MRG Maintain A Hold On Their Tashes After Nerve-Jangler
The MRG Cricket XI pulled off a narrow eight run win in the closely contested final game of the annual Tashes series against a joint BMRB/Ipsos team. After a 3-0 series win last time around, this result gave the MRG a 1-1 draw this year (with one game rained off).
After last time’s washout, the teams were greeted by bright sunshine, which BMRB/Ipsos immediately used to their advantage as Poustie gave his opening over prodigious flight – with the sun smack behind him. It made his bowling (bewildering at the best of times) all the more difficult to pick – or even see – and he cannily avoided the carting he had received in the previous fixture.
Both teams were short of a couple of key stalwarts, but turned out to be quite evenly matched, and, based on previous encounters MRG knew a target of 140-150 was probably required. At the halfway stage after 10 overs this looked on with 70 on the board and just Binnington (14) back in the pavilion – bowled by a ball from Wicken that cut back sharply…. off his pad!. But the runs had been compiled with a good deal of graft, and boundaries were very hard to come by given a slow outfield and a wicket which favoured steady line and length bowling.
Jones and Shirley nudged the total past 100 before both departed in quick succession, Jones retiring (knackered by all that running!) for 43 and Shirley falling just five runs short of his half century. None of the remaining batsmen were able to push the score along as they would have liked against some very tight bowling in the closing stages – with Croneen weighing in with 1-7 and Roderick finishing with 2-7.
It left a below-par final total of 126 for an MRG innings that contained only 5 boundaries (later the BMRB/Ipsos reply was also to see just 20 runs scored in boundaries).
Despite losing Poustie early, bamboozled by Inman’s opening spell, BMRB/Ipsos also opened confidently, led by Silman who ultimately top scored with 21. But MRG were able to peg back the run rate – and take some important wickets, with a steady couple of overs each from Alavy (1-9), North (1-9) and Jones (1-4). It left a much tougher batting task as the last six overs began. Burbridge’s debut spell of bowling turned out to be a key factor – as an unlikely mix of deliveries produced wides, runs and – most surprisingly to all including the bowler – two vital wickets too.
Going into the final over, 11 runs were needed. Although Petker did his best to sustain the suspense with a first ball wide, the remainder of his over was bang on the spot, conceding just two runs and claiming two further wickets to leave BMRB/Ipsos just short at 118-9 from their 20 overs.
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