Yet another wonderful late summer day, temperatures in the lower to mid-twenties, sunny with scattered clouds, and MCC ready to mend some burnt bridges with a 35 over friendly against the Munich Boys after the fracas of the league match against them. As it turned out this was to be the last match of the season at the Hirschanger as we learned later the ground was to be closed until mid-October for repairs/maintenance.
Captain Sarma won the toss and chose to bat, opening with Veser and O`Meagher. They scored quickly at around five per over, until Veser, having made the 500 club for this season, went for 24, caught behind in the tenth over and the score on 55. Mitchell came and went quickly, LBW offering no shot to a ball that turned around corners and he was replaced by Parameswaran playing his first game for the club and playing for the first time on a Flicx having been spoilt by the old British Army grounds in Berlin. He was out caught behind in the 24th over with the score on 100. Born again cricketer Caspari went in to demonstrate his new-found capabilities hitting some lusty shots before being run out for 14. O`Meagher had gone earlier for 50 and this gave captain Sarma an opportunity for a pretty little cameo innings of 32 off 18 balls, including 5 boundary fours. In strode our Viking Nielsen, full of intent to pillage many runs from the opposition bowling, hitting two sixes and a four in his 15 ball knock. O`Connor made a useful 13 from 15 balls then left it to Bhamare and Sestan to take MCC to 197 for 8 after 35 overs.
After the tea break, kindly provided by O`Connor, Blades and O’Connor opened the bowling for MCC with four wides in the first two overs. To be fair the MBCC umpires were very harsh in their judgement of wides throughout the innings, MCC bowling 35 as compared to the opposition who bowled 18. Nevertheless Blades got his first victim, LBW in the 5th over, with the score on 23. Ali and Ali Lohdi put on 80 for the second wicket and the game was heading away from us at a rapid pace but Veser made a superb direct hit to run out Ali for 55 in the 13th over with the score on 103. Bhamare went for 19 off his first over but recovered well in his second spell and finished with 1 for 38 off seven overs. Parameswaren bowled his first balls for the club and had the misfortune to be on the end of two seven ball overs the first going for a six, the second going for two wides and then a four. If only umpires could count he would have had 2 overs for 9 rather than 2 overs for 21. Nielsen bowled very well taking 3 for 39 in seven overs and treating the large crowd which included old club members Ross Crichton, John Hamilton and Alex Gale to some extraordinary war cries. With three overs left and MBCC needing 11 runs to win captain Sarma brought himself on and promptly bowled two wides. O’Connor`s final over took the scores level and Sarma went down with the ship, the winning single coming off the third ball of the 35th over.
Veser, 24, caught,
O’Meagher, 50, caught,
Mitchell, 1, LBW
Parameswaran, 14, caught, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 21 runs, 0 wkts,
Caspari, 14, run out
Sarma, 32, caught, 1.3 overs, 0 mdns, 6 runs. 0 wkts, 1 catch, 1 stumping
Nielsen, 24, caught, 7 overs, 0 mdns, 39 runs, 3 wkts, 1 catch, 1 stumping
O`Connor, 13, caught, 6 overs, 0 mdns, 33 runs, 2 wkts
Bhamare, 3*, 7 overs, 1 mdn, 38 runs, 1 wkt
Sestan, 1*, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 25 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Blades, DNB, 7 overs, 0 mdns, 32 runs, 2 wkts
MCC, 197 – 8, lost to MBCC, 198 – 9 by 1 wkt
MCC MOM Nielsen
