UWMCC 2nd XI forfeited the toss against Loughborough 3rd XI due to a bus-related cock-up, the bus driver being told to pick us up at 10:30 on campus, despite the UWMCC 2nd XI being there at 9:15. Given that it was scheduled to be an 11 o’clock start, Hall especially was miffed to find that 20 overs had been lost from the game, despite the rescheduled start being only 11:45. The forfeited toss proved to be (relatively) crucial, as it was a good batting deck, with an inviting short-leg side boundary.
Given the strength of UWMCC’s side (with all of one 1s/2s player), Bradshaw must have been in a state of delirium with the opposition at around 80-4. Connor Hobbs removed both openers, one a good catch at gully from Rob Kraus (http://www.thatvideosite.com/v/13891/do-not-scratch-your-eyes-you-really-are-seeing-the-most-extraordinary-finish-here) and the other a simple caught behind for Bradshaw off a slower ball. Maneka took the next wicket with a simple caught and bowled- Cooper rarely approving of an off-spinner’s action, declaring earlier that Joe Root’s quicker ball is a ‘chuck’. The fourth wicket was a classic leg-spinner’s dismissal from Kraus, clipping the top of off stump after a wee bit of turn. At drinks, things were looking rather good. One can only assume that UWMCC’s minds were too busy thinking about the procedure of making squash, or they were lost in the taste of the Co-op’s orange, for it was all downhill from here.
Loughborough’s number 4 and 6 batsman played very intelligently, milking the spin of Kraus and King for singles, and dismissing the bad balls for four. Indeed, Loughborough’s number 4 went on to make 151, including some serious hitting off Hall, Maneka and Hobbs. Ironically, when Hall came on to bowl his one over in the 35th for 24, after being hit over his head for six by said batsman, he went into profit, having spread bet with Hobbs when he was on 66- every cloud and all that…
Hobbs dismissed their number 6 and keeper for 65, and then later took a great catch to dismiss Loughborough’s centurion off Maneka’s bowling just off the boundary at cow corner. Hobbs then proceeded to celebrate by thrusting both arms in the air, leading the batsman to believe he had just added another maximum to his growing collection. Whilst obviously a decisive knock, UWMCC’s 37 extras also contributed to Loughborough’s massive score of 307-6 off their 40 overs, leaving Bradshaw to think about how he managed to be hit for some 640 runs in three days.
In response, Cooper was dismissed quickly for 2, missing a low full toss from one of Loughborough’s left arm opening bowlers, adding to his already overflowing anger at the fact that the tea did not include any tea. Yousuff, a potential match winner with his explosive style, fell L.B.W after ‘missing a straight one’ in his own words. Recruited from E+Y’s Table Tennis team, Oliver Tindall was dropped in at the deep end, and looked completely in control until being bowled. Kunwar Shamir fell soon afterwards. Amongst all this, Bradshaw managed to get root-canal surgery out of his mind, reaching his half-century, before attempting to heave the opposition’s off-spinner again, top-edging the ball and being caught at mid-off. After this, the game was over, but a 50 partnership from Hall (42) and Kraus (26) helped to improve UWMCC’s net run-rate, even if only by a little bit. Kraus, whose dab down to third man off of middle stump, was described as Kohli-esc by Hall, before genuinely being described as Ponting-esc after a leg-side blow by Loughborough’s centurion. One of the umpire’s even remarked to how ‘they must have been holding you back Krausy’, as Kraus confirmed his status as the best batsman in 2s/3s this season. UWMCC ended on 182 all out off 36.3 overs, as King kept his record of an infinite average from some nine innings this season.