A fine hot summer day at the Hirschanger and MCC looking to beat Erlangen after a tie in the away match earlier in the season. Captain Weston lost the toss and MCC were asked to bat and opened with Veser and the captain. Veser was out caught off the sixth ball for his first duck of the season bringing Sarma to the crease. There was a magnificent 83 run second wicket partnership before Sarma went for 20 in the 12th over and his place was taken by Butt. As usual Butt played himself in with test match batting scoring 2 runs from 13 balls before striking his first boundary. Thereafter his strike rate increased and the third wicket partnership of 89 was broken in the 28th over, Weston departing for 85 having hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 78 ball innings. There were no more big partnerships but after 40 overs MCC were 251 for 8 wickets, which included 44 wides.
After teas were taken, MCC opened the bowling with Khanna, who had hit a magnificent six from the last ball of the MCC innings, and Blades. After one over Khanna was replaced by Sarma and he and Blades bowled tightly, the first wicket falling to Blades in the 8th over with the score on 36. Sarma got his first in the 11th over with the score on 56 and then Erlangen crumbled losing wickets with the score on 56, 66, 68, 86 and were 88 for 7 down in the 19th over when Ayub took two wickets. Then there was a huge 104 run partnership between Jimmy Gaurav and Phil Milton. Milton had opened in the match at Erlangen and used up 63 balls to score 35. Here he scored 38 from 38 balls. Skipper Weston tried just about everything to break the partnership, finally exchanging the keeping role with Sarma and bowled one over himself. With his fourth ball Milton went for another six over long on and was very well caught by Veser in the deep with the score on 194 in the 36th over. Now Weston played his trump card and brought on Qureshi who took the remaining two wickets in the next over from 4 balls – well six I suppose as he bowled two wides. Erlangen then were all out for 196 in the 37th over.
The match had been scored by Philip Crebin, our new member and world champion yachtsman who kindly offered to do so after he learned that the regular scorer would be away in Ulm
Veser, 0, caught, 2 catches
Weston, 85, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 2 runs, 1 wkt, one stumping (off a leg side wide)
Sarma, 20, caught, 8 overs, 1 mdn, 42 runs, 3 wkts, 1 catch
Butt T.K. 39, bowled, 7 overs, 0 mdns, 26 runs, 0 wkts
Mascarenhas, 36, bowled, 5 overs, 0 mdns, 42 runs, 0 wkts, 3 catches
Ayub, 7, caught, 4 overs, 1 mdn, 17 runs, 2 wkts
Qureshi, 6, caught, 0.4 overs, 0 mdns, 2 runs, 2 wkts
Deverill, 4, bowled, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 24 runs, 0 wkts
Khanna, 7*, 1 over, 0 mdns, 7 uns, 0 wkts
Kantor, 3*
Blades, DNB, 8 overs, 2 mdns, 32 runs, 2 wkts
MCC, 251 for 8 in 40 overs, beat Erlangen, 196 for 10 in 36.4 overs by 55 runs
MCC MOM: Weston.
