[Furn stat: the difference was wides; we bowled 31, Normandy 20!]
The Mogador Wanderers lost another thriller at Normandy's picturesque ground on an overcast afternoon, which saw us pitched against a strong Academy XI. We fielded first and Will Dowling & Harry Hewitt bowled brilliantly against a strong opening pair. Our fielding was quite superb all afternoon (five players under the age of 30 helped) and we managed to exert sufficient pressure for Harry to find the opening edge, which Ash took superbly standing up. Harry's school friend Ben Calow, playing his first cricket match for 4 years, produced an equally superb spell of slow, accurate offspin that produced two fine wickets and the momentum very much swung in our favour. Ralph Melhuish replaced Will and bowled three yip-laden, eccentric and very Mog like overs that saw Normandy's run rate accelerate but not before removing Alfie Hewitt with an extraordinary caught & bowled. Ralph is having counselling as we speak. Jamie also bowled an exceptional spell of line & length, that saw a plumb LBW given, before he retired with a side strain (who said triathletes were fit?). At 91-5 we were very much in the ascendancy but a fine 6th wicket partnership of 88 between a 17yr old and a 13 yr old saw our hosts post 191-6 off their 37 0vers (reduced from 40 due to a rain shower).
Furns and Ash started brightly after our home-made tea (pizza and beer for Charlie - fine effort) but Peter departed in the 6th over and Alex went first ball immediately afterwards. His parents & aunt were unimpressed. Charlie looked good and with Ash playing another innings of great beauty we were always close to the required run rate. Our hosts produced spinners from both ends and the slow pitch and giant boundaries slowly started to strangle the Mogs and Charlie was out trying to club one back over the bowlers head. Jamie went to a questionable LBW and whilst Rhod James produced a mini cameo, nobody produced the run a ball 30 that was needed to support Ash in our pursuit of victory. Murali perished too and our fate was set when Ash skied a ball to backwards point where, ironically, Alfie took a quite sensational catch and defeat was assured. Ben Calow got to use his new cricket bat but we were 12 runs short of victory in a great game, played in good spirit despite our hosts tender years. Normandy would love us to play them each year and have promised to unleash the mother of all cricketing teas one Sunday afternoon for us in 2021.
MWCC Stats