The Mogador Wanderers arrived at the Pilgrims uniquely English ground, on a delightfully eccentric slope, with its own tithed pub and lush arboreal perimeter, feeling quite relieved that the game was actually on because the weather forecast for the afternoon had been poor for the previous two days. However, it had turned out bright and sunny with a breeze to keep the summer heat at bay and the prospect of an uninterrupted afternoon's cricket brought joy to all our hearts. Skipper Tharp went out to toss and the assembled Mogs were perplexed why he and opposing Skipper Burgess were accompanied by Yoda Furner in this task. On returning, having won the toss and electing to bat, we were enlightened by the Little Master that at 82 yards from the square this boundary was longer than any Test ground in England. Armed with this knowledge Furner proceeded to the square with Ali Bird, playing in his second game for the Mogs after an absence of a couple of years. Batting was not that easy with the ball swinging from both ends and unfortunately Bird perished early, which brought Cooper to the crease. Furner and Cooper put on nearly 50 before both fell in relatively quick succession. Interestingly the first three wickets were all the same - ct Wise b Saika which may be a first for the Club.
Furner's departure brought young MWCC debutant Ollie Hartley to the crease and he made a creditable 10 before the main bulk of the Mogs batting, Smith (31), Fairclough (an excellent 63 not out) and Dave Tharp (27) moved the Mogs towards the late 100s at which point some degree of safety is in sight on this pitch. Just as Sakia was the primary tormentor of the Mogs claiming four of the higher order batsmen, so Simon Arnold, bowling a frugal and effective 9 overs for 35 took the last three wickets including that of A Tharp, who regrettably renewed his subscription to the Primary Club. Paddy "Heather" Graham continued to support the impressive Fairclough before Tharp declared on 195-7 after 42 overs.
After a tea, notable for some excellent rich cakes in the opinion of your correspondent, the Mogs took to the field replete and intent on working their way through the Pilgrims' batting. Tharp chose a seam attack to commence hostilities with Heather Graham swinging the ball prodigiously from the Dorking end. At the Reigate end Hartley, oblivious due to his youth of the piscatorial origins of his soon selected nick name "JR", bowled with welcome haste and missed the outside edge with considerable frequency. Whether the bowling attack was hugely effective or perhaps that the Pilgrims did not set out to chase down the Mogs score with enormous intent is difficult to determine but what cannot be refuted is that the score had progressed to 22-0 after 14 overs. There was an element of frustration in the field which saw a couple of catches missed and a potentially awkward moment of gentle bowler sledging from the slips being mistakenly interpreted as a personal attack by one of the batsmen, but the game moved slowly forwards nonetheless. The Captain made a double change bringing on Lee and his younger brother and these two soon made a double breakthrough with the Younger Egg snaring the opener after his watchful innings of 3 in 45 balls and Lee accounting for Wise, bowled for 2. Lee deserves particular mention for the energy of his bowling after 3 days of intense alcoholic intake which even saw him assisted from Waterloo station on Thursday accompanied by an honour guard of British Transport Police, all there to celebrate his Stag Night and impending nuptials. The Pilgrims skipper and the surviving opener then frustrated the Mogs with a long middle order stand before Janardanan fell for 41 bowled by Jonno Smith who was operating, by this time, with Ali Bird who was ripping the ball from the Dorking end. Smith was probably the pick of the Mogs bowlers picking up 58-3 but after his shoulder tired Tharp A brought himself and Furner on to try and encourage the Pilgrims to chase the target. These two both claimed two wickets with Furner's lobbed buffet being too delicious for Saika to contain his excitement and departing hit wicket as he prepared to despatch it onto the A25. Most notable, however, was an astonishingly relaxed one handed snatch from the sky by Graham of a ball from Furner which both the batsman and all the fielders surely thought was headed for the boundary and must rank with Hewitt's catch at Headley as one of the season's best. By this stage in the evening, though, the run rate required was beyond the Pilgrims and though they were by now 9 men down the two wily old campaigners of Arnold and Burgess were not going to be tempted by any enticing Mogs offerings from the carvery and the game ended in a draw with our hosts on 115-9 after 45 overs. At this point we retired to the Red Lion with our hosts, whose relationship with the new innkeepers is now vastly improved over that with the previous incumbents, and there was general consumption of hop based products.
MWCC Stats