Blackheath rides forth at the Hirschanger
This was the long awaited tour of the Blackheath 5’s after a very wet and rainy Friday and some showers into Saturday morning. Nevertheless the selection committee did wonders to pick an XI from the 20 members available and even remembered to tell off two for teas. One of them, O’Meagher brought some, the other, Bhamare thought it meant he had to pay 30 euros for teas in order to be able to play. Considering the problems we have with our Indian players and teas, I imagine providing teas for the team and opposition is simply not done in India. The problem was solved by sending the Gor on a bicycle to the nearby Tengelmans to get a second lot.
Captain Sarma lost the toss and MCC were asked to field, opening with Lancashire’s best Dom Gill and Garner. Garner took the first wicket in his third over, caught Gaikwad – another Indian who can catch – with the score on 19. Some 16 runs later Maxi Hoeck of Tegernsee who had set up the tour was run out by Clare who managed to finger the ball on to the stumps after it had been hit straight back to him. He later bowled Heidi – not a Swiss Mädchen but the nickname for an Aussie called Fleiss – to enter the 25 wicket club. Wickets fell regularly with no-one taking more than a couple as most were only allowed three overs or one wicket by the captain. There was a lot of embarrassingly aggressive appealing for LBW but all emanating from the Blackheath side who had some kind of competition going to get their own players given out. They were pretty well oiled having spent two nights in Munich already and many of them went straight to the cool fresh in the changing room before the game. “I will only umpire if I can smoke and drink” said one. They were joined shortly afterwards by the Tasmanian Brummie who turned up to watch. The Blackadders including Baldrick were all out for 75 in 27.3 overs but considered it a score to defend as they have won games fielding second defending lower scores. This was the first time any of them had ever played on anything other than a grass wicket so they were somewhat bemused by the lack of bounce on a Flicx laid on a soggy underground.
As rain clouds were looming it was decided to play the second innings and take teas after the game was over. O’Meagher and Mitchell opened and hit the first boundaries of the match, a four and a six. Mitchells six was a sight to behold and was much admired by the opposition afterwards. O’Meagher went for 10, LBW, with the score on 10 and was replaced by Sarma. He and Mitchell put on 23 before Daniel let it down and the game was abandoned. The plentiful teas, washed down with three crates made for an enjoyable post match gathering and at 7 pm all retired to Fräulein Grüneis’s for a couple more and then onwards for a Ruby Murray where the cook had learned once again to make spicy mean spicy. Then it was time to leave the guests on another crawl around Munich to be home in time for “last night of the proms”.
O’Meagher, 10, LBW,
Mitchell, 10*
*Sarma, 13*, 2.3 overs, 0 mdns, 5 runs, 2 wkts
*1 Weston, DNB, 2 overs, 1 mdn, 1 run, 0 wkts
Parlour, DNB, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 9 runs, 1 wkt, 1 catch
Garner, DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 9 runs, 1 wkt
Bhamare, DNB, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 5 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Gaikwad, DNB, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 10 runs, 1 wkt, 1 catch
*2 Clare, DNB, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 6 runs, 1 wkt, 1 stumping
O’Connor, DNB, 3 overs, 1 mdn, 10 runs, 2 wkts
Gill, DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 11 runs, 0 wkts.
Blackheath 5’s, 75 for 10 in 27.3 overs, MCC, 33 for 1 in 6 overs