Mandarins (192-8) defeated Elstead (167 ao) by 25 runs
Bank Holiday Monday brought both the familiar trip to Elstead and the end of an era for a Mandarins great as Pat Murphy took to the field for the final time. A miserly bowler as a Mandarin, he became a major thorn in the club’s side as captain of Elstead, where the Mandarins had not won for 13 years.
Monday, however, saw Pete Lincoln in the driving seat who generously arranged the toss with Mandarins skipper Baxter, allowing us to bat first given Wilmot was stuck somewhere on the M25 and Williams had been forced to switch to a backup car after his Aston Martin failed him.
The Mandarins started well, Baxter and “T20 Sam” Brand racing to 45 off the first 10 and eventually an unbeaten 101 before Sam was retired on 53. Baxter fell shortly afterwards for 47, felled by young quick Warren, while Murphy delivered his final spell from the other end.
Murphy's record is fearsome. Surviving records covering 1978-1994 show that, over the course of 85 games for the Mandarins, he took 138 wickets at an average of 13.39 and an economy rate of just 2.04. For Elstead, the figures are no less impressive. Some 482 wickets, 15 five-wicket hauls and an average of 18.64. But Monday brought no final wicket for him, with your correspondent seeing out his final over for a maiden on the way to a difficult 10 as Mills at the other end raced to 38, exacerbating a leg injury in the process.
Sajjan hit a quick-fire 15 while his partners fell in rapid succession before he too succumbed to teenage opener Faulkner-Wybrott. The final over began with Matt Brown stumped off Lincoln’s bowling, at which point some suggested declaring. But Baxter would hear none of it, sending in Ramani to be caught two balls later. Again, the chorus suggested declaring, but in went Eastaway who, another two balls later, called for the run and made it most of the way down the track before being sent back by Williams. The return journey proved too much, and the Beast was run out, finally heralding the declaration.
A total of 192 seemed eminently defendable, but with a line-up short on bowling - and the weight of history heavily in Elstead’s favour - it would be by no means simple. Still, the Mandarins made a strong start, Porter removing opener Warren in the third over before Eastaway and Ramani struck to leave Elstead 44-3 in the 14th.
Left-handed J Warren looked useful before retiring hurt, but the runs continued to flow as Baxter turned to the more part-time members of the bowling attack.
A 53-run partnership off six overs set Mandarin nerves on edge, but the return of Baxter and Ramani reasserted control and two quick wickets saw Elstead 156-7 and brought Murphy to the crease, welcomed by a guard of honour.
He faced a difficult challenge. With only three wickets in hand - and one of the remaining batters injured - but only 37 to win, the stage was set of another heroic rearguard action. The question was, would it be Rourke’s Drift, or the Alamo.
With the sun dipping behind the pavilion, Murphy made a good start, but an attempt to sweep Baxter behind square saw the ball balloon up and into the hands of Porter. The Alamo, then, and Murphy walked off into the sunset to hang up his bat for good having managed one more than Bradman on his final appearance.
The end came quickly, Ramani remembering that if you want something done properly, you have to do it yourself and taking three wickets - two bowled, one caught and bowled - in his final over to leave him with figures of 5-37.
A first victory at Elstead since 2011 followed a first victory over the Quilibets since 2012 - one Mandarin was heard to liken the twin achievements to the ravens leaving the Tower - means we head to Oxford one game up and with the Chairman’s goal still within reach.
Chris McKeon
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