A very hot early summer’s day, 30°C plus, took us back to the Pak Orient ground for the first of a three match weekend and another exercise in dropping catches.
Captain Sarma unbelievably won the toss and chose to bat opening himself with Konchada who faced one ball before joining the duck race with the score on 2. In came the Brummie from Gloucestershire and he and Skipper Masala took the score to 102 before Sarma went for 45 in the 18th over, immediately after the drinks break. Chakrabarty made a good looking 9 but then was LBW to a ball which he thought, and only he, was going down the leg side. Ishtiak scored 15 before being run out but the partnership with Baker was worth 45. Algar went for 5 and Kantor for 2, a vast celebration ensuing as he avoided the duck race yet again. Bollywood dancer Gaikwad two-stepped to the wicket and with Gattinger saw out the last over and MCC finished on191 for eight down, a reasonable score to defend we thought.
It would have been if we hadn’t dropped 10 catches – to be fair two of them were very difficult chances, the rest, well a little girl’s toy comes to mind. Coupled with the 30 wides bowled the 191 no longer looked like a score to defend. Nevertheless we plugged away and when Algar took 2 for 2 (including two wides) in the 29th over to take them to 190 for eight down we thought that perhaps a miracle might happen. . It was not to be, the next two balls in the 30th over were a no-ball and a wide giving them victory.
A happy team retired to the local watering hole to discuss the day’s play where Alagh donned his favourite halo.
Konchada, 0, caught, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 37 runs, 1 wkt
*Sarma 46 caught, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 20 runs, 2 wkts
Baker, 69, caught, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 24 runs, 1 wkt, 2 catches
Chakrabarty, 9, LBW, 1 catch
+Ishtiak15, run out
Algar, 5, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 2 runs, 2 wkts, 1 catch
Kantor, 2, LBW, 1 over, 0 mdns, 10 runs, 0 wkts
Gaikwad, 2, caught, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 20 runs, 1 wkt
Gattinger, 1*, 3 overs, 0 mds, 21 rus, 0 wkts
Alagh, DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 26 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Hashimi, DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 32 runs, 1 wkt
MCC, 191 for 8 in 35 overs, lost to Pak orient, 192 for 8 in 29 overs by 2 wickets
MCC MOM: Baker