The MCC 1st XI made their way leisurely to the lush-looking Taufkirchen ground on a
glorious Munich summer day. The sun beamed brightly, providing the perfect setting for a
day of cricket without scorching heat. Although MCC’s form leading up to the match hadn’t
been stellar, the arrival of some new faces instilled a sense of optimism among the group.
Winning the toss, Altmann decided to bat, considering the recent struggles with chasing
targets. After delivering an inspiring speech about defending wickets and avoiding rash
shots early on, Captain Altmann himself fell victim to an overambitious stroke, heading back
to the pavilion rather quickly. Fortunately, the rest of the team heeded his advice and
showed resilience against the straight deliveries.
With Altmann’s departure, Aniruhd and Mucca refocused on the task at hand. Both batsmen
played sensibly, taking calculated risks and capitalizing on the occasional loose delivery from
the polished bowling attack. Unfortunately, Mucca’s defense was breached by an inswinging
delivery, leaving MCC at 28-2 after 10.1 overs. The outfield’s lushness posed a challenge,
making scoring along the ground a tricky affair. Even textbook cover drives often failed to
reach the 30-yard circle.
Sandeep’s stay at the crease was brief, as a brilliant low-down catch at an interesting short
gully position sent him back. At 29-3, MCC was feeling the pressure. However, Milhouse’s
arrival steadied the ship, partnering with Aniruhd to keep the scoreboard ticking along
slowly. Nevertheless, Milhouse’s castle was knocked over, and the score stood at 49-4 after
19.2 overs.
As per his typical style, Priyansh aggressively went after the bowlers from the very first ball,
exerting pressure on the fielding team with his powerful stroke play. But he mistimed a full
toss, gifting an easy catch to short cover. Amol then joined Aniruhd at the crease,
demonstrating a solid defense against good balls while pouncing on the loose ones.
However, Aniruhd’s departure amidst controversy, with a debatable caught and bowled
decision, put a temporary dent in MCC’s progress.
Next up was the arrival of the “Silver Panther” Steve, who skillfully partnered with Amol to
steadily add more runs to the board. Amol’s departure at 81-7 raised hopes of reaching the
psychological milestone of a three-figure target. Neeraj then joined Steve, but before long,
Steve was caught round the corner at backward square leg, and the elusive 100 mark still
stood 10 runs away.
Enter the “Tiger King” Shivam, who had promised to unleash his aggressive side. Instead, he
battered sensibly, pushing MCC beyond 100 before being bowled with the score at 110-9.
Sabawoon, the last man in, departed swiftly, setting a target of 111 for Taufkirchen.
During the break, a quiet sense of confidence filled the MCC camp, knowing that defending
111 would be feasible with disciplined bowling and minimizing extras. Scoring had proven to
be challenging, and the batsmen were forced to take aerial risks to get the ball beyond the
30-yard circle.
The opening bowling duo of Sandeep and Mucca began the innings, exhibiting excellent
inswing and targeting the stumps, which put immense pressure on Taufkirchen’s opening
batsmen. Mucca claimed the first wicket, trapping the batsman in front. Sandeep swiftly
followed up, dismantling the defense of Taufkirchen’s opening bat Gowda, sending him back
for a duck in the 3rd over. The pressure persisted, and runs were hard to come by for the
opposition.
The third wicket fell as Rupayan fell victim to another inswinging delivery from Sandy,
marking the third duck of the innings. Taufkirchen’s top three batsmen had all failed to
contribute to the scoreboard. Aniruhd then struck, having Sharma caught at mid-off, leaving
Taufkirchen struggling at 14-4 after 8 overs.
With the ball losing its swing, the Taufkirchen batsmen found some comfort during the
drinks break at 17 overs, with the score at 40-4. However, after the interval, Neeraj and
Steve found a rhythm, and Steve’s first legal delivery yielded a crucial breakthrough – an
exceptional catch by Amol at first slip sent Taufkirchen’s fifth batsman packing with just 54
runs on the board.
Neeraj and Steve continued to bowl efficiently, and MCC managed to bowl 21 overs in the
next hour, reaching the final drinks break with Taufkirchen at 90-6 after 38 overs. Though
Taufkirchen needed just 21 runs to win with four wickets in hand, MCC held onto the belief
that a couple of quick wickets would heap pressure on the tailenders.
Their belief became a reality as Mucca struck with a deceptive slower ball, dislodging the
dangerous Manjeeth’s stumps with still 21 runs required. As the match intensified,
Taufkirchen’s batsmen showcased their intent, picking up the pace as the bowlers tired.
Akshay, the captain, fell prey to Aniruhd’s cunning, miscuing a pull shot to Sandy patrolling
the midwicket boundary.
With the match on the line, the strategic decision was made to call upon Tiger King Shivam
to deliver the decisive blows. Although he hadn’t bowled all day, there was belief that he
had the talent and composure to handle the pressure. As he stepped up to the crease, the
tension in the air was palpable. His first delivery was nerve-wracking dot ball, setting the
stage for what was to come. And then, with the second ball a remarkable catch by Milhouse
at short cover that left the DJK Taufkirchen supporters in stunned silence.
The number 11, looking nervous, faced the Tiger King. The MCC players rallied around,
urging Shivam to repeat the magic of his previous ball. With every eye fixed on the action,
the ball was delivered – a full toss around thigh height. The number 11 went for the pull
shot, but the ball soared high in the air towards square leg.
In a heart-stopping moment, Sabawoon, playing in just his second match for the club,
positioned himself perfectly and clutched the catch. The ground erupted into celebration!
The Tiger King had done it – two wickets in three deliveries without conceding a run,
securing an unlikely victory against the formidable 3rd-placed Taufkirchen.
It was an all-round incredible performance by the team. The energy, resilience, and never-
give-up attitude displayed were remarkable, something to strive for week in and week out.
This victory will be etched in the memories for a very long time, a magical moment that
reminds us of the power of determination and teamwork.
Post-match, the lads enjoyed some well-deserved refreshments with the friendly
Taufkircheners in the glorious beer garden at the DJK Taufkirchen sports center. A truly
enjoyable match, played with passion and camaraderie, truly embodying the spirit of
cricket.
Final score
MCC 110-10 (45.4 overs)
def. SDTCC 105-10 (42.3 overs)
https://cricclubs.com/BayerischerCricketVerbandeV/viewScorecard.do?matchId=1302&clubId=40958
Written by Hans Oldman
