Move over Michael Atherton and Alan Donald, Evershed Sports & Social Club is the place to be this season for tense high-class cricket action as BMRB fielded a side to take on the collective might (!) of the MRG (Media Research Group).
The second annual encounter saw Nick Hiddleston’s MRG outfit win the toss (held in the bar, note) and bat. An early setback was the loss of Dan Botten (IPC) for just 4. He scored 50 last year. A greater setback was the dawning awareness that the BMRB side had one or two proper cricketers, which was thoroughly against the spirit of the thing. But then again they also fielded Richard Sillman.
Nonetheless, MRG fought back with a stylish 19 from Roy Hooper (IPC) and a rapid 32 from Nick Wiggan (Fox), which included six boundaries. Wiggan’s knock ended when he was clean bowled by Niran Ringer (who was a bit on the rapid side).
The remainder of the innings saw brisk “cameos” from Hiddleston, Kite (Jim, Universal) Mike Hannah (CRI) and Adam Bowie (Virgin – one ball, but not out) and a chanceless 45 not out from Derek Jones (MediaTel – no bias reporting there).
Highlight of the fielding was a one-handed swoop by the day’s only female player, Kerry Taylor. Bowling honours went to Jude De Souza with 2-17.
Chasing 142 in their 20 overs, BMRB were given a steady launch pad by Sillman’s 14 before he perished to a leaping catch by Hooper at square leg (the day’s “champagne moment”). The real bludgeoning was then done by Andy Kowalecyk (run out for 45) and skipper Richard Poustie (42 not out), and, with a magnanimous contribution of no less than 31 extras mostly donated in wides by the MRG, a BMRB victory looked a formality with eight overs remaining.
MRG had other ideas. Hiddleston’s “lead-by-example” fielding display saw him plummet full speed into a hedge (an example which bemused his team-mates somewhat) and then take an unlikely wicket from the worst ball of the day. Three mean overs from Wiggan for just seven runs, and a tight spell by Jones, left 2 needed from the final over. Poustie, nudging, and groping failed to score off the first three, then aimed a panicky sweep at the fourth, which might have seen him adjudged LBW in any normal encounter. This of course was far from a normal encounter and the ball cannoned off his pad to the boundary for four leg byes.
Victory to BMRB by 4 wickets with 2 balls remaining.
The return encounter is already in the planning pot – possibly late August. The MRG may well be selling tickets for that one…
Complaints and libel actions addressed to the reviewer, Derek Jones, MD, MediaTel at [email protected].
