Fresh from the victory against Erlangen the previous week, the team was looking forward to the game against Pak Orient, who had surprisingly lost to the Munich Boys the week before. Also it was the first league match at the wide horizons on the Hirschanger, wide being the operative word as MCC bowled 36 wide deliveries in 38 overs. The weather was a great deal better than in Erlangen, cloudy with sunny intervals and around 17°C with a possibility of rain.
Captain Sarma lost the toss and MCC were sent out to field, opening the bowling with Ferguson and Blades. After two overs eight wides had been bowled and it seemed to be just one of those days for the MCC bowlers. Was the ball swinging too much? The umpires were pretty strict but that wasn`t the only answer. Nevertheless, it appeared to be difficult to score, Mateen top scoring for Pak Orient with 34, finally being bowled by Ferguson. However the score progressed at around 4.5 runs per over and after 33 overs, they were 156 for 5 down, aided somewhat by five dropped catches. Then the Snake Charmer played his master card, bringing on Rabbani who took 3 for 6 in his first over and finished up with 4 for 12 off 3 overs. Pak Orient were all out for 185 after 38.3 overs, the highest score being extras with 41.
Veser and O’Meagher opened for MCC both falling caught behind for 12 and 30 respectively but at 20 overs MCC were 77 for 2 and still in with a good chance. Sarma went for 36 attempting to go big but only finding Sher Khan at deep mid off. Of the remainder only Ferguson looked very good, going for 27 eventually, again caught behind and probably facing a suspension for Sir Richard Turnbulling the umpire after a couple of leg side balls were not called wide The umpires will report the incident despite Rabbani’s pleading with them as was confirmed by the Ligaleiter when I talked to him on Sunday. MCC were eventually all out for 146 in 36.1 overs, eight being caught, one bowled and one run out.
At the post match party at Fräulein Grüneis’s (she even gave us a round of schnapps to make us feel better) it was decided that had we won the toss we probably would have won the game so it was all the captain’s fault – its hard being captain of the MCC.
Veser, 12, caught, 1 catch
O’Meagher, 30, caught, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 29 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Sarma, 36 caught,
Turner, 1, caught, 3 catches
Ferguson, 27, caught, 7.3 overs, 1 mdn, 26 runs, 2 wkts
Clare, 7, caught, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 25 runs, 0 wkts
Rabbani, 4 caught, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 12 runs, 4 wkts
Furlonger, 4, run out,
Garner, 2, caught, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 33 runs, 2 wkts
Blades, 0, bowled, 7 overs, 0 mdns, 31 runs, 1 wkt
Scott, 0*, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 24 runs, 0 wkts.
MCC, 146 – 10, lost to Pak Orient, 185 – 10 by 39 runs
MCC MOM Rabbani
