<p>So, the half way point of the season comes and we arrive at West Horsley for a potentially fiery affair after last year's 'spirited' game. The start was delayed by 17 minutes due to half the mogs team's inability to find the ground a year on since last trying to find it!</p>
<p>Without further ado, the Mogs' openers step into the middle and game on! Tharpy immediately tucks into the opening attack without a hint of running ones (maybe due to having the master of calling at the other end!). Unfortunately for the spectators this comes to an end far too swiftly and he's bowled off his pads - 46-1. Freeland runs out to the square reminiscent of Freddie Flintoff and smacks his first ball to the boundary with gusto.</p>
<p>Next, Furner after another testing time, is passing Ben on the way to the changing rooms, and by the time he's removed his warrior's regalia (if indeed warriors have ever before sported a wide brimmed sun hat and flannels...) Ben is sitting next to him and Action joins his cricketing buddy in the middle.</p>
<p>This partnership shows class and brutality a-plenty with hitting at it's best as they put together the best partnership of the day for mogs. Action is especially severe on the 15 year old leg-spinner, whom he drives mercilessly for 6-6-4-4 in one over, reducing the poor young fella to tears. Freeland, exhibiting new-found paternalistic insticts (later extinguished), falls to a sympathetic swipe for a quick 43 to the young tyke and is replaced by the Cabbie. Now the crowd expects some more straight hitting from the Mogs two classy southpaw, and they are not disappointed. Briefly.</p>
<p>Jackson smashes another huge 6 (to be nominated of biggest six of the season). Cabbie knocks the ball around with ease until picking out extra cover with pin point accuracy, and like all good things (ladies silk underwear included) wickets begin to fall and at 166-9 the Mogs suddenly realize that they've rather lost their way (twice in one day.</p>
<p>Lewis & Briggs come together at the crease after putting a serious dent in Toby generous slab of beer donation, and 5 fosters fuelled overs later the innings closed, but not before 38 runs had been amassed by the tail-end specialists.</p>
<p>Tea Mogs 204 ao "captain thinks that is pretty reasonable"...</p>
<p>Tea was done and dusted (with a false start recorded by the Mogs' middle order on the oustanding chocolate cake) and the Mogs step over the boundary with openning bolwers "the off-break" and "Big-D" raring to go. Maybe if it had rained at that point things might have been different, but as it was their openers must have had a charter aircraft booked at 6:30pm for an 18-30's tour out of Glasgow, the way they went about their reply. Try as the boys mightily did it wasn't going to be their day, and although the ball went in the air a lot it forever landed on the turf without any fielder in the picture and invariably made it to the boundary. Or over it.</p>
Bowling was changed but no success until Freeland who had taken slight exception to Jamal's arrogance (quote "these guys are rubbish, I'll race you to 100), sent him to the pavilion next ball at 112-1. Although only a very slight glimmer of hope, much satisfaction was taken by this wicket that can be seen in the scorebook...</p>
<p>30 runs later Freeland, ignoring somewhat controversial cries of "hit the rubbish" from the sidelines", dismissed the other opener via a more low key lbw and again a shaft of hope radiated from the Mog's endless reserves, remembering games plucked from seemingly hopeless positions in the past. Unfortunately Johnny Parker was not playing in this game (and anyway we were bowling) and althoug Lewis M turned his trusty screw and picked up the third and final wicket, the game was well and truly up as their Sri Lankan A pro finished the game off in rapid style.</p>
<p>In any case the Mogs weren't too disheartened and we all stayed for a drink at the Wimpee homes pavillion overlooking some of the loveliest countryside in Surrey. Horsley and Send are very far from being our best opposition of the year, but quite clearly they are the most 'competitive'.</p>
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