<p>"Love is in the air as Mog's end weekend with a threesome"</p>
<p>It was a "stinking hot day at Coldharbour", as eleven Mogs, 1 wife, 2 girlfriends, 2 glamorous supporters and Oscar Lewis arrived in sufficient time to consume 2 to 3 pints of much needed liquid before our big match at the top of Leith Hill.</p>
<p>Having surgically removed himself from under his wife's thumb, Captain Hewitt promptly lost the toss and returned to the pavilion to a cacophony of boos from his boisterous and still thirsty team-mates. More seriously, fielding first in the mid-afternoon heat was to have serious personal hygiene repercussions for later in the day, with the absence of shower facilities leading to severe body odour from both teams, attracting strong complaints from local residents and wildlife alike.</p>
<p>On the pitch the Mogs started brightly, and 'Basmati' Rice, freshly 'fluffed' by fragrant girlfriend Nat on the sideline, puffed out his chest, steamed in and plucked out their opener's off stump with the 5th ball of the game. Pilau accepted the congratulations of his team-mates and blew a kiss to his girlfriend for good measure.</p>
<p>Briggsy managed 4 overs up the hill and removed the other opener thanks to a smart catch by 'Super-Mario' Moss at cover. 'Pilau' then struck again with a caught & bowled, leaving the hosts reeling at 25-3. The combined strength of the sun and the local beer started to take its effect on the Mogs however, and gradually Coldharbour started to put some runs on the board against an ever more soporific Mogador XI.</p>
<p>It was fitting therefore that a clearly disorientated Lewis J picked up a wicket with a trademark 'slower' than slower ball, Dave Stevens snared another one within a Major-like spell of 4 overs, 1 for 50 and James 'The Power' Honeyfield took 2 wickets with his trademark whippy-darts. Coldharbour's no 3 was the only home batsman to hit the boundary regularly and when Rice and Abbott combined to take the last 2 wickets, he was unluckily stranded on 96 not out as Coldharbour were all out for 208.</p>
<p>An unlimited supply of tea, freshly-made sandwiches and ginger cake was welcomed by the Mog's hot & dehydrated players, and any flagging spirits were lifted by Amy & Jen whose commitment to the Mog cause was enhance by the 2 bottles of fruity Chardonnay consumed during Coldharbour's innings.</p>
<p>Jackson & Furner opened up and the Mogs knew their luck was in as our diminutive senior pro swept and snicked the first 2 balls of our innings for 4. Jackson was more circumspect however, with this approach paying dividend as he started to reap the benefits in a beautifully crafted innings of 74, his highest score for the Mogs. Meanwhile Furns was caught at cover for 12, and although Tharp & Hewitt went for similar scores, although these trifling incidents paled in comparison to a more significant episode featuring the club's Old Etonian opening bowler and his belle.</p>
<p>As Jackson approached his 50, Pilau and Nat were seen walking around the ground arm in arm. Nothing strange in that with their relationship some 8 months old and the two of them furiously studying together at that great font of West country wisdom, Bristol University. As the Mog's Romeo and his blushing Juliet reached Long Leg, they jumped over the fence and marched forcefully into the bracken, mysteriously disappearing from view shortly thereafter. When Jackson turned to acknowledge the applause of his teamates on reaching his boundary studded half-centruy, he was met by a rapt silence as 8 voyeuristc Mogs stared in wonder at the obscured couple's unscheduled field trip in the flora and fauna of Surrey's heathland. On their re-emergence some half an hour later, Briggsy remarked that Nat seemed to have contracted hay fever, and certainly no-one could remember Pilau having made so many diving stops in the field.</p>
<p>Back on the pitch, Stu was dismissed just when his first-ever Mog ton looked a real possibility. At 120 for 4 the game was in the balance with Moss & Honeyfield at the crease without a run to their name. Both of these experienced cricketers looked in good touch though, mixing rugged forward defence with powerful straight drives and cuts. The "Runs Required" disappeared as quickly as supporter Jen was consumed by Mr Stevens' charm in front of the pavilion, and in further flurry of great shorts the Mogs wrapped up a third successive victory on the bounce with some 8 over in the bag.</p>
<p>Players, supporters and lovers new and old decamped back down the hill and the bar staff were kept extremely busy by 22 extremely unpleasant smelling cricketers, who remained outside in respect of the other patrons. All in all it was an excellent day, though the evening was not yet over for Messrs Honeyfield & Stevens as a full car was spotted heading back up to Hammersmith later that evening.</p>
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