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Thursday, 5 June 2025

Mandarins v Brill, 1st June 2025

Mandarins 117 AO, Brill 105 AOMandarins won by 12 runs. 40 over game (but neither side managed to bat 30 overs)

Mandarins have played at Brill for at least 50 years. It is a beautiful ground with an excellent approach to cricket, and a very friendly and active club and clubhouse. It is one of our oldest fixtures, and has deservedly gained its reputation for providing one of the best teas. I have played there for approaching 40 years (eek). There is a proper trophy awarded to the winner – the Ron Young Cup. This has largely been in Brill hands in recent years.

Remarkably, all 11 Mandarins were on time. As Martin commented on WhatsApp, the team was well equipped with keepers (4: Chris, Bob, Jonathan and Tim) and had even brought a specialist umpire (the author). There was a strong spin contingent (Ramani, Hurst, Nair and Baxter) with 3 seamers in Rangarajan, Keayes and Heather. The batting looked a little less deep. Brill won the toss and put Mandarins in to bat. The match started on time, at 1pm, a rare event. Baxter and McKeon opened, with Chris particularly severe on any bad balls and going on to joint top score (see below) with 28. But the bowling was tight and Tim was bowled by Chima with the score at 17. Hawkhead came in at 3 and contributed precisely nothing to a 17 run partnership with Chris and a 10 run partnership with Jonathan before falling to a blinding slip catch by Eason off the bowling of Evans. Thereafter, with the bowling still straight, the pitch offering variable bounce and some bats offering help to the bowlers, a procession of wickets fell for not very much. Jonathan got an absolute beauty from Stocker: a perfectly delivered yorker that swung in late and took out middle and leg. Horrible unless you were Brill. By the time Rakesh strolled out, Mandarins had stumbled to 65-6, with Nair just out. Very shortly afterwards, it was 77-8, with Rangarajan and Heather also back in the hutch. As so often, Rakesh steadied the ship and put on 15 with Keayes, before the latter perished to a combination of a brilliant throw from mid on and dilatory running. Crucially as it turned out, the rock that is Rak then nursed another 25 runs out of a 10th wicket stand with Martin, before the innings ended with Martin’s dismissal at 117. Rakesh finished on 24 NO, second top score. J Extras contributed a very creditable 28. Brill had bowled and fielded very well. None of us thought we had anywhere near enough.

After a superb and leisurely tea (thank you once again, Brill), the Brill innings began. With the plethora of keepers, it was agreed that Jonathan would don the gloves initially, with the plan being that Tivey and then McKeon would assume keeping duties later in the innings if required. Sam and Martin opened, and bowled well, but neither had any luck. The score reached 48, by which point it felt all over bar the shouting. But, then, the spin twin combo of Rakesh and Abhi began to weave a spell, and the fielding stayed at an unusually high standard. Abhi got one opener with a watchful catch by Tim, and Rakesh got the other with a very plum LBW decision. Rak the Rock then took a stunning return catch to dismiss the number 3. As Bob (by then keeper number 2) said, he never looked like dropping it.

At this point, there was no hope of victory. Rather, there was hope of some degree of respectability. Given that Mandarins had not won a game in 2025, this was only to be expected. But Rakesh had not given up hope and bowled beautifully, with Abhi giving great support. 2 more wickets then fell quickly, 1 each to Rakesh and Abhi, and suddenly Brill looked vulnerable at 5 wickets down. In came captain Sweetman. Dale has done his fair share of damage to Mandarins bowling attacks in the past, and batted with great purpose, if not always great timing. At the other end, however, wickets continued to fall, with Kishen (relieving Abhi) picking up the next with a good catch by Jonathan, who saw the ball late. Relentless Ramani  threatened continuously and took another wicket before clean bowling Dale, who had been marshalling the lower order, with a ball that kept low. Suddenly, an improbable win looked distinctly possible. Rakesh took another wicket before ending his 8 over spell with the remarkable figures of 8-2-23-6. After a brief final alarm, as a few runs were snatched at the death, Abhi deservedly took the final wicket with the score on 105, ending with the excellent figures of 7.5-0-25-3.

And so, the first Mandarins victory of the season was also one of our more improbable wins. Rakesh was by a considerable margin the man of the match, but the team as a whole worked together well to support him and the other bowlers, notably Abhi. There was good catching and alert fielding throughout. Afterwards, Captain Tim received the Ron Young Cup from Brill stalwart Chris Heslop, and then handed it back as it resides in Brill. The atmosphere was, as ever, warm and friendly, and the beer (I’m told) was good. This is a fixture to treasure.

Sirtone

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