A glorious summer day with temperatures around 35°C and the fridge stocked with lots of cool fresh saw MCC turn up on time to prepare the ground ready for the 12:30 start. Captain Sarma – Smarmy Sarmy who gets the cheer leaders while I get the fireworks – used Maria Teresa to lose the toss and MCC were asked to bowl. There had been a lively discussion on Facebook during the week about the number of wides we tend to bowl and obviously this was taken to heart for we bowled only two wides and two no-balls in the twenty overs. Unfortunately the new fashion was leg side full tosses to be powered away for six or sometimes four runs. Khalid Butt, the ex-Pak 0rient member now playing for Lufthansa hit 11 fours and 6 sixes in his 114 from 67 balls. We knew Lufthansa had only three batsmen. Khalid, Peter and Roshan and once they were out the rest were expected to crumble. This is what happened but, unfortunately, the third of the gang of three, fell only in the 19th over and Lufthansa finished on 177 for 6, which included five penalty runs for the ball hitting a helmet placed behind the keeper.
After the tea break MCC started sedately at around five per over, the rate gradually increasing and at the drinks we were 75 for 1 down, the single wicket being Baker who was run out somewhat handicapped after being hit full on the foot earlier. He had been replaced by Skipper Sarma who demonstrated how the excursions with the Alpine Tigers had improved his play with very aggressive running and batting. He went for 56 and his place was taken by Ishtiak who continued the good work as did Clare when he came in for Veser in the 16th over with the score on 121. The 51 for the fourth wicket took us to 171 in the 19th over which finished on an assinine run out leaving us five down and needing seven runs to win from six balls These six balls were a dot, a wide, three wides, a dot, a dot, a wicket, an assinine run out and a one with a run out from the last possible ball meaning we did not get a tie which would have led to a super over bowl out.
It had been an exciting match but all the joy disappeared when it was discovered that the Gore had committed a cardinal sin and exchanged all our cool fresh with Lufthansa leaving us with only luke warm beer to drown our sorrows in. Despite his baking for our teas on a regular basis one must wonder if he is really the right man for the job. Nevertheless we drowned our sorrows most famously first at the Hirschanger, then the Chinese tower and finally, on the way to Roosevelts, at Fräulein Grüneises kiosk.
Veser, 28, stumped
Baker, 15, run out
*Sarma, 56, bowled, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 35 runs, 0 wkts
Ishtiak, 24, run out,
Clare, 26, LBW, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 37 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Arunachalam, 0, run out, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 24 runs, 2 wkts
Garner, 0, run out, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 26 runs, 1 wkts, 1 catch
+Furlonger, 0, bowled,
Konchada, 1*, 1 over, 0 mdns, 18 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Blades, DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 29 runs, 1 wkt
Kantor, DNB
MCC, 176 for 8, lost to Lufthans, 177 for 6 by 1 run
MCC MOM: Sarma of cheer leader fame