(Reuters, 22 May) Upon entering the away changing room at Merstham on a windy but sunny afternoon your correspondent, himself no stranger to the Epicurean delights of fermented hop and grape based products, was assaulted by the powerful odour of recent revelry. Such were the wafting clouds of alcohol evaporating from the bodies of tired Mogs that no naked lights should have been permitted within a 200 meter radius of the Clubhouse for fear of a fuel air detonation, whilst kidney and liver trauma teams at the East Surrey Hospital should have been placed on high alert.
The Mogs took to the field to attempt a recovery of the Matthew Lewis Trophy which had been lost last year to Merstham and needed to be returned to the Mogs. Two Merstham monarchs, Edward I and Edward II opened the batting with much skill and energy. Freeland and Coxon bowled manfully against them, the former being particularly abstemious and missing the outside edge on numerous occasions. Although the batsmen pushed through a few boundaries on the fast outfield the score was a respectably tight 44 without loss after 11 overs. The batsmen had got their eyes in by this stage and plundered the new bowlers such that after 15 overs Merstham had reached 86 and by the time drinks were taken after 21 overs the home side were sitting at 147 without loss and looking well poised to set the Mogs an unassailable target.
The slightly demoralised fielders imbibed the well needed soft drinks and then returned to the field where Tharp, ever cheerful and encouraging of his players, continued his spell from the Scorebox End. Almost immediately he struck and Freeland pouched a good catch in the deep to take Edward II on 90 and, although the runs still came, the rate was now significantly reduced and he took two more wickets both caught by Coxon giving him commendable figures of 38-3 off his 8 overs. Tina "Colada" Turner, returning to the Mogs for a much welcomed guest appearance, came on from the Motorway End to bowl some spin and had Letts caught by Larke, returning figures of 41-1 off his spell of 8. It was left to two Mogador Titans to wrap up the bowling spell and Freeland, returning this time from the Motorway End firstly beautifully bowled Edward I who rashly drove at a fast inswinger and was out after a powerful innings on 98, and then snaffled Aslam, finishing his second spell symmetrically with 2 wickets for 2 runs off 2 overs. Meanwhile Abbott, sadly soon antipodean bound, continued his cameo season and had long time friend of the Mogs, Dave Neal, caught by Honeyfield, leaving our hosts on 218-7 after their allotted 40 overs, which represented a significant improvement by the sobering up Mogs in the second half of the fielding session.
After a customarily excellent tea, notable for its depth and breadth in the flavour range, the Mogs took to the field requiring 5.5 an over to win. Larke was fast out of the traps, cutting and pulling powerfully for 18 before perishing. This brought Turner to the crease and together with Abbott, both of whom had come to the Mogs many years ago from Merstham and were part of that Club's great heritage, they set up about chasing down the target. After a cautious start Abbott, cogniscent of the weight of history on his shoulders bestrode the crease like a colossus and hoisted two huge sixes into the newly ploughed field behind the Motorway End sightscreen which soon brought up what might be a very well deserved valedictory 50 for the club off the same number of balls. Regrettably he was out soon after but this did not reduce the pressure on the fielders as the powerful Fairclough, also once from the Merstham stable, put bat to leather scoring at a run a ball. Turner, meanwhile, who has always over the years pushed his body beyond the limit in the pursuit of athletic excellence, suffered from an injury which required Larke to return as a runner, but he still continued to cut and pull his way forward towards 50. The match was finely poised at 175-4 with 6 overs remaining when Fairclough was trapped lbw by Tarofder for 36. Honeyfield's innings was all too brief and his departure brought Richard Brown, also once of Merstham, back to the crease to torment his old club. In 4 overs the two batsmen closed the gap so that the Mogs were on 208 with 3 overs to play. Turner's excellent innings came to an end when he was caught and bowled by Letts for 59 and this, very appropriately, brought Joe Lewis to the crease to see home what looked earlier like a very implausible victory, and return the Matthew Lewis Cup in memory of his brother to the Mogs, as Brown hit a fourth boundary to win the game.
Chris Lowe from our hosts spoke kindly in Matt's memory and presented the Trophy to the Mogs where two further generations of Lewis', Alan and Oscar held it aloft. Captain Tharp thanked Merstham for a most enjoyable game and their usual excellent hospitality and everyone retired to the Club House to consume (now merited) hop based products.
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