It was a “is it or is it not” sort of day. There had been heavy rain for some 70 hours by Saturday morning and rain showers were forecasted throughout the day. Around 10:30 Roshan of Lufthansa rang to confirm that we were coming and most of us met at 12:30 at the Hirschanger to collect the kit and join the traffic jams on the way to Attaching near the airport. Rumours that half the Lufthansa team would not show up because they were on strike were unfounded. As we travelled more to the north the weather improved, the roads were dry and it was clear we would get in a full game.
Maria Theresa did her stuff and captain Weston chose to field first, feeling our bowlers would contain them to an easily chaseable score as in the previous rounds of the competition. The opening pair of Scott and Blades did well, Scott being particuarly impressive with figures of 2 for 11 from his four overs. At the half-way stage after 10 overs Lufthansa were 35 for 2 and looking really concerned. Six bowlers were used to prevent the batters from settling, Wright and Ferguson being held back for the death bowling. There were a couple of lusty hits for six but, after 20 overs, Lufthansa were 101 for 7 and MCC feeling pretty satsfied with themselves.
Veser and Weston opened the batting for MCC, Veser facing a tight first over from Adlt. Weston faced three balls from Malik before mistiming the fourth ball, which went very high and deep to extra cover, and falling to a superb running catch by Ruwan thus re-entering the duck race. Sarma replaced him at the crease and together with Veser made batting look fairly easy and, at the half-way stage, MCC were 53 for 1 and well on the way to victory. Sarma went for 26 in the 13th over to be replaced by Ferguson who faced three balls before joining his captain in the duck race in the 14th over. Two balls later Veser went, caught in the deep for 33 to be followed, one ball later, by Wright and, after 15 overs, MCC were 74 for 5 needing another 28 runs off five overs to win. Furlonger and Fudge fought well and put on 18 for the sixth wicket taking the score to 92 after 18.2 overs, Fudge being caught in the deep for 12. Two balls later Hobbs was run out for a duck, going for a suicidal run trying to keep the scoreboard moving. Two overs to go and MCC needed 10 to win with only three wickets left. Gill faced three balls before being bowled for a duck and the score now 93 for 8 with three balls to go. The next ball Blades and Furlonger went for a second run that was too much for Furlonger so MCC were now 94 for 9 and two balls to go. Scott and Blades took another single and MCC finshed on 95 for 9 after 20 overs
Veser, 33, caught, 1 catch
Weston, 0, caught
Sarma, 26, caught
Ferguson, 0, bowled, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 26 runs, 2 wkts
Wright, 2, caught, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 15 runs, 1 wkt
Fudge, 12, caught
Furlonger, 6, run out
Hobbs, 0, run out, 1 over, 0 mdns, 4 runs, 1 wkt
Gill, 0, bowled, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 14 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Blades, 2*, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 20 runs, 0 wkts
Scott, 0*, 4 overs, 1 mdn, 11 runs, 2 wkts
MCC, 95 for 9, lost to Lufthansa, 101 for 7 by 6 runs
MCC MOM Scott/Veser
