On one of their biggest days of the season, the Mogs were privileged to take part in the Reigate Priory cricket week. Although not quite sharing top billing with the star studded 'Lashings XI' booked in for Sunday, the home side's time honoured hospitality made for a special atmosphere before a ball was bowled, with just a hint of spice added by the captain's fortnight long e-mail 'debate' with the opposition's talented opening batsman, Ali Bird.
Resplendent in their 2003 tour kit, the Mogs batsmen were inserted on a flat looking, rock hard wicket with a hint of grass coverage. Honeyfield and Abbot opened with reassuring solidity, with Honeyfield especially timing the ball superbly. One howling meteorite of an off drive skimmed 85 yards to the boundary in 0.00028 seconds, with only a sprawling save from Hewitt saving the home side's diligent scorer from a cauterised left leg. Freeland joined the demonic power-batsmen after the departure of a sadly yorked Abbot with the total hovering around the 40 mark, but after a punchy mid pitch talk about the merits of consolidation, Honeyfield fell victim to a spectacularly perfect swinging delivery from the ageless Packam which sent his off-stump cart-wheeling for a powerful 26.
Tharpe now took his place at the wicket and was soon imposing himself on the opposition like Phil Mitchell putting Ian Beale in his place at the 'Vic. Some trademark cuts were mixed with some aggressive pulling down the hill to nudge the score towards a reasonably healthy 71 after 20 overs. Freeland was also starting to impose himself on the youthful off-spinner (not in the Michael Barrymore sense) and a string of back foot drives helped the lunch score towards 115, but not before the usefully gened Dan Mendis had ushered Tharpey back to the pavilion for an excellent 32 with flighted yorker that split his defences.
After a fantastic lunch of burgers, sausages and pasta salad, new cap Andy Dewson and Freeland came to the crease full of aggressive intent, but a couple of lusty blows and an all run 2 left the latter with severe indigestion and vulnerable to yet another Yorker length dismissal for 43. Launchpad prepared, the rocket duly arrived...
Steve 'R' Kelly's MWCC season thus far had spluttered and stuttered somewhat, but there followed a display of correct but brutal hitting which will live long in the memory. Gradually increasing his tempo like a well oiled porn star, Kelly climaxed with a fusillade of sixes and fours, going from 50 to 93 in 12 balls! Lazy flicks over the mid-wicket boundary were mixed with clever cuts and savage pulls, but the undoubted highlight was a straight driven six that never rose more than 8 feet off the ground before skimming into the captains steel plated limousine - a truly remarkable shot. At the other end Dewson stroked and accumulated classical fours with a professional air, racing to 50 off 40 balls with yet another teasingly perfect sweep to the right hand of an excasperated deep square leg. Shortly after the fall of Kelly, and a brief cameo by Hewitt, the innings closed at the proud total of 293 off 61 overs.
Wary of the home side's batting strength bolstered as it was by a number of first team regulars with at least 55 over to bat, an incisive but tight opening was needed. Abbot duly dispatched the bullish Bird after a few promising strokes to a sharp caught behind from R Kelly. However Freeland appeared confused by the Australian opener's tactic of hopping around the crease, swishing his bat randomly outside off-stump like a broken weather vane, and leaked 2 or 3 boundaries per over. Replaced by a revitalised Lewis J, things started to happen almost immediately and a caught behind, multiplied with a sharp catch at mid-wicket followed by a beautifully disguised slower ball (quote: "MID OFF, PLEASE MOVE BACK. I AM ABOUT TO BOWL A SLOWER BALL. WHOOSH, SMACK...WAHEY!) equalled a beautifully controlled three wicket spell for the true bad boy of the Mog's 4 pronged pace attack.
Having lost two of their batting stars, the home side then lapsed into a strange torpor, and with the Mogs renowned spinning prowess proving virtually powerless, the afternoon started to drift quietly into neutral. However, shortly after the 20 overs commenced with the home side still 150 short, Honeyfield decided to add a bowling spell of spitting hostility to his hulk-esque batting power, taking two wickets including a very sharp caught behind by ... you've guessed ... Kelly R. With 3 wickets to secure in the closing overs the Mogs were in with a sniff, but crucially another Honeyfield induced edge from the fiendishly experienced Packam eluded Kelly's grasp, although rumours that it had bounced off his golden balls proved unfounded...
Still, the best of a lop-sided draw left the Mogs with a deep feeling of satisfaction, a feeling that grew with the hubbub of conversation over a few convivial beers with our old friends in the pavilion. After this power play no doubt next year they'll be waiting for us - a mouth-watering prospect for all concerned.
MWCC Stats