The players assembled earlier than normal for an excellent pre match drink at the Chairman's house. It was a somewhat biblical scene as the Captain, accompanied by his wife, presented their first born at the temple of cricket in Redhill, the Chairman adopting the role of Nicodemeus with great aplomb.
On the cricket pitch, Parker W, standing in inadequately for the Captain (detained by child) and the vice Captain (taking a well deserved day's leave) lost the toss and the Mogs were put in to bat. The Mogs started off without much confidence on a slightly worn and drying pitch which did not offer much to the batsman. Tharp was out cheaply for a batsman of his talent and the Little Master batted anxiously for a while. The arrival of Phil Goulstone changed the visitors' fortunes and his solid 48 got the Mogs moving forward. Parker J was unluckily dismissed playing back to a ball which dropped off his bat onto the stumps. At this stage the Chairman, invigorated by a warm up spell in the nets, strode onto the square and proceeded to set the fielders' lower lips trembling as he blasted them across and out of the field for a quickfire 68. After their anxious start the Mogs dominated the bowling with a further 36 not out from Abbot after the Chairman's dismissal allowing the Mogs to declare at tea on 244-4 with Yoda on 77 not out.
After the interval the Captain opted for a mixture of pace and seam with Lewis the Younger and Tharp. South Nutfield batted boldly and with considerable skill and pillaged the Mogs' bowling, racing to 80 runs after little more than 10 overs with the loss of only one wicket. The match, which initially seemed strongly in the visitors' favour now turned back towards the hosts. The Captain bought on Briggs and Mackenzie who quelled the home side's restive spirits and took 7 wickets between them for 91 runs. Mackenzie was the dominant Mogs bowler taking an excellent 5 for 54 off 9 overs (NB no jug provided so fine doubled to 2 jugs next week).
Darrelson came on from the Railway End to attempt to flush out the opposition's tail and complete a powerful Mogs display. In a season not without controversy, he was again no stranger to unusual circumstances. A delivery appeared to have hit a later order batsman in the bat/glove region and was taken behind. Despite an enormous chorus of appeals the batsman remained rooted to his crease and was adjudged not out by the umpire. The Mogs were surprised. However, on further discussion at the end of the over the players analysed what had happened and were happy with the conclusion they reached. What appeared to have taken place was that Darrelson bowled a faster one which, as it reached 99.87% of the speed of light, collided with an ultra dense packet of sub atomic neutrinos rippling outwards at apocalyptic speed from an exploded supernova in a nearby galaxy 800 million years previously. The subsequent audible thudding was caused by quantum distortion in the elastic membrane of the space-time continuum which in turn resulted in the gravitational abnormality which seemed to slow and divert the ball into the keeper's gloves.
The match continued its exceptional swings of fortune. Parker J dismissed South Nutfield's last runmaker such that on the last ball, after a tight over by Abbott, the home side required 4 to win. The fielders waited predator like on the edge of the field as the ball was despatched towards the third man boundary. After an initial heart stopping fumble the ball was hurled back to the keeper and the match ended in a thoroughly exciting draw with the home side on 243-8.
MWCC Stats