the bowlers. First he would play and miss, then he would do it again. This would be followed by a drive just over the head of the fielder at extra cover that would run on to the boundary, then he would play and miss again. Umpire Wordsworth had the solution to the playing and missing… the bowler was bowling very wide of the off stump and Shaan was unable to reach.

With Ezrar replaced scoring became simpler, but boundaries were well protected by a deep set field. Middleton needed to score by running. Josh Bazeley and Shaan  took the score above 60 with only two very close run outs to survive. Shan reached the retirement score of 30, Ahmad made half a dozen before lofting a full toss to the deep to be well caught at deep mid wicket. 

As the overs began to run out Josh fell for 12 allowing Ali Meier and John Floyd to push the scoring on. John should have been stumped from his first ball, and was stumped on his seventh. James Bazeley was just the player to find the ropes, he bashed while Ali fed him the stike allowing MSCC to reach a challenging 127 before James was stumped on the penultimate ball. Matt Dipple avenged his early season dismissal by picking up a single from the last ball.

Opening for Oxenford Sheraz and Paul showed the same sort of intent that the Indian batsmen had shown at Trent Bridge the evening before. Opening bowler Dipple was rueful seeing his first over taken for 8 including two boundaries. James Bazeley looked lively but he too was surprised to see Sheraz smacking him to the long grass behind mid off. 

The first chance came when Paul found a leading edge from Matt. The ball arced invintingly between mid wicket and mid on. Shaan ran North from mid-on, Mike ran South from Mid wicket. No one called as a collision looked imminent.  Being taller Mike’s hands closed around the ball, which then bounced out, only to be clutched once more and then dropped finally. The last ball of the over saw a half chance to the keeper spilled to the further dismay of the bowler.

At the end of the fourth over keeper, Josh Bazeley saw a run out opportunity at the bowlers end, hurled his glove one way and the ball the other. Happy to have scored a five Paul and Shiraz had taken 25 from the first four and Mike was left to ponder his options.

While he was pondering Paul repeated his shot from earlier. The trajectory seemed identical but this time neither fielder moved. Matt turned a little redder in the sun, his inner cursing kept inside. That the shot should be repeated a third time probably reflects the skill of the bowler in creating it. This time the catch fell to Mike. How he watched the flight of the ball, how he got his hands into just the right spot, how he was profuse in his apologies.  Matt held his tongue, with steam coming from his ears as he stomped off to field.

Hamidullah took the first wicket is his first over. Paul bowled for 9. Rishabh played a text book forward defensive shot before whipping a ball deep into the hedges at square leg. Shiraz continued to attack so that at half way Oxenford were perfectly placed at 62 with the loss of one wicket. Shiraz had reached 28 when Hamidullah trapped him LBW. Anil at number 4 hit the next two balls to the boundary and then deposited a full toss from John Floyd half way up the sight screen.

The 12th over of the innings will go down in Middleton folklore. For no real reason the elegant Risabh hacked across the line to be bowled. Dilip was bowled next ball to leave Hamidullah on a hat trick. The indentical ball bowled Deepak, the visiting captain and the hat trick was made. Not finished the next man was also clean bowled to give Hamidullah four in four balls. It might have been five, but David survived an extremely confindent appeal for a catch behind the wicket. 

Hamidullah finished with the unusual bowling figures of 4 overs 1 maiden 25 runs and 6 wickets. It was left for Ahmad to clean up the tail as MSCC indeed avenged the earlier season defeat. Beer and burgers were enjoyed in the late evening warmth thanks to Ali, Howard and Matt.

Sunday’s fixure has been updated. We will play a team from Wantage and Grove CC starting at 1.30 in Middleton Park.