Palfrey 0, caught
Veser 35, bowled
Sarma 26, bowled, 1 stumping
Hobbs 0, caught, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 31 runs, 0 wkts
O`Meagher 1, run out, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 38 runs, 2 wkts,
Sear 12, bowled, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 50 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Fudge 1, LBW, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 26 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Rabbani 5, caught, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 17 runs, 1 wkt
Sestan 1, run out, 1 over, 0 mdns, 17 runs, 0 wkts
Blades 2, caught, 5 overs, 0 mdns, 26 runs, 4 wkts
Scott 0*, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 34 runs, 0 wkts.

MCC, 102 for 10, lost to Pak Orient by 141 runs.

MCC MOM Veser

Weston 19, caught, 1 catch
Lovell 35, bowled
Sarma 20, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 13 runs, 0 wkts
Clare 15, bowled, 1 over, 0 mdns, 13 runs, 0 wkts
Sear 3, bowled, 4 overs, 1 mdn, 32 runs, 3 wkts, 2 catches
Rabbani 13, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 12 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Fudge 0, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 17 runs, 1 wkt, 1 catch
Ferguson 0, bowled, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 19 runs, 1 wkt
Wright 1, run out, 1 over, 0 mdns, 21 runs, 0 wkts
Garner 12, caught, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 33 runs, 0 wkts
Blades 2*, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 17 runs, 2 wkts.

MCC, 134 – 10, lost to Serendib, 177 – 7, by 43 runs.

MCC MOM Lovell, highest score and excellent teas.

A very hot and humid day in Trento, with temperatures in the middle thirties, saw captain Weston lose the toss against Trentino and being asked to field. The opposition appeared to be mainly of Pakistani  heritage with their known preference for tonking the ball around with massive swinging hits. The rules of the tournament were that players had to retire on reaching 25 and the opening Trentino batsman, a gentleman with a rather solid figure, retired when he had reached 31 – he should actually have retired one ball and four runs earlier. That was his final contribution to the game for he neither fielded nor bowled but was replaced by another, more athletic player. The four MCC bowlers used went for around 10 runs per over, the exception being Wright who took one for 13 in his two overs. The cummulative Trentino scores at the end of each over were 0 -12, 0 – 22, 0 – 32, 1 – 34, 1 – 45, 1 – 54, 1 – 67 and 2 – 78.
Weston and Clare opened the batting for MCC and the scoring was slow, the first boundary coming in the third over with the 15th ball of the innings. After the seventh over things were looking gloomy, MCC reaching only 60 for 2. However Wright did some marvellous tonking before being run out spectacularly after easily making his ground and Sarma and Turner then took us to 78 with an exciting two runs off the last ball of the innings.
MCC`s cummulative scores after each over were 0 – 5, 0 – 10, 0 – 24, 0 – 32, 1 – 40, 2 – 50, 2 – 60, 3 – 78.

Weston  24, caught, 1 catch
Clare 13, caught, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 21 runs, 0 wkts
Wright 23, run out, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 13 runs, 1 wkt
Sarma 8*, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 23 runs, 0 wkts
Turner 4*,
Fudge DNB, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 21 runs, 0 wkts

MCC, 78 for 3, tied with Trentino, 78 for 2.

3rd September, first round second match
Captain Weston lost the toss and MCC were put in to bat by Indomita, a team from Trento consisting mainly of Italians but not including Guido “Hitta ze Rabbish” Ronconi. Weston and Fudge opened the innings and scored at a rapid rate, Fudge falling in the third over with the score on 34. Embleton at number three was the only MCC batsman having to retire during the weekend after he scored 26. Some powerful hitting and aggressive running took MCC to  a good score, the cummulative scores after each over being 0 – 11, 0 – 33, 1  – 41, 1 – 48, 1 – 63, 1 – 81, 2 – 89, 3 – 94.
Clare and Embleton opened the bowling, Embleton taking a wicket with only his second ball. In the first over Clare had run out the other opening batsman with a quick gather-and-throw off his own bowling. The scoring was kept to a moderate rate and Indomita were three wickets down after the alloted eight overs. The cummulative scores were:
1 – 6, 2 – 10, 2 – 18, 3 – 23, 3 – 24, 3 – 31, 3 – 38, 3 – 46

Weston 22, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 7 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Fudge 23, bowled, 1 over, 0 mdns, 8 runs, 0 wkts
Embleton 26* retired, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 9 runs, 2 wkts,
Turner 12, caught, 1 catch
Sarma 3*, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 15 runs, 0 wkts
Clare 2*, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 6 runs, 0 wkts.

