UWMCC 2nd XI were dropped off at a very picturesque Moseley CC (not Mos Eisely from Star Wars as Cooper and Hall later badgered), with seats outside the pavilion and the rest, only to find they were playing on the Brandi Cyrus of the facilities, a little second ground. With a wet, grassy track on show, it was vital for skipper Bradshaw to win the toss. Given Bradshaw’s badger-like reputation, it was somewhat surprising that he was unaware of the regulation that the toss should have been forfeited by the opposition as three of their players had yet to call their taxi. This proved costly, as Bradshaw, at the toss itself ‘was hurried’ and ‘panicked’, saying tails, only for the head of our tyrannical monarch to appear.
Put into bat, conditions, as expected, were not easy. The ball regularly stopped and popped off a good length, as Cooper found whilst dangling his bat outside off, being caught behind. A ‘comical’ run-out ensued, with Uduwawala knocking the ball into the leg side, not saying anything, and Bradshaw, despite it clearly not being his call, screamed yes, sprinting down the other end. Uduwawala, composed as ever, merely turned around and put his bat in, and with both players at the same end, it was a simple run-out for the opposition. At 6-2, it was hardly an ideal start. Both Uduwawala and Bennett were dismissed cheaply, offering simple catches to Birmingham City 1st XI with some dismissals that would have had Boycott throwing his panama hat in fury. Edmonds (18) and Watson (17) put on a steely partnership, putting on 40, both batting sensibly given the situation they were in. This was ended as Watson was ‘caught’ at cover. Watson, unconvinced, stood his ground, but after a discussion in which the umpires strangely had their arms round each other, they decided that it was a clean catch. Shortly afterwards, Edmonds, who had been resolute throughout, went reaching for a low full toss, and was promptly bowled.
Next to the crease, Krishnakumar, played the finest knock of the UWMCC batsman, being asked by the opposition if he had turned up late, hence his batting position. It would appear that BCU have never heard of Adam Gilchrist. Krishnakumar made 32 at a strike rate of 100%, featuring some impressive drives over mid-off and generally, all round good batting. After Hall gave some catching practice to first slip, Parekh came to the crease, who again batted well, scoring 21, with Tolson providing some resistant defence at the other end, unlike Povey, who made it four consecutive BUCS ducks. Povey celebrated this feat by tweeting in the third person about himself, via his own twitter account. After the failures of the top order, 136 all out, off 43 overs, was not only commendable, but even possible defendable.
An excellent tea (Bennett calling for ‘Swatton Out’) clearly had positive effects, as Povey’s first ball produced a wicket – stand in keeper Bradshaw gratefully accepting the (Warwickshire-trousered) batsman’s flick down leg side. Tolson repeated the feat with a dreadful short-ball, the batsman attempting some kind of heave over mid-off, Cooper gratefully accepting, and the opposition were 4-2. After BCU’s number three batsman had played shots not dissimilar to those expected at UWMCC’s upcoming Golf Day, he eventually edged one off the bowling of Povey, Bennett taking the slow-mo style catch at first slip. Povey (10-1-3-22) and Tolson (5-0-1-15) both bowled well, getting the ball to move around, and after Povey had another victim when Hall took a strange one-handed catch at cover point, BCU were 34-4. However, the opposition’s skipper played a match-winning innings, making an unbeaten 55, waiting for the bad balls, and putting them away very efficiently. Despite two quick wickets, after the aforementioned skipper sold his batting partner down the river, Bennett making no mistake with the direct hit, and Parekh getting a wicket off a rank long hob, it was too little, too late. BCU went on to win by four wickets, a frustrating affair for a weakened 2nd XI, but on another day, could well have returned home with 2 points in the bag.