Seconds game ends as a draw
Thu 23 Jul 2015
REPORT | By Pete Johnson
We arrived at Desborough Town CC for Day three of this SEC encounter, a little apprehensive as to the weather that lay in store for us. Carol Kirkwood, the BBC Breakfast Weather Presenter had forecast rain in our area from 2.00pm. It is hard to argue with Carol as she very rarely gets it wrong.
Chris and Rosemary were in place before 10.30am on the boundaries edge, taking up a position as what can best be described, in cricket parlance, as wide longstop. I am sure these two should be consulted when the LCCC Selection Committee meets, they have seen more deliveries than a multitude of midwives!
Going on from last week’s ‘Ashes Theme’ of Scorers, when we had Steve Smith and your very own Peter Neville Johnson, this games is being dutifully observed by Kevin Mitchell for MCCU, you know the other bloke, so we have got Mitchell Johnson covered now!
MCCU resumed on their overnight 113-1, Thompson 48*, Cullen 45*, a cloudy sky greeted the players upon their entrance onto the field. Wyatt and Freckingham opened the attack for County, and Thompson brought up his 50 (7x4) from 99 balls from the fourth ball of the morning. Cullen soon afterwards posted his 50 (6x4) from 95 balls.
The first wicket of the morning went down with the score on 127, Thompson (56), edging Wyatt to first slip, where Neil Pinner safely took the catch low down with both hands. First innings top scorer Azad joined Cullen, but was soon on his way this time. Azad (8) steering Freckingham to gully into the ‘eager mitts’ of Andrea Agathangelou.
Aggers must be one of the best close catchers to wear County colours in a long time. He makes difficult catches seem purely regulation. Harry Ellison (son of RC Ellison, ex Kent and England) joined Cullen, but only had a brief stay at the crease.
Rob Sayer had replaced Wyatt at the Car Park End and enticed Ellison (7) to pull a ball to deep backward square leg where it was safely caught by Freckingham. The groundsman was now sitting on his tractor, so it was anticipated that the rain that Carol had predicted was on its way a little earlier than she expected.
At 12.21pm the players left the field with the score on 173-4. During this stoppage for rain there was a sight that you do not see very often during a cricket season involving Tim Murray, that revered, esteemed, and respected ‘cricket hack’.
Tim is no doubt a familiar sight to all, patrolling the boundary, resplendent in suit, collar and tie, and his ‘trademark’ the obligatory brown ‘ratting cap’. You very rarely see Tim sitting down or without his cap on. Well, during this break for rain we had a miracle, we saw both.
Tim was spotted on the pavilion veranda sitting down with his cap off!! Seeing that would have got you 500 points in an I Spy book. If you are reading my drivel Tim, sorry if I ‘minted’ that one.
Lunch was taken at the normal time of 1.00pm for day three and the players returned to the field at 1.40pm, 10 overs having been lost. During the next session of play Liam Hurt had a terrific spell from the Farm End.
Hurt, working up a healthy pace bowled Martin (9), and with his next ball had McIver (0) caught behind by Burgess. Bruno Broughton came in to face the hat trick ball, but Hurt was not able to inflict any further pain, and deliver a knock-out blow, Broughton survived. An impressive spell in mid-afternoon from Hurt (8-1-17-2).
At 2.47pm with the score on 218-7, Carol got it right again, and the players left the field because of rain. The players returned to the field at 3.49pm, having taken tea, a further 11 overs having been lost. There was now a maximum of 36 overs remaining, and MCCU led by 255 runs.
No declaration was forthcoming, so the final passage of play, in line with Universities, became purely academic. In the 2nd over after tea, Cullen went to his 100 (9x4) from 198 balls.
With the life having been strangled out of the game because of the weather, Wells used five spinners to progress the game to a 4.50pm finish. Agathangelou trapped Broughton (8) in front. After a few overs from Pinner, and a solitary over from Redfern, skipper Wells produced a stroke of genius introducing Eben Kurtz and Sam Evans to the attack.
Kurtz gave a masterclass of left arm spin from the Car Park End, beating the bat on a number of occasions. The Durham Uni Dynamo, sent down seven overs returning figures of 7-1-22-1. A miserly spell from Eben ‘eezer’ Kurtz.
He got the wicket of Lilley, when he beat him with guile in the flight, the ball doing a bit off the pitch, and rattling into his pads. All ten players appealed, Umpire Gumbley said OUT! Lilley was certainly not in the pink, as Kurtz gleefully celebrated his first Second XI wicket.
Meanwhile, at the Car Park End, after Agatha Christie had said Why Don’t They Ask Evans?, we had Sam Evans giving it large, bowling a tidy spell of 4-1-14-0. It meant that ten bowlers had now been used in the innings!
The two part time bowlers stepped up to the plate and gave a very good account of themselves. They both have much more than just batting in their armoury. At 4.50pm the players shook hands on a draw with MCCU on 299-8. Cullen ended on an excellent 135* and Milnes 2* while Hurt finished with 2-49 from 14 overs and Sayer took 1-58 from 23 probing overs.
The points tally was as follows: MCCU 13 points, Leicestershire 12 points. As Neil Sedaka once sang, Oh Carol!
