Cricket Victory Claimed: MRG Just ‘Nick’* It!
The latest installment in the irregular cricket fixture, BMRB v MRG, produced a stunning finish to an exciting match. This was my first experience of such a fixture, and certainly one I’ll remember for a long time to come.
After what seemed an enormously long trek to a remote part of West London, Boston Manor was found to be a great setting for a great match. BMRB won the toss and decided to exploit the best of the light in this 5pm start and bat first. All their batsmen made solid contributions, with openers Laurence & Whitelam scoring 20 and 17 respectively. However the 3rd wicket stand between Richard Poustie (29) and Jude De Souza’s excellent 58 not out (before retiring) was the major contribution to the formidable score of 142-3 in the allotted 20 overs.
The bowling format of two overs per person allowed all to use their arms and special mention must be made of Catherine Blizzard (Carlton) whose steady underarm action produced the only maiden of the innings!
BMRB’s control of the match was enhanced when IPC’s Roy Hooper was removed without scoring. The MRG went on to lose their first 3 wickets for not much more than 20. The ultimate expert in putting yourself down, Murly Tiwari, shocked himself and the opposition by hanging around to score a commendable 13, when of course he was unlucky to be bowled! His contribution and a 23 by yours truly steadied the innings but left the MRG well behind the run rate after scoring just 60 in the first 10 overs.
What happened next was truly amazing. Picture the scene: I had been bowled soon after I had been involved in a mix up which resulted in the run out of one of our form batsman, Sean Dromgoole. The depression that was felt by the whole team facing a certain defeat was in my case added to by the guilt I felt in running out a teammate. Most of us sat head in hands at about 85-7. Enter the two heroes, the two Nicks – Wiggin & Hiddleston. A simply astonishing display of batting followed, MRG’s tail wagged as onlookers stood aghast as boundary after boundary was hit and the required run rate of 12 an over was kept in touch by surely the best number 8 & 9 batsmen the media industry has ever seen. A classic finish was in sight…
< Nick Hiddleston: Hero Three balls left, 7 runs needed and Hiddleston on strike in harshest of conditions (due to bad light). Luckily his eye was in as he dismissed the first the trio of deliveries for four to whoops of delight from the MRG team bench. But, alas, the next ball was skied, and the tension just about unbearable as Nick H was caught, ending his slogathon of 30. Fortunately the quick thinking Wiggin had run whilst the ball was in flight, ensuring that the batsmen had crossed and so he would be facing the last ball – sparing Richard Hemming of the worst pressure imaginable: 3 runs to win, a single ball to do it in. A deathly hush descended around the ground as the final ball seemed to float in slow motion towards Nick ‘Nerves of Steel’ Wiggin. The crispest sound of willow hitting leather broke the silence, immediately followed by the roars, cheers and screams of a triumphant MRG team. Cue the pitch invasion and celebrations worthy of such heroics – sausages, chips & beans washed down with a fine ale…