Details at Play-cricket but the short story is Mandarins lost to Peper Harow by 27 runs on 5th October 2024. Here's the long story...
The latest fixture in Mandarin history (leaving aside indoor winter cricket played by the ‘Mandarines’ in the 90s) was always going to be a chancy affair. And so it proved. The weather forecast on the appointed date being uncertain there were moves to bring the fixture forward a day. Should we risk losing the record to a cancellation, or risk disappointing the significant number of Mandarins who had already made their weekend plans around the initial date?
Such are the kinds of problems at which civil servants (and the various honorary civil servants who now grace the Mandarins) excel. WhatsApp messages were exchanged. Trade offs were examined in depth. Soundings were taken. Eventually the committee met in solemn e-conclave. The white smoke emitted: the match would be brought forward, with fervent apologies to those inconvenienced.
So, to the small matter of assembling a team at less than 2 days notice. Contacts were contacted, even contacts of contacts. And lo and behold 11 ‘Mandarins’ duly assembled: a mixture of regular Mandarins, team mates of Mandarins from other clubs (a few of whom had a previous Mandarin appearance to their names), and one team mate of a team mate – huge kudos to Dan for the assembling and thanks to all the irregulars for coming: it was great having you and do come again.
Miraculously, the Mandarins spirit survived (and I do not refer here to the orange liqueur bottle which used to be awarded to the Mandarin moment of the year, but which I suspect has long since been drunk by someone’s teenage offspring at an impromptu party).
The weather at Peper Harow rose to the occasion. Although the 29 degrees recorded on the scoreboard showed a touch of hyperbolae, it was still the kind of day which those of us who had optimistically signed up to fixtures in April or September had been dreaming of - before the aforementioned games were cancelled days before the off as record amounts of rain rendered pitches unplayable. Warm, almost balmy. Sunny. A breath of wind. The younger players were wearing shades.
Peper Harow batted. Skipper John H faced the unenviable task of juggling 9 bowlers (he very ably used all 9) with perhaps 2 regular batters.
It soon became clear that we had a genuine ringer – Sami – who bowled at a pace not seen since the days of Rawdon Adams, and swung it as well. Rob, perforce, had to bowl up the hill with the short boundary behind him. But although Sami removed one opener, the numbers 2 and 3 led a bit of a charmed life and relieved themselves by taking advantage of the short boundary (in the air, classic cover drives along the ground only going for one or two – and in one case 3, the culprit knows who he is!). However, young Matt guesting from Alton got the ball to grip with 2 clean bowled as a result. And team mate of Dan’s mate Kit at Shepperton, Prab, (recruited that morning) showed why he usually opens the bowling with another rather better team.
Yours truly came on third change, and a wicket maiden (an awesome stumping by keeper Wilmot) led the oppo to accuse me of being a ringer. Ironic since Rob and I were only ones of the first 8 bowlers who weren’t ringers. However, a return to my usual form duly followed.
At 50-5 we thought we had them. Archivist Baker arrived to witness the denouement. But then came the game changing partnership, opposition skipper Imran eventually retiring for 50 (only to come back and inflict more pain when their last man was out). The second young Alton twin Jamie and occasional Mandarins, Neil and Gary bowled gamely without success. Finally, Dan came on (and Sami and Prab came back) to finish off the tail. But a total of 159 looked pretty good.
Or so we thought. 3.4 overs later, three new Mandarins records had been set (subject to official ratification by Chris ‘McWhirter’ Baker).
First, fastest opening 50 stand (3.4 overs).
Second, fastest 50 by a Mandarins opener: Sami – 21 balls.
Third, the record most in keeping with the spirit of the club, lowest not out contribution in an opening 50 stand: Dan, promoted to opener (0 not out, admittedly off only 2 balls faced!)
Sami retired but the score still mounted to 71 for 0, and the wiseacres who recalled Mandarins collapses of the past at this venue were being shushed.
Lo and behold, history did indeed repeat itself. First Wilmot pulled something in his leg and retired hurt. Second, we did indeed collapse – even a cleaned bowled off a no ball and Wilmot’s return to the crease on the understanding that there would be nothing more than boundaries (hopeful) and very slow walked singles failed to avert the inevitable. Admittedly they had some rather good change bowling and just about the only two batsmen who were used to playing together – Alton twin brothers Jamie and Matt - contrived a run out: we hope words were not exchanged on the way home. Finally, Sami returned to the crease and hope briefly rose, until Rob ‘I really fancy a bat today’ Eastaway attempted a firm cut shot, only to edge one to the keeper.
As ever however, the game was the winner. A November 20:20 anyone?
Martin Hurst
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