MCC, 94 – 3, beat Indomita, 46 – 3 by 48 runs.

4th September, semi-final

Having competed well in the first round matches, MCC were not quite up to standard for this match – was it the long wait for the ice cream, the excess of vino, the impressive views in the Piazza or the excertions of the Pink Flamingo? I guess we will never know.
Captain Weston made it three in a row for the toss and MCC were asked to field by Trento. Clare opened the bowling and after taking a wicket off his third ball things were looking up. Embleton, his opening bowling partner also had a good first over but thereafter it went pear-shaped. Trento finished with 105 from their eight overs, two of their batsmen retiring having reached 25. The cummulative scores were.
1 – 3, 1 – 16, 1 – 32, 1 – 47, 1 – 58, 2 – 79, 2 – 89, 2 – 105.
Weston and Clare opened for MCC and found scoring to be very difficult, in fact only one boundary was scored in the complete MCC innings whereas Trento had scored 17. Weston top scored with 19 but after 6 overs the match was finished, the cummulative scores being:
0 – 6, 0 – 16, 1 – 23, 1 – 34, 3 – 45, 5 – 52.

Weston 19, bowled, 1 catch
Clare 7, bowled, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 20 runs, 1 wkt
Embleton 4, caught, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 28 runs, 0 wkts
Wright 2, bowled, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 21 runs, 0 wkts
Sarma 6, run out, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 35 runs, 1 wkt
Turner 1*

MCC, 52 – 5, lost to Trento, 105 – 2 by 53 runs.

MCC player of the tournament, the pink flamingo

Weston 0, bowled, 1 catch
Wright 23, caught, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 11 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Sobek 6, bowled, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 26 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Blades 4, caught, 4 overs, 2 mdns, 11 runs, 3 wkts
*M. Matthew 0, LBW, 3 0vers, 0 mdns, 22 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Clare 17, LBW, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 25 runs, 1 wkt, 1 catch
Furlonger 25*
*T. Sharma 0, bowled, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 23 runs, 1 wkt
*J. Streibl 0, bowled, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 43 runs, 2 wkts
*Y. Govendar 6, caught, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 20 runs, 0 wkts
Albert 1, caught, 1 stumping.

MCC, 103 for 10 in 21 overs, lost to CCB, 182 for 7 in 30 overs, by 79 runs.

MCC MOM Furlonger.

Weston 28, bowled
Sarma 5, caught
Clare 12, bowled, 3 0vers, 0 mdns, 18 runs, 0 wkts
Ferguson 14*, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 9 runs, 2 wkts
Furlonger 12*
Blades DNB, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 19 runs, 1 wkt
Garner DNB, 4 overs, 1 mdn, 13 runs, 3 wkts
Sear DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 12 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Wright DNB, 2,1 overs, 0 mdns, 7 runs, 2 wkts
Carr DNB, 1 catch
Shankarappa DNB

MCC, 84 for 3 in 11.5 overs, beat Pak Orient, 81 for 9 in 19.1 overs by 7 wickets.

MCC MOM Ferguson

Veser 1, caught
Wright 1 bowled, 4 overs, 1 mdn, 13 runs, 2 wkts
Furlonger 0, bowled, 1 catch
Brunskill 7, caught
Miller 7, bowled
Garner 2, bowled, 2 overs, 2 mdns, 22 runs, 2 wkts
Carr 16, caught,
Sear 20, LBW, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 30 runs, 1 wkt, 1 catch
Blades 0, bowled, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 24 runs, 0 wkts
Sestan 0*,
MCC, 85 for 9 in 32 overs, lost to MICs, 89 for 3 in 15 overs, by 7 wickets
MCC MOM Sear.

With creaking bones and aching muscles, the Matrix kindly allowed us to bat first, on a pitch that had a lovely green patch just short of a length. Mark Lovell, the success story of the weekend, seemed to have figured out that there is no spoon, and anchored the innings with a huge 89, dispatching the poor ball to all parts of the ground and beyond with reckless abandon. Fudgy also made a valuable 23 and Doug Giles 15. So with just under 200 on the board after 40, it was time to drag our sorry carcasses into the field.

And that was when the Paul Scott stepped into the Matrix. No, he ripped into it. With a stiff breeze at his back and muscles that slowly loosened up, he terrorised the Matrix top order, utilising that green patch I spoke of to wonderful effect. The skipper let him bowl through, for fear that he wouldn’t be able to loosen up twice in one day, and what a grand decision it was. Scott finished his 8 overs with 2 maidens and 5 wickets for 12 runs!

