There must be fewer more beautiful places in the world to play cricket than Tegernsee Cricket
Club; positioned directly on the lake and surrounded by tree covered mountains on all sides.
Short boundaries encourage big scores, aided further by strategically placed athletics track on
one side. MCC II arrived at the ground motivated to chalk up a win and bounce back from a
loss at the same venue the week before in the T20 competition. It started as well as it could
have, with Dave winning the toss and putting the hosts into bat. Keshav and Sandy did a fine
job in their opening spells of 5 and 6 overs respectively, bowling a disciplined line and
conceding few extras – important considering Extras is often a big run scorer vs MCC – and
each taking a wicket, bowled.
First change saw Cameron (a ringer from the first team) and Priyansh (early contender for 2023
MCC MVP) enter the fray. The class showed as they applied pressure to the TCC top order,
each taking a wicket and Cameron being unfortunate to not get more for efforts, with two drops
coming off his bowling. Sarang showed the everyone how it should be done by safely taking a
high ball at mid-off that the other 10 players were grateful to not be under. At the halfway point,
it was finely poised, TCC going at 4 an over, having lost 4 wickets. Having only 4 frontline
bowlers in the team, 8 overs would have to made up from self-described part-timers. Sarang
bowled 2 of them, and Rahul 3. Rahuls loopy, tricky spin mesmerizing a TCC batsman into
slapping one straight to Keshav at cover. MCC went for the kill, bringing back Keshav, Sandy
and Cameron to try to capitalise. A combination of good fortune for the batsman – playing and
missing often – and a few more 50/50 drops from MCC fielders unfortunately meant TCC
numbers 7 and 8 weathered the storm. And so, it came down to Dan and Dave to turn their arms
over. Both fared well, pesky extras were kept in check, and Dan managed to take two poles –
both bowled – including the well set, dangerous batsman on 60-odd. TCC mustered their way
to 227 off 40 overs for the loss of 8 wickets.
228 to win.
Dan and Priyansh opened. All was calm, they saw off the opening two bowlers for a couple of
boundaries and some good running. But disaster struck. Priyansh first given out LBW to a ball
he quite clearly got a thick inside edge on. Dan followed, inside edging onto his stumps, before
a mix up left Harit stranded and run out. Cameron and Sarang settled the storm, batting
beautifully for a partnership of 80 – Cameron cracking sixes over the legside and threatening
the nearby lake, Sarang playing proper cricket and plying his trade. Unfortunately, this is
German cricket, so something outrageous is never far away. Cameron got bowled by a ball that
barely made it off the boards and MCC’s momentum was halted. Debarun put up some fight
before middling one to mid-off, and Sarang made his maiden 50. But unfortunately, the end
was nye. Dave and Sandy furthered their claims in the duck race before Keshav batted well for 13.
After Sarang finally fell and Keshav’s valiant resistance expired, Rahul was left stranded at
the end. Best wishes and get well soon to Simrat, who damaged his finger in the field and did
not bat. MCC all out for 169. There is always next week boys.
Danald Duck
