It was back to the Hirschanger for the first match of a double header weekend but this time with no picket fence to allow the Red Bladder`s hordes of screaming Dervishes to charge through whenever it was opened – only the, shall we say more mature among you will recognise the Goon show script referred to here.
Both teams were at the ground well in time for a 12.30 start but so was the rain for the heavens opened at 12.25 and we couldn`t start until 13.30 , the match being reduced to 35 over innings. CCB won the toss and chose to bat with a very wet outfield and a slippery run-up for the MCC bowlers. There was no more rain afterwards and conditions improved significantly during the afternoon. Their first wicket fell in the eighth over for 39, the second in the 20th over for 108. The only other noteworthy partnership was for the 5th wicket which put on 59. In total MCC used 10 bowlers making it a really friendly game and a nightmare for the scorer. Second highest score for CCB was wides once again with 45. O`Meagher was clearly upset with Miller, a lad from Marton beating him, an Auckand born Kiwi, in the Wide Boys table and promptly bowled 11 wides in his six overs. To be fair, as he remarked after the game, he usually bowls 11 wides in 2 overs so it was a marked improvement. CCB finished on 211 for 8 in their 35 overs.
After a splendid tea provided by Sestan, complete with specially selected Spanish cucumbers, Sarma and Clare opened the MCC innings. Sarma departed quickly for 2 in the 2nd over with the score on 14. Clare was on fire hitting six fours and four sixes off 36 balls before being out caught behind for 59 in the 10th over with the score at 86 for 2. O`Meagher came in to form the backbone of the innings scoring 24 off 68 balls and sharing partnerships of 22 and 29 with Hobbs and Weston respectively. When Weston came in at the start of the 20th over, MCC needed 109 from 15 overs to win the match and CCB immediately stationed four fielders on the leg side boundary. Weston was thus forced to go for sixes, hitting four of them in his cameo 30 ball innings which ended when he was caught in the deep for 39. Chakrabarthy, 20* and Shankarappa, 8* who was only playing today because Fudge had cried off claiming he was still suffering from indigestion from the vast amount of food he consumed at the teas in the match last weekend, enjoyed themselves putting on an unbeaten 14 for the 10th wicket. Before that Caspari had beaten the third golden duck on the trot by making an impressive 3 runs from 9 balls but was probably disappointed when Sestan caught him up in the duck race.
MCC finished with 196 for 9 in 35 overs with the measly figure of only 20 wides bowled.
Sarma, 2 LBW
Clare, 59, caught, 6 overs, 1 mdn, 24 runs, 1 wkt,
O`Meagher, 24, caught, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 32 runs, 1 wkt
Hobbs, 9, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 11 runs, 1 wkt
Weston, 39, caught, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 14 runs, 0 wkts
Van Giezen, 2, caught, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 23 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Chakrabarty, 20*, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 5 runs, 1 wkt
Sestan, 0, stumped, 1 over, 0 mdns, 10 runs, 1 wkt
Scott, 1, bowled, 7 overs, 0 mdns, 44 runs, 2 wkts
Caspari, 3, bowled, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 23 runs, 2 wkts
Shankarappa, 8*, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 33 runs, 1 wkt.
MCC, 196 for 9, lost to CCB, 211 for 8 by 10 runs
MCC MOM: Clare