<p>On the hottest day of 2004 to date and set against the magnificent backdrop of Centre Court and the famous All England Club, the MOGS ventured to SW19 to take on a strong Wimbledon club fresh from beating Guildford in the Surrey Championship the day before.</p>
<p>Team: Alex 'Hewg' Hewitt (Capt), Stuart 'Action' Jackson, Andy 'Ankles' Tharp, Ben 'FaceMan' Fairclough, Jamie 'Bimbo' Freeland, Jimmy 'Cabbie' Honeyfield, Peter 'Little Maestro' Furner, Darryl 'Exxon' Abbott, 'Colonel' William Parker, Peter 'Pilau' Rice, Matthew 'Lothar' Lewis.</p>
<p>Opening quote of the day - 'the MOGS have a very strong team today', Umpire Frank Jackson - Would they prove it?</p>
<p>After the now customary pre match gathering (pint), Alex, in a garish yellow number proceeded to call correctly and, rightly given the conditions, chose to bat. The MOGS players on the balcony were informed, upon the skipper's long walk back from the bottom of the balcony stairs) that this would be a 40 overs a side match. </p>
<p>Action Jackson and 'Ankles' (after some unwise peddle-pusher clad sunbathing) Tharp opened up on what some described as 'a batsman's paradise', 'a road', 'can't miss out on this one...' and after a watchful start again proceeded to accelerate in their now familiar style. This opening pair now closely resemble the 1970's heavyweight pairing of Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier, with Jackson floating like a butterfuly at the crease (stinging fours like a bee) and Tharp 'smokin' sixes over point - this innings contained his third of the season.</p>
<p>However The MOGS very own 'thrilla in Manila' became the 'wobble at Wimbledon' as Ankles was, well..., hit on the ankles - plum for (26), Action left-jabbed all around a straight one (17) and FaceMan, unnerved by unexpected pace at one end, was castled New York Mafia style (his feet appeared set in concrete) at the other for (5).</p>
<p>Hewg and Bimbo rebuilt things with a fine 99 run partnership, the skipper leading from the front again after last week's ton, taking the score to 152-3 with a little more than 10 overs remaining. In a strong position to post a good score, MOGS proceeded to get a little strangled after the loss of Hewitt for 66. Tight bowling at the death, especially from the Wimbledon Saturday 1st Team skipper Richard Pearson (taker of 100 first class wickets for Essex, Northants and Cambridge) meant that the MOGS finished on a 'respectable' 206-7 from their allotted overs, with Bimbo's patient, unbeaten fifty seven supported by hard hit if brief cameos from Exxon, Cabbie, the Little Maestro and the Colonel.</p>
<p>Would this be enough against the probably the strongest and definitely the richest club side in the country?</p>
<p>After a superb tea (including succulent roast chicken legs, sausage rolls and a fine selection of sandwiches) and with Edgbaston glory on the cards for England, MOGS took to the field, to reap instant success.</p>
<p>Passers by and spectators alike could be forgiven for thinking that they had stumbled upon a sub-continental rice market, such were the shouts to be heard on the field of play.
Cries of "Basmati", "Pilau", "Saffron", "Wild", "Uncle Benns" were however terms of endearment for the MOGS star opening bowler - Peter Rice.</p>
<p>His 3rd ball was however dropped a touch short, and the opener's eyes lit up before pulling it like a kicking horse straight to the Cabbie at square leg, who despite doing his best impression of a rabbit caught in headlights, took a comfortable catch. Wimbledon's batsmen were not afraid to play their shots but consistency of 'Sticky' Rice and experience of the meatier 'Exxon' Abbott from the pavilion end made life far from comfortable whilst passing the edge on numerous occasions. However the searing pace of "Egg Fried" Rice was particularly exciting, given rumours last week that he was considering abandoning cricket in the face of dual offers as a gangster rapper/ultimate combat fighter in LA.</p>
<p>Just as the MOGS had collapsed, so did Wimbledon. Exxon forced the next batsman to drive on the up to mid off where Action held yet another good catch, following up excellently to bowl their no.3, and when a laser like delivery from "Kedge"(as in Kedgeree - yes, the Mogs fielders were running out of comic stamina) smashed through the defences of Wimbledon's other openner, they were really struggling on 52-4.</p>
<p>However a Wimbledon recovery began with a competent 79 run partnership between Pearson and veteran Rizvi. Skipper Hewitt mixed his bowlers about, with Lothar, Cabbie and Hewg himself getting scant reward for all their efforts. Alex then called on his Bimbo (2-12) and reaped instant dividends as Pearson, himself unnerved by Jamie's long run up, skied his first ball into the covers where Cabbie made no mistake (apart from doing his 'face at the moment of no return' beloved of many South American, Indian and Australian ladies of 2003).</p>
<p>Alex (3-26) tried and found the other end much more to his liking to mop up the tail but not before Bimbo had called for an additional portion of late night "instant" Rice which certainly hit the spot as Peter returned to finish the match by trimming the startled no.11's off bail, returning excellent final figures of 7.4 - 1 - 17 - 3.</p>
<p>After this fine win, the MOGS returned to the balcony to socialise with supporters and reminisce with old their charming opponents and old friends alike. The day will long be remembered for the MOGS Rice Market, Tharpy's sun-burnt Ankles and Lothar waiting till 1910 before throwing his toys.</p>
<p>Onwards to the oldest fixture as Headley looms come Sunday.</p>
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