The Mogs turned up to their final tour fixture somewhat battle weary from two days of competitive cricket and two nights of equally competitive drinking! Having said that we played some good cricket prompting some players to suggest that we may have found the magic formula for future games.
Once again we were greeted by convivial hosts and another picturesque ground set in the beautiful Cirencester Park.
A 35 over format was agreed by skipper for the day Charlie 'dairy' 'Bruce' Lee and the Mogs took to the field in the hope that they could expel the previous nights intoxicants!
BOWLING-
Lewis and Tharp opened the bowling , with Joseph making the breakthrough, an uppish drive to Rob 'Bobby' Brown at mid-off, caught despite Joseph's 'Tourettes' like habit of screaming 'CATCH IT!' whilst the ball is travelling towards the fielder!
Tharpy bowled his wily swingers and seamers for no reward and it was Joseph again who took a wicket this time a catch to Will 'Mini', 'Tommy', 'Jilly' Cooper at slightly backward point. A catch even more impressive as Will explained that he thought the ball was going in the opposite direction, indeed it was only when he 'realised that the ball was getting bigger' that he knew he was in the game!
It was the Mogs 'Spin Twins' Will 'insert your favourite nickname here' Cooper and Grant 'Reg' Perry that made the next breakthroughs. The former bowling right arm offspin and the latter right arm legspin. Both of them getting the occasional ball to 'really rip!'.
From recollection the wickets were a mixture of caught, bowled and LBW's all the time building pressure and squeezing the run making opportunities. One of the catches a classic top edge to the keeper Will 'The Colonel' Parker and another catch at deep long on by Joseph 'theoffbreak' Lewis. A catch that the whole team admitted was bet against whilst waiting for it to return from its lunar orbit!
Both Will and Grant finished with excellent and remarkably similar stats.
Will - 7-0-29-3 and Grant - 6.2-0-26-3
Skipper Charlie chipped in with a wicket and a catch and Cirencester were all out for 168.
TEA-
Once again the Mogs were delighted to see another fine selection of sandwiches, home- made cakes and scones and fresh fruit. It is fair to say that the dining experiences on all three days should be reason enough to return in two years time.
BATTING-
Singing duo Rob 'Bobby' Brown and Richard 'Tina' Turner opened the batting both of them wasting little time in getting themselves in. They both offered chances whilst smashing the ball around the park. Prompting the opposition to admit they thought their total may be on the small side!
Bobby finished with 54 and Tina 38.
Grant 'Reg' Perry went in and then came back out without troubling the scorers. Jonathon 'The Butcher' Richards hit a delightful straight drive for 4 but was out LBW soon after playing across a straight one. Jonathon' Pickles' Burton scored a positive 14 and Will 'Henry' Cooper took the responsibility of batting through finishing with an excellent 28.
Will was joined momentarily by Joseph 'Sicknote' Lewis who played three very solid straight forward drives before deciding that Will's advice of playing straight was for losers and promptly attempted to play the most difficult to a leg spinner, that of planting his front pad on middle stump and playing across it missing the ball completely!
Andy 'The Egg' Tharp joined Will and they reached the total with ease leaving three overs to spare.
The Mogs enjoyed a few beers and some excellent local beef burgers and sausages before, with some reticence, deciding it was time to pile into the 'Fun-bus' and head along the M4 homeward bound.
And so ended an unbelievably enjoyable tour with all of the Mogs mightily keen to arrange the next tour in two years time.
Theoffbreak
MWCC Stats