After beating Erlangen in the quarter-finals MCC had a home ground fixture in the semis against Wurzburg. Unfortunately the Hirschanger was closed for repairs after a Schicky-Micky event had caused considerable damage to the playing field. Fortunately Adschi Keim of Pak Orient agreed to allow us to play on their ground and saved us from a long trip to Wurzburg.
The game was scheduled for a 12 noon start and MCC arrived promptly at 11:15, or most of us did. Unfortunately for Wurzburg one of their cars containing three of their players had an accident on the way and they were not expected to arrive until around 3pm. This meant that MCC could have claimed the match as nine players have to be present no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled start time. Umpire Ravi agreed that we could start the game with the opposition having eight players only and captain Ayub duly used Maria Theresa to win the toss. Surprisingly and very sportingly he chose to field first arguing that if we could not beat them when they had a full side (during the MCC innings) then we did not deserve to be in the final.
MCC opened the attack with Brooks and Khan Maiwand, both, in true MCC Tradition, bowling a wide with their first ball but thereafter bowled very well. After five overs Khan Waqas and Butt took over, Waqas getting the first wicket in the 7th over with the score on 27. In the 12th over Ayub came on with a wicket maiden, and, in the fourteenth, Qureshi entered the fray and the wide boys race, but also got a wicket, caught Butt, in his only over and Wurzburg were now 69 for three down after 15 overs. Ayub got a second, caught by Waqas and, when he was brought back on, Waqas took two wickets in his fourth and final over, leaving Wurzburg on 96 for 6 after 19 overs. No more wickets fell and they made a total of 102 in their allotted 20 overs.
Plentiful teas were supplied by Qureshi and, because of the temperature, a longer than usual break was allowed.
MCC opened the batting at 13:50 with the opposition having only eight players in the field but, at 14:10, the remainder arrived and ran straight onto the field without waiting for the third over to finish. After three overs the MCC openers, Butt and Khan Mahmud, had put on 31. Butt in particular was very aggressive and, after six overs the score was 48 for none and the game almost in the bag. The first wicket fell with the score on 90. Mahmud going for 15 to be replaced by Qureshi. MCC took only 12.2 overs to reach the target score finishing another great team effort.
Butt, 72*, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 18 runs, 0 wkts, 1 catch
Khan Mahmud, 15, caught, 1 over, 0 mdns, 8 runs, 0 wkts
Qureshi, 2*, 1 over, 0 mdns, 12 runs, 1 wkt
Konchada, DNB,
Ayub, DNB, 4 overs, 1 mdn, 14 runs, 2 wkts
Khan Waqas, DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 17 runbs, 3 wkts, 1 catch
Ibrahim Akmal, DNB,
Brooks DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 16 runs, 0 wkts
Otmankhil, DNB, 1 catch
Tanha, DNB,
Khan Maiwan, DNB, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 11 runs, 0 wkts,
MCC, 103 -1 in 12,2 overs, beat Wurzburg, 102- 6 in 20 ovrs, by 9 wickets
MCC MOM: Butt T.K.
After the semi-final another T20 was arranged, MCC vs a combination Pak Orient/Wurzburg XI. Captain Konchada presumably lost the toss as MCC fielded first once again. The bowling was opened by the Khans Waqas and Maiwand, both taking wickets and the score was 55 for three after six overs. They were replaced by Bhatia and Maroofkhel who also took wickets and after 12 overs the score was 112 for six. Tanha, Usman, Qureshi and Ayub also bowled, Tanha taking two wickets and Usman rewarded with a run-out in his first over. Pak Orient /Wurzburg finished at 184 for 9 in their 20 overs.
After a short break MCC opened the batting with Khan Mahmud and Usman, Usman departing for some more Kentucky fried in the third over with the score on 9. In came Benedikt Zellhuber-McMillan, a new member who only turned up to watch but was thrilled at getting a game. As he is an anesthetist we wondered if he would bat like Geoffrey Boycott and send everyone to sleep but then, as Geoffrey says, when they wake up I`m still batting. As it happens it was obvious that he has played cricket before and actually faced seven balls before getting run out. Qureshi made a boundary filled 15, Ayub made 11 from six balls and then made way for Butt. He seemed not to take it too seriously and was taunting the Pak Orient fielders by playing Dil scoops, taking a left hand guard and playing left handed until he was forced to retire having amassed 29 and the total score 81 for six after 12 overs. Bhatia and captain Konchada put on a useful 41 for the seventh until Bhatia was run out and made way for Khan Waqas who scored a lusty 22 including two fours and two sixes.
Khan Mahmud, 13, caught, 2 catches, 1 stumped
Usman Asif, 2, caught, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 18 runs, 0 wkts
Zellhuber-McMillan, 0, run out, 1 catch
Qureshi, 15, caught, 2 overs, 0 mdns, 10 runs, 0 wkts,
Ayub, 11, bowled, 1 over, 0 mdns, 15 runs, 0 wkts
Butt, 29, retired out,
Konchada, 29*, 1 catch
Bhatia, 9, run out, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 22 runs, 1 wkt
Khan Waqas, 22*, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 22 ruins, 2 wkts, 1 catch
Ibrahim Akmal, DNB,
Khan Maiwand, DNB, 3 overs, 0 mdns, 33 runs, 1 wkt
Maroofkhel, DNB, 4 overs, 0 mdns, 39 runs, 2 wkts, 1 catch
MCC, 147 – 7, lost to Pak Orient/Wurzburg, 184 – 9 by 37 runs
MCC MOM; Khan Waqas
