Finally, summer had arrived with temperatures over 30°C, clear blue skies, three crates of cool fresh in the changing room fridge, plenty of shade for the scorers to sit and mock the perspiring fielders all day long and an opposition whom we had stuffed in a recent fixture with a very friendly MCC team but who had written that they hoped we would put out a “proper” team against them for this match. So we were more than up for it, to the extent that captain Weston actually won the toss and chose to bat in a 35 over fixture.
Sarma and Clare opened the batting to face Johnson, he of Sir Richard Turnbull fame, and George, and scored at a healthy 7 runs an over until Clare went for 38 off 37 balls in the eleventh over with the score on 69. Weston and Sarma put on another 54 for the second wicket, Weston hitting some almighty sixes and powerful fours in his 34 off 19 balls. Sarma and Hobbs took the score to 187 with a third wicket partnership of 64 before Sarma, who had really looked to be on a hundred played across a straight one and was clean bowled for 75 off 75 balls, the score now being 197 for 3 down. Soundarajan departed five runs later after joining in the duck race having faced eight balls. Wright came to join Hobbs, who was having the time of his life, and scored 8 off 10 balls allowing Fudge to come to the crease. Hobbs fell for 39 off 43 balls in the next over, this being his highest score for MCC, to be replaced by O`Connor who decided not to be upstaged in the duck race and went after facing one ball only. In came Sestan, the Croatian Killer to meet the hattrick ball with a straight bat and survived the rest of Johnsons double wicket maiden over. Sestan and Fudge put on 23 for the eigth wicket, Sestan being run out on the very last ball of the innings – remember to ground your bat Igor – and MCC finished on 240 for 8 after the 35 overs.
After a splendid tea provided by Fudge, complete with his infamous boiled eggs, MCC toook the field and opened with Gill and Jadwani who hadn`t batted in MCC`s innings. Gill struck with his fourth ball, getting the MIC opener Srini for a duck, LBW. In his second over he got the MIC captain Obaid, clean bowled for 4 and in his third over, Jadwani got Pramod clean bowled for 2. MIC were now 30 for 3 after 5.5 overs and in trouble but Kashif was at the crease and he was a joy to behold. He finished on 128 off 114 balls with 15 fours and 3 sixes, being out finally, caught Fudge, bowled Wright with the score on 196 for 9. Sestan, who bowled very well and took 3 for 40 almost got him caught behind off a ball that the umpire called a wide despite a convincing appeal by all those close around the bat. MIC were all out for 197 after 31,3 overs only Amit with 16 scoring above 10 runs and the victorious team enjoyed a swim in the Eisbach, loads of Helmut`s cool fresh then repaired to the Chinese Tower to discuss tactics until around midnight.
Note to Gill: It is extremely bad form to swim without your togs and even more so to swim with a bottle of cool fresh in your hand.
Sarma, 75, bowled
Clare, 38, bowled, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 19 runs, 0 wkts
Weston, 34, caught
Hobbs, 39, bowled, 0.3 overs, 0 mdns, 1 run, 1 wkt
Soundarajan, 0, caught
Wright, 8, bowled, 1 over, 0 mdns, 6 runs, 1 wkt
Fudge, 18*, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 42 runs. 1 wkt, 1 catch
O`Connor, 0, bowled, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 31 runs, 1 wkt
Sestan, 1, run out, 5 overs, 0 mdns, 40 runs, 3 wkts
Jadwani, DNB, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 38 runs, 1 wkt
Gill, DNB, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 19 runs, 2 wkts, 1 catch
MCC, 240 for 8, best MIC 197 for 10, by 43 runs.
MCC MOM Sarma.