A glorious spring day after a pretty cold and miserable week saw MCC II back at the Hirschanger to take on the might of Passau, a newly re-formed club who stopped playing some 10 years ago but with the influx of refugees from cricket playing nations, Brian Fell has got a team back together. Their first two excursions into league cricket have resulted in hammerings leading to some unwarranted cockiness on the MCC Facebook page. Elder Statesman Giles turned up at 12:15 to score and the Passau team were all present and correct waiting for the toss, which they won and chose to field.
MCC opened with Toke and Bowes but Bowes was in a hurry to check the cool fresh in the fridge and departed for 1 in the third over, Khanna followed him for 3 in the 6th over with the score now 19 for 2 down. Why bar keeper Khanna should be in a hurry to check on the beer remains a mystery. In came Deverill to play a long innings and put on 27 with Toke for the 3rd wicket before Toke went for 13, the highest score of the innings. In came Bhat and, in the context of the game, another good partnership of 16 ensued before Deverill went for 11 and the score on 62. A reasonable score was on the cards but the MCC batsmen had other ideas and insisted on cross-batting going for the big fours and sixes with only two of the last six batsmen hitting solitary fours. Quereshi went for 7, Alagh and Kantor participated in the duck race, Kantor with a golden one, Gattinger for 4, Ottmankhil for 1 and Sestan remained not out on 3 having run out of partners. Highest scorer of the innings was wides with 23.
After teas provided by someone, when a message was posted on Facebook “MCC 2 79” which we at the division I fixture took to read “MCC II scored 279”, MCC bowlers Qureshi and Deverill took on the might of Passau`s batting. It started well, Qureshi with a maiden, Deverill with a wicket maiden. By the sixth over Deverill had a three-for and Passau were 11 for three down. Three became four in the next over, Qureshi getting his first wicket and in the 10th over Deverill got his fourth with the score on 32 for five down. A good partnership of 14 in the context of the match ensued before he got his Michelle, the first in the club this season. Nine runs later Dirty Dancer Khanna got a wicket, a stumping by Ottmankhil, but then a serious partnership of 16 for the 8th wicket before Qureshi got his second took Passau to the verge of victory. This came in the 23rd over and a probably shell shocked MCC retired to the two crates of cool fresh with their tails between their legs. Never underestimate the opposition lads, or as George Dubya was wont to say never mis-underestimate them
Toke, 13, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 2 runs, 0 wkts
Bowes, 1, caught,
Khanna, 3, bowled, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 22 runs, 1 wkt
Deverill, 11, bowled, 8 overs, 2 mdns, 22 runs, 5 wkts
Bhat, 8, caught,
Qureshi, 7, caught, 7 overs, 2 mdns, 24 runs, 2 wkts
Alagh, 0, bowled, 1 over, 0 mdns, 8 runs, 0 wkts
Kantor, 0, LBW
Gattinger, 4, bowled
Ottmankhil, 1, runout
Sestan 3*
MCC II, 78 for 10 in 23. 4 oversd lost to Passau, 80 for 8 in 23 overs by 2 wickets
MCC MOM : Deverill
MCC sledge of the match: Deverill reminding the umpire of the dead ball ruling if no stroke ios played.