The Mogs arrived for their competitive 40/40 cup fixture against Chipstead with a handy looking side bristling with youth and hair product. On winning the toss, Chipstead had no hesitation in batting, and sent out 1st team skipper Nick Woods (ex Lancashire CCC) and overseas professional Baden 'Drexel' Wilton to open up. They clearly meant business after heavy defeats in previous years and an overall tale of the tape that read 4-2 to the Mogs since the inaugural game in 2005.
However, in the glorious way that cricket works, Brooker cut short this highly qualified partnership in the first over as a skidding 'bouncer' was larruped by Wilton into Big Phil Davies's midriff at square leg - a role he has been training for his whole life - as the Mogs got off to the best possible start. Joe bowled an excellent spell to his first class opponent from the road end, the ball curving beautifully through the air, and he was unlucky not to snare a couple of wickets with a succession of half chances and false shots.
However it was Freeland who benefitted from the pressure with 2 wickets in his first over including Woods well caught at slip by 'White Water' Rivers whose general banter and outright abuse of his mate Brooker continues to brighten his first season with the club. Unfortunately the skipper then erred by removing Leigh 'Im a bit faster now' Padfield cheaply, opening the way for a spell of left arm quick bowling in return, but the screw was turned by some tight off-spin from Big Phil and Alice Cooper (3-20) as the Chips innings stuttered but was then illuminated by good 40s from skipper Sterling and young Sam Blackburn - a left hander with a Gower-like cover drive - lifting them to 182-9 off their allotted overs.
Tea was, like the Mog side, a handy combination of pleasant traditional staples with some excitingly spicy additions, and Rivers in particular was clearly sparked into life by the pepperoni pizza as he proceeded to drill a 36 ball 51 in a splendid opening partnership with the solid Brown. Both departed quickly as 'Lethal' Leigh Padfield unleashed some of the left arm thunderbolts faced by Strauss, Cook, Pietersen and co. at the Oval last month during his stint as an England net bowler, with Rivers unluckily gloving an X-rated bouncer that threatened to rearrange his cheerful features.
However Honeyfield is a man not easily intimidated, and he mixed judicious leaves with the odd solid show of aggression in a promising 50 partnership with Freeland who pursued a rather obvious but successful policy of playing lethal Leigh from the non-striker's end. Honey departed to spin, but Spring continued the good work before a horrific mix up (others say he was cruelly assassinated) saw him tragically run out (by Freeland). The Mogs only needed 46 from the last 10 overs but Chipstead had their league spin attack in tandem and a doosra from Wilton saw Freeland sky one for 56 and despite some lusty blows and never-say-die running from the latter order, victory was denied when last man Brooker was bowled by Woods in the penultimate over just 12 short.
The Blossom Hill Zinfandel Trophy was duly presented, hop-based refreshment shared and an impromptu Under 11 junior Mog football match supervised including important contributions from the Jackson family over from Hong Kong, the Spring offspring and future captain Oscar Lewis and cousins. In such circumstances and with glorious surroundings illuminated by late evening sunshine defeat was bearable...
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