40 overs. When Briggs completed Lee's over there was 1 ball short.
Fresh from their winning streak at East Horsley, the Mogs arrived at Merstham's familiar ground in confident mood. The September sunshine shone down on a dusty looking pitch for the toss, and after a short pause whilst the coin was retrieved from one of the cracks, skipper Tharp was informed that we would be bowling first. New ball pairing Chris "Barry" Mankelow and Ollie "OB Wan" Burton immediately found a testing line and length, although some meaty blows from the chunkier Merstham opener kept the score ticking along. He then had the misfortune to receive a ball of the century contender from Barry that neatly trimmed his off bail, leaving him in what was accurately described as a "neck-twisting state of befuddlement". Ollie meantime finished an incredibly tidy 5 over spell for just 14 runs before handing over to Joe "Break Off" Lewis, the Mog's newest off-spinning all-rounder.
He immediately snared their no.3 thanks to a blood-splattering catch from JD Burton, ignoring a badly pre-cut finger in the process (as proudly related by son Ollie as he jogged off the field for a fresh plaster). The Break Off then completed a zen-like 7 over spell for just 23 runs as he demonstrated his damascene conversion from roaring new ball tearaway to the bowling equivalent of an expert fly fisherman.
In stark contrast, Charlie "Bruce" Lee was pounding the middle of the pitch at the other end off his long run, desperately trying to extract some bounce from the crumbling surface. Frustrated by the lack of intimidation on offer he briefly raised his sights to deliver another ball of the century contender - a perfect, nicked outswinger expertly snaffled by the Colonel - before things went a wrong. Very wrong.
Nobody knows what flicked Charlie's switch, but the sight of Merstham's teenage no.5 instantly sent the Mog stalwart into a kind of murderous trance. Was it the bitter reminder of lost youth evoked by the loose-limbed colt? Maybe the unfortunate batsman had snuck into his favourite parking spot pre-game? Some suggested it was unfinished business relating to a multi-generational Reigate v Merstham "beef" that had rumbled on since the mid-1990s. Whatever it was, at least the end came quickly. Two laser guided beamers homing in on the helpless 17 year old's head were enough for Umpire Calvin to step in and end the attempted assassination mid-over, with skipper Tharp expertly shepherding the newfound Mog enforcer to a safe space in the far outfield.
Whether it was the sight of this genuine threat to his life, or simply the solid foundations of a 20 over defensive masterclass, Merstham's even more youthful opening batsman suddenly switched from Blocker to Blockbuster and started peppering the Quality Street ground, with boundaries including a contender for longest drive of the day onto the 18th tee of Reigate Hill's adjacent golf course. In partnership with the still traumatised no.5, and subsequently his big hitting skipper, the Merstham later innings run rate skyrocketed despite excellent spells from Briggs and Cooper, closing at a very creditable 202 off their 40 overs.
The Mogador innings started with an opening pair of Freeland and Furner, and it's fair to say the very first ball ended somewhat controversially. Having expertly tapped a full toss to short mid-wicket, Furns proceeded to...
[THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE HAS BEEN WITHHELD BY THE ADMINISTRATOR ON LEGAL ADVICE]
...and was run out by 3 metres. All parties involved agree that no specific blame should be apportioned for what was clearly a "normal cricketing incident" and whilst they all regret the incident itself, agree to cast no aspersions on either the character or the motivation of any individual.
The upshot was the Mogs were 0-1 after 0.1 overs, and it didn't get much better over the next 10, with Freeland, the heroic Burton and Briggs all falling cheaply - the latter especially unfortunate with an ankle high scuttler. At halfway, when a newly tagged Lee went after some promising drives with the score barely into the 80s and 5 wickets gone, the Mogs' hopes were increasingly looking as lifeless as the straw coloured pitch on which their innings had never really got going.
However, throughout the rather depressing clatter of wickets, Will "Clubman" Cooper had alone displayed the sort of application, patience and technique required to deal with the lethal combination of good quality bowling and unpredictable bounce. Suddenly his beautifully timed drives and sweeps had a foil at the other end in the shape of newly world ranked all-rounder Joseph Lewis who showed superb judgement and bravery to hit the Merstham bowlers off their line. In front of an increasingly boisterous crowd tempted by the excellence of the game unfolding in front of them to swap hand-sanitizing alcohol for pints of the hope based variety, Cooper and Lewis gloriously accelerated to bring the target within range.
When Joe departed for 27 shortly after Cooper's well deserved 50, the Mogs miraculously required just 53 more runs fromr 6.3 overs - a tall order, but one that was now eminently within the range of the well set no.3 and the confidently striding skipper.
Tharpey has played many important innings for the Mogs, and he is famous for employing a uniquely sinister shot named the "Death Paddle" due to it's chilling finality and awesome power. Never has the nickname been more appropriate for what followed - a series of clinical straight and lofted cover drives that chimed perfectly with the sublime shots of Coops at the other end. With 2 overs left the Mogs needed 12 to win, and just 3 balls later it was all over as the skipper dispatched the delivery perfectly straight for 6 to record a wonderfully exciting victory.
Both batsmen were given a socially distanced version of a mobbing on their way off the field, before a variety of elbows and fist pumps were exchanged with our generously gracious hosts. The Mogs had recorded another memorable victory at Quality Street thanks largely to a memorable innings of 77* from their Clubman. On days like this with the sunshine beaming down on a beautiful cricket ground the world truly seems a happier and simpler place...
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