Sunday XI v Thames Valley Ramblers 10th September 2017

Fine late order batting enabled M & B to bat out their allocation of overs and result in an abandoned game, which would have otherwise resulted in a defeat for M & B against the Thames Valley Ramblers. With the forecast not looking great for later in the afternoon the captains agreed to reduce the game to a 35 over match. Upon winning the toss skipper Armstrong elected to bat, which is the normal on Sundays(this being the 13th time of the season!). In the event it was a bad choice as it was definitely a bat first wicket, albeit the bowlers would have the upper hand in both innings. The TVR bowlers bowled disciplined lines and lengths, with the wicket giving plenty of assistance. M & B managed to bat through to the 4th over before they scored their first boundary, courtesy of a pull shot from Brian Dixon, alas shortly after a delivery kept slightly low and he was castled for 9. Faisal Aziz and George Parsons managed to hit a couple of boundaries in the next few overs before Aziz tried to go over the top, on a ball which ,and he was caught at mid off. Jatin Bathia was slightly unlucky as he cut a widish delivery well, but in the air, where point took a sharp stinging catch, to leave M & B at 27 for 3 after 11 overs. Parsons batted manfully to remain at the wicket, taking a number of blows on the forearm for his troubles. Eventually his patience went in the 14th over as he got an inside edge to a drive and was bowled for 9, leaving M & B precariously place on 27/4. Gunbarul entered the fray and deposited a rare bad ball to the boundary early in his innings, followed by another shortly after. Next to go was Saquib Qureshi, playing his first game of the season. Although looking relatively solid in his short stay he wasn't able to score. When he did look to hit over the top he also failed to clear mid off meaning half the M & B team were out for 36 with only 16 overs gone. Gunbarul was joined at the wicket by Thomas Allen, who looked to aggressive from the outset(obviously buoyed by his league innings of 35 the previous week). GT looked to drive and pull anything short. He received a couple of drivable and pullable deliveries early on which got him on his way. GT and Gunbarul took the score to 56 before Gunbarul was undone by the lack of pace from Brown, who castled him as he decided which shot to play. From this moment on GT took over the scoring, hitting the last two deliveries of Sarao's 5th over for a 4 & 6 courtesy of lofted straight drives. He did though have a slice of luck as he tried the same shot in the following over only for the ball to balloon up and fall between 4 fielders, who were undecided as to whom should take the catch, which eventually no one did. Vice chairman James Cunliffe was out to a good catch low down at extra cover, shortly followed by Chris Butler, who played to early on a drive and was through the ball as the ball eventually hit his wicket to leave M & B 81/8 after 28 overs. GT and Ambar Moorthy managed to bat for just over 5 overs adding 16 runs before GT's gallant innings was ended in the 34th over for an excellent 42 in 18 overs, containing a 6 and 5 4's. Skipper Armstrong managed to hit a boundary to cow corner before he was castled on the final ball of the M & B innings, resulting in a total of 104. All the TVR bowlers had good figures, with most conceding 3 or less runs per over.

M& B's buffet teas resulted in an extended tea before M & B emerged in the gloom to bowl two balls before it started to rain, whereupon the covers were put on and the teams retired to the pavilion. After a 10 minute break M & B emerged to bowl another 5.4 overs as TVR raced to 29 after 6 overs, albeit the conditions were unpleasant( persistent light rain and wind, making the under foot conditions slippery). The captains agreed to leave the field and wait for the rain to stop. After a 15 minute delay and conditions no better it was agreed to abandon the game, with M & B not keen to play on and TVR hoping to. So an abandoned game for M & B in a game they may well have lost. M & B's lower order batting meant that the full allocation of overs was taken up, eating up the extra time, which would otherwise have resulted in an earlier tea and a defeat.