Of course, that didn’t leave much for the rest of us to do. The bowlers all mixed in with pretty much a wicket a piece, and even a short stoppage for rain couldn’t cause any stoppage of our victory over the Matrix and the freeing of all those beers that were trapped in the Matrix pub.

Neo

Wayne van Dalsum Publishing

Scorecard

Lovell 89, bowled
Ferguson 0, caught, 5 overs, 0 mdns, 27 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Fudge 23, caught
Clare 0, caught, 3.4 overs, 1 mdn, 8 runs, 1 wkt, 2 catches
van Dalsum 9, bowled, 3 overs, 1 mdn, 5 runs, 1 wkt
Giles 15, caught, 2 catches
Rabbani 9, bowled, 3 overs, 2 mdns, 8 runs, 0 wkts
Khanna 3, caught, 1 catch
o’Meagher 8*, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 15 runs, 1 wkt
Finch 2*, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 23 runs, 1 wkt
Turner DNB,
Scott DNB, 8 overs, 2 mdns, 12 runs, 5 wkts

After a gentle pre-match lolly warm-up, the MCC took the field raring to go. Scott and Fudge opened up for the MCC, and Scott had two early wickets: one in the pink for Turner and another one in the buckets for Clare at slip. Unfortunately, after 9.1 overs the heavens opened, with the game evenly poised at 37/2. There was a forced break of several hours, which was spent watching football and county cricket, and  enjoying the teas. Samosas. Eventually the weather cleared, and a T20 was agreed upon, with Richmond to start their innings anew in the absence of Herrn Duckworth & Lewis.

MOM opened up in the T20, and his former team-mate Harding-Smith dispatched him back over his head for 6 first ball. Needless to say MOM didn’t pitch any more up. Fudge, schnell aber wahnsinn, started at the other end with an 11 ball over and was promptly removed from the attack. It was quickly apparent that this was not a friendly against Tegernsee or Punjab, with Harding-Smith and first drop Roberts carting it everywhere, albeit helped by some generous MCC catching attempts. MOM had an early wicket caught behind, but Rabbani, van Dalsum and Turner’s mate mate Cameron Moore probably don’t want to see their bowling figures. Clare eventually bowled Roberts for 42 and picked up a second next over. Harding-Smith fell for 83 to Fudgy’s bowling in the last over, and Fudgy had a second next ball. Richmond finished 178/5 off their 20 overs.

MCC went out with the intention to go down swinging. Rabbani, MOM, and Turner all hit a couple of lusty blows, but couldn’t carry on, and MCC sank to 75/5 after 11 overs. Lovell and Clare then put on 74 for the sixth wicket in 8.2 overs, attacking the spinners. Clare was bowled in the last over, and Harry fell in the same manner next ball. van Dalsum kept his head, and hit a single off the penultimate delivery to give Lovell, on 47, the strike for the last ball. The two MCC veterans somehow managed to scarper a 3 off the last ball to bring up a well deserved half century for Lovell. MCC ended on 153/7 – 26 short.

Special thanks goes to Richmond for hosting us on a beautiful ground and making sure we did get a game despite the weather, and to MOM for lining up the fixture. Post-match involved a couple of quiet beers with both teams at the ground, followed by a chicken tikka masala or similar at the local curry house. The VC and Treasurer finished with a post-post-match/pre-flight night cap at Jim Belushi’s bar/hostel with the conversation coming to the conclusion that it had indeed been a quality tour.

40 over

Owens DNB
Turner DNB, 1 catch
Rabbani DNB
o’Meagher DNB
Fudge DNB, 4.1 overs, 0 mdns, 16 runs, 0 wkts
Lovell DNB
Clare DNB, 1 catch
Khanna DNB
van Dalsum DNB
Giles DNB
Scott DNB, 5 overs, 0 mdns, 19 runs, 2 wkts

T20

Owens 6, caught
Turner 10, bowled, 1 catch
Rabbani 20, bowled, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 33 runs, 0 wkts
o’Meagher 16, caught, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 24 runs, 1 wkt
Fudge 5, caught, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 30 runs, 2 wkts
Lovell 50*
Clare 23, bowled, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 28 runs, 2 wkts
Khanna 0, bowled
van Dalsum 1*, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 41 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Giles DNB
Moore DNB, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 20 runs, 0 wkts