<p>Mogador Wanderers won by 23 runs. Final scores: Mogador Wanderers 215 - 6. Rottingdean 192 all out.</p>
<p>So after a confidence restoring win last week at Teddington, the Mogs moved on to Rottingdean looking to put back to back results together and avenge losses to the sea fairing country folk over the last few years.</p>
<p>Apart from only having 10 players the afternoon began well with a full compliment making it to the local watering hole well before the start, for a good few loseners. These ranged like the huge diversity of Mogs talents from the famous local brew of Harveys a.k.a "giggle juice" to an altogether more robust and flamboyant drop of brandy and coke (x 3). </p>
<p>The day continued in the same vein as the toss was won by Lewis M and our pads were donned and the bar opened. Possibly unrelated to the opening of said bar, Abbott required quite some cajoling to open the innings, but finally threw nashing of teeth, he ambled to the wicket with the ubiquitous and perky Furner.</p>
<p>It was a sunny and warm day, or at least it had been until we got to the Rottingdean "bowl" where the cool wind whipped around the ground like a cat in a fridge chasing its tail. The pitch here is always slow and not suited to the calypso stroke play of our more substantial opener. However with a win at the forefront of everyone's mind, dogged resistance was well employed at the start to eek out a good opening partnership, until Furner looked to increase the pace and was caught at square leg leaving us 34 - 1.</p>
<p>This brought to the crease Face man Fairclough who's boyish good looks (not my words) are well matched by his exemplary and stylish batting technique. And again unlike previous matches, a good partnership began to flourish with Abbott getting to grips with the pace of the pitch, stroking 4's to all corners of the ground including one sumptuous cover drive that scorched a brown singe on its way to the boundary on an otherwise lush outfield. Fairclough was soon up and "Vaughaning" with strokes of sheer class.</p>
<p>Just as Abbott was beginning to look like he was embarking on an innings of some substance, the slow pitch undid him as he held back on a full-blown shot and was caught at midwicket. The big man gone for 28 and the Mogs 72 - 2. In came Tharp who again was soon into his classy stride only to be somewhat controversially given out for 7, lbw when well forward.</p>
<p>By this stage Rottingdean's double Peter Martin tribute act bowlers were on, with the lack of pace such that the ball took an eternity to reach the other end, giving a batsmen plenty of time to fully consider whether it was better to go M23, M25, A3 back to London or M23, M25, A217 and any other combination thereof. Either way it was not a sight that comforted Honeyfield as he reached the wicket.</p>
<p>Indeed it took all his powers of concentration to resist temptation but with this came a slowing of the runs from his end as Fairclough continued to score well. Face Man was doubling as motivational speaker at the end of each over which at one point had Honeyfield comparing it to "Chinese water torture". At the end of a subsequent over he also confirmed what all Mogs and girls the length and breadth of London already knew when he apologetically whispered "I'm sorry, I'm just not a nudger".</p>
<p>Honeyfield's patience began to pay off as he finally got the pace of the pitch and started helping himself to boundaries. He must have been missing the open bar as he twice attempted to order a pint of giggle juice, firstly hitting the clubhouse roof and then following up with one over the top of it and into the car park. He finally went for what was initially thought to be 48 but subsequently turned out to be a recounted 50. Apparently this had nothing to do with the bet Hewitt extended him in the week leading up to the game that he wouldn't get a 50!</p>
<p>With not many overs left David Martin came to the wicket and was bowled looking to quickly push the score over 200. The still impressive Fairclough was then joined by Dave Stevens who is traditionally known as a bit of a "nudger" but who broke the shackles and scored a run a ball 15 including a 6 over square leg. He was last man out with the Mogs reaching a strong 216 - 6 with Fairclough the mainstay with a magnificent 79 not out.</p>
<p>Tea was pleasant if not a little uninspired with chocolate log and mini scotch eggs the centrepiece, but it certainly couldn't be faulted on its quantity with many a Mog seen with multiple plates stacked high.</p>
<p>The regular and reliable opening bowling partnership of Briggs.K and Lewis.J took the new or rather old ball. They were greeted by a rotund pinch hitter who chanced his arm and rode his luck, which led to Lewis.M accusing the opener of eating all the pies............... sandwiches, cakes, scones indeed whatever he could get his little fat fingers on.</p>
<p>We needed a wicket or the game would go away from us and Honeyfield put down a good chance at square leg off the unlucky Briggs. However a wicket did swiftly follow as Briggs deservedly had the more circumspect No.2 caught by the skipper. By this stage the Mogs had followed the host's lead by taking the pace off the ball and had brought on Tharp. He soon made the vital breakthrough as he caught and bowled a very firmly stuck drive from the opener.</p>
<p>At the other end Honeyfield replaced Briggs and he was lucky to get a wicket with his second ball off a leg stump longhop that was dollied to Furner at square leg. He then soon followed this up with an lbw that had Rottingdean 97 - 4 and the Mogs firmly back in the game.</p>
<p>Lewis.M then switched Honeyfield to the other end as he brought himself on from the skateboard hill end. The change proved crucial as Lewis got their talented looking alrounder lbw with a quicker one and then Honeyfield bowled their no.5. At 135 - 6 and the Mogs sensed blood but there were still plenty of overs left for a Rottingdean victory.</p>
<p>They continued to take the attack to the Mogs and past 150 without losing another wicket but then 3 wickets from Honeyfield and Lewis.M fell in the next 30 runs leaving the Mogs on the edge of victory. The Captain fittingly took the final wicket as the opposition's valiant effort ended with them 192 all out. Lewis M finished with 3 - 25 and Honeyfield 5 - 49.</p>
<p>So the Mogs did what they needed to do and secured a back to back victory, which will hopefully kick start a season that has yet to live up to last year's dizzy heights of success. Naturally one or two alcoholic beverages were consumed after the game purely to aid in the vital ongoing team building aspect that is integral to any great side. Oh and for the record - M23, M25, A217 was the route of choice home...</p>
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