When your correspondent arrived at the charming Ewhurst ground, accompanied by our new Lincolnshire bred batting wunderkind, Fraser Larke, we were impressed by a small army of next generation Mogador Wanderers being disgorged from their parents' vehicles like invading paratroops, save with cricket equipment replacing firearms. The club's future looked positive, looking towards the end of the next decade of the century.
Skipper Hewitt had a powerful Mogador force at his disposal and for the first time in a while actually had four fast bowlers in his armoury (well, if not exactly fast, then certainly four not spin bowlers) which gave the Mog attack some potency which has sometimes been lacking this season. Furthermore, as the summer was drawing to close and the Christmas shopping season beginning any match featuring both the Lewis brothers and 3 times MWCC Toy Throwing Champion Jamie Freeland would be bound to attract the attention of the toy manufacturers. Consequently reps from Hasbro, Mattel and even Waddington Games were seen setting up stalls around the boundary in anticipation of some ginger pyrotechnics.
Bowling first in a 40 over game the Mogs opened up with Freeland and Lewis J from the Gatwick end; both showing alarming maturity and composure. Sadly it was not to be the Mogs' day in the catching department and after a few overs Ewhurst's skipper slashed one from Freeland sharpishly into the slips where it was regrettably spilled. A couple of balls later the unfortunate fielder was again tested by a rapidly rising ball which he got a hand to but which only slowed its progress to the boundary. A huge roar of frustration erupted from Freeland, bringing back memories of a darker age of fire and brimstone, and the assembled reps jumped up in anticipation of a bumper selling season. However, it was not to be and Freeland exerted iron control over his emotions and continued to bowl a highly effective spell, straight and fast outside off stump which was justly rewarded with an LBW, and he ended on 9-1 off 5 overs. Lewis' bowling was also tight though not rewarded, but nonetheless after 8 overs Ewhurst had scored less than 1/3 of the runs that South Nutfield had plundered off us last week in the same time so the pressure was mounting on the home side.
The poor catching continued in the field with several players, including your correspondent, joining the brace club of twin spills. Some of the catches were very sharp, others frankly comical as the Mogs stumbled around the field like blind men with hangovers flooring chances with muttered curses or disbelieving gasps. The young Hornet replaced Freeland and bowled some good length, probing swing which tested the batsmen and Lothar Lewis came on from the Gatwick end to try some spin. He was, quite frankly, stupefied when an LBW shout which even Stevie Wonder would have given as poleaxing middle and off stump, was astonishingly adjudged to be going down the leg side and the ginger volcano bubbled furiously for a few minutes causing mass excitement amongst the reps. However, calm was soon restored with palliative words from the skipper. A double spin combo of Tharp and Hewitt then came on and reduced Ewhurst from 74-2 to 154-8 after 40 overs. In the process Hewitt snared their skipper after top scoring with 50 and ended with figures of 23-3 off 8 whilst Tharp was particularly effective with a crushing 7-4 off 6 overs.
After an excellent tea with genuinely hot sausages and a healthy salad option the Mogs set out to hunt down the target. Larke and Moss opened and took their time to get the measure of the home side's tight bowling attack. Moss perished for 9 and was replaced by the Little Master who scored a fluent 20 including one sumptuous cut through the covers for 4 which will doubtless be replayed to his grandchildren over many Sunday lunches in the years to come.
This brought returning Mogs hitman Richard Brown to the crease after not the happiest session in the field earlier. With Fraser Larke scoring fluently at the other end the skipper's instructions were to play an attacking game with a view to scoring rapidly or perishing gloriously. Ewhurst's young and feisty bowler put in a fast one which Brown slashed through the slips for four and then played a similar shot a couple of balls later, this time deliberately over the cordon for another four. The youngster had words of an uncomplimentary nature with the old pro which catapulted him into a furious run rampage, scoring 6 boundaries in a rapid fire 34. At the other end Larke was dismissed for an excellent 47 and replaced by Freeland. The cheerful Ewhurst banter was soon extinguished as Freeland drilled a couple of straight boundaries and he made his way to 26 not out at the other end as the Mogs progressed from 97 after 21 overs to victory in the 25th over.
Ewhurst, as always, were excellent hosts and both sides took advantage of the timely finish to retire to the bar and consume plenty of hop based products in which pursuit the Chairman, arriving after a late lunch, joined us and there was much merriment.
Report by Colonel William "I'll have a phal" Parker
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