The Hischanger wasn`t available for our home fixture so we arranged to play the match in Tegernsee`s picturesque ground. A large party of nineteen or so gathered at the main station by the BOB ticket desk for the 10.15 train. Sobek brought a cooling box with food and he also had some ladies to share the onerous task of watching with him. However on the walk from the station to the ground he got diverted to the Tegernseeer Brauhaus and we didn`t see him or the ladies for some while afterwards. Nevetheless, Palfrey, who had missed the train but took a later one need not worry as he made a new friend in Sestan who took a cooler with eight cans of cool fresh in it. Scott had left his hotel in Hamburg at 7.30 am to head for the airport and arriving in Munich left for Tegernsee without going home first – there’s dedication for you. Veser and family also drove down as did Rabbani and Blades, complete with the kit.
Skipper Clare won the toss – be warned Weston – and chose to bat. It is a small, but beautiful ground with snow topped mountains in the background.
Veser and O’Meagher opened and put on a very good partnership against good Tegernsee bowling from Saleem and Govindar before Veser was out, caught behind, with the score on 51. Wright and Veser then put on 21 before O`Meagher, complete with a new bat from New Zealand, went for 23 in the 14th Over. Ferguson came and went, joining the duck race, after receiving what, from the square leg umpire’s position, looked to be a bummer of a decision. Then came hard hitting Rabbani, who top scored with 38 before being LBW in the 21st over with the score on 175. Blades and Garner joined the duck race, Algar and Hobbs enjoyed some lusty hits, Hobbs sacrificing his wicket going for a second that wasn`t on in the 39th over and MCC were all out for 205.
Ferguson and Blades opened the bowling for MCC and for me it was an unusual opportunity to see how our bowlers were as I usually stand in matches between other teams. Tegernsee were up with the run rate but, in the 6th over Blades struck twice and Tegernsee were 31 for 2. Ferguson got a wicket in the seventh over and Blades another in the 10th over leaving the score on 49 for 4. Garner and the long distance traveller Scott come on and bowled very tightly, the run rate dropped and the game looked to be in the bag and at the 20 over drinks break Tegernsee were 76 for 5. Blades had taken up a fielding position at third man, close to the volley ball pit and the young amazons playing there – its a hard life for some. Rabbani came on in the 21st over for a short spell of four overs in which he took 2 for 24, Hobbs tried to repeat his performance from Bucharest but got hammered for three fours in a single over. Tegernsee were all out for 142 after 32.5 overs despite a splendid defensive stand by Denish Ritigahapoln, who top scored with 36 not out.
After the match we stayed at the ground sampling Tegernseer helles until they ran out and had only Weissbier on offer. We then retired to the Brauhaus to admire the spectacle of Hobbs devouring a Haxe in under five minutes and took the 9 pm BOB back to Munich. By this time, Palfrey was reduced to a glassy stare, Algar slept all the way dreaming of long white clouds and the 12 runs he need to make his 1000 for the club. Sobek treated us to a hilarious German lesson and some yoga dancing in the isle.
All in all a wonderful day trip and, as skipper Clare remarked, perhaps we should arrange to play all our league matches against Tegernsee away.
Veser, 23, caught, 1 catch
O`Meagher, caught, 23
Wright, caught 14,
Ferguson, LBW, 0, 7 overs, 0 mdns, 30 runs, 1 wkt, 1 catch
Rabbani, LBW, 38, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 24 runs, 2 wkts
Clare, bowled, 23
Algar, bowled 12
Garner, caught 0, 7.5 overs, 12 runs, 2 wkts, 1 catch
Hobbs, run out, 13, 1 over, 0 mdns, 12 runs, 0 wkts
Blades, caught, 0, 8 over, 0 mdns, 40 runs, 4 wkts
Scott, not out, 1, 5 overs, 2 madns, 15 runs, 1 wkt.
MCC, 205 for 10 beat Tegernsee, 142- 10 by 53 runs
MCC MOM Rabbani.
