Firstly many thanks to David Martin for the great Saturday evening entertainment down at Swanborough, & for the midnight walk up 'Kilimanjaro' for the calming view of blue sirens buzzing around Lewes at kicking out time (note: a quick headcount registered all Mogs present, so no worries there!).
Skipper Lothar had an uneasy feeling about Sunday on the previous Tuesday when it became apparent that 70% of the mogs had checked their fixture cards at the beginning of the season and had all rushed down to their local travel agents for this particular weekend.
Following text messages to South of France, Brittany, St Lucia and a conference call to Greece, Lothar was fully aware that we were struggling to achieve the basic's of the game, hey ho, something(one) would turn up...hopefully!
Those playing met up at the wonderful 'Plough' for the traditional 2-6 pint lunch, and a brief but urgent discussion on the finer points of fielding with 9 players. We toyed with the idea of dispensing with a wicketkeeper, then it dawned on us, we didn't have one anyway (oh marvellous...) so that solved that fielding issue - or did it!
So the Mogs turned up at the Rose Bowl of Rottingdean filled with the cold, hard steel of determination (of getting in at least another pint before the start). Already present & changed was the little master Furner, completely unaware that he was going to be bullied into fulfilling the rolls of wicketkeeper, first slip & third man simultaneously!
The Skippers met and after slightly slurred small talk came up with a 40 over bash and a spare player rocketting the mogs batting order up to 10. 'Dean bat to bat first.
Skip threw the ball to Joseph "theoffbreak" Lewis, and he rumbled down the hill, bowled, the batsmen left it and suddenly the Mogs are down to 9 fit men as our valiant stand in keeper takes the ball straight on the side of his unguarded knee with the impact of a point blank .303 Lee Enfield! That's going to leave a mark. Colourful language and a few hand-hidden sniggers followed, but by the 4th ball of the over the team were high-fiving with the stumps splayed. Well bowled the off-break!
6 overs and 2 painkillers later the unfortunate Furner was back in the wars, with Joe, having chased a scuttler through Furns' legs down to fine leg, turned and threw to the keeper one bounce and bullseye! Straight into the slabs of the little master. That's going leave another mark!
Accusations of a club vendetta were put aside, and the game settled down into a pretty steady affair with runs, wickets and a lot of bowling changes (a good spell By Richard, son in law of the Chairman was politely clapped by all and sundry. Well they would wouldn't they!).
Fairclough, having had his bowl, took the gloves from a mighty relieved Furner, who out of compassion was given 2 overs to show us his craft. Then, with a glint over the horizon, all hail Tharpy who arrived after a mad dash straight form the Isle of Wight just in time to bowl 5 overs off the reel. There the innings ended on 196-6.
Right then, 197 to win and the wounded but deadly Furner is opening with another guest Kevin Strutt. Then, would you believe it! The Mogs openenrs chalk up another run out, this time the little master ran himself out despite trotting downhill like an out-of-control pit pony on South Wales slag heap. Needless to say his case for the defence in post match conversation was as resolute as his well known favourite stroke! (terminated by the skippers argument ending "Nope, you ran YOURSELF out. I'm the captain AND I'm right!).
Eventually Kevin, who strutted out a slow 8 was out bringing to the crease our 3rd guest - Tim from god only knows where (does anyone know or did he just join in from the pub?), who in partnership with the chairman took the score along nicely to 110 for 2.
Maybe we shouldn't have thought that because once that partnership was broken and the chairman trudged back to the pavilion for a very useful knock of 60, we cruised to defeat! The only entertainment after that was a big 6 by Lewis Jr over the pavilion. Mogs (I say mogs 7 members) all out for 160.
Never mind we then all settled in to watch England lose to France at least we like Rottingdean and there beer is good or it could have been a day to forget.
MWCC Stats