Mere Cricket Club

Saturday 13th May saw another first in the history of our club as we entertained a proper cricket touring side from down under. The game was hastily arranged after Mark C found himself in the Indian getting a takeaway on Friday night when a hoarde of Aussies decended on the restaurant after playing Kilmington.

Chatting to their tour organiser over a Cobra (the beer not the snake) an Ashes re-match was agreed and after some late night texting, e-mailing and door knocking Mere managed to pull a side together for what promised to be an exciting day in the sunshine no less!

Groundsman Williams was given the lowdown on the type of wicket that his Melbourne counterpart Cameron Hodges typically prepares at the MCG....a nice
consistent covering of grass providing a bit of early assistance if he leaves some leaf on it. It swings, bounces a bit and it usually plays well at the back end of the game. That's a typical MCG wicket. "I wouldn't have thought we could replicate the MCG at this late stage said Williams....and true to his word...he didn't.

However it was noted  the Aussie opening bowlers Palin and Donovan (or Sarah and Jason as we fondly but quietly named them) was getting some to bounce up to the knee-roll, it was also quickly tempered with the comment, "that's what you get if you bowl at 80 miles an hour...just watch the bounce when Tealy gets an over"

The Reds won the toss and elected to bat, and very quickly Mere understood that to take a month off work and travel to the other side of the world to play cricket means that in general you need to be able to play a bit...and play a bit they did. Although boundaries where in short supply as the recent rain and then brilliant sunshine had encouraged some rapid grass growth in the outfield, the Reds batsmen took every run on offer and moved the score on steadily. When Yeo (B) took the opener Donovan with a vicious slider under the bat it brought the prolific Devers to the crease who then dispatched the bowlers to all parts and finished unbeaten on 70. Aided by some early season catching misdemeanours by the Mere fielders, the Melbourne Reds closed on 151-4 from their 35 overs. Best bowling figures for Mere belonged to our answer to Warnie (pre Hurley days) when he was noted for his love of the beer as much as his skill as a bowler...our talisman Tealy known more for his love of the beer than his skill as a bowler who snaffled 2 for 25 off 4 overs.

After an international standard tea prepared by young George Cassidy at which our Antipodean cousins marvelled, it was time for Mere to take to the crease and show these Aussies just how you bat on an early season track. Faced with the pace of Sarah and Jason the Mere openers Weir and Yeo started resolutely enough. Yeo was first to go after showing that age is no barrier to class with some typically flourishing strokeplay, when a delivery didn't come onto his bat as quickly as he expected and played the shot just before the bowler had started his run up, thus spooning a dolly back to the grateful Sarah. Weir followed bowled by Devers through the gate bringing the beautifully contrasting pairing of Pitts and Williams together.

The Reds by then had decided to go with the spinning option and proceeded to bamboozle us with hugely turning leg break bowling, which had poor Williams swatting like Stevie Wonder wishing he'd left less grass on his pitch, the slightly longer stride of Pitts being more of a defence, but both departed quickly and by then the writing was on the wall. No other real resistance followed other than a brisk cameo by Whitmore for 2 and our Warnie, Tealy who crashed a boundary and then went caught and bowled when trying to repeat the feat.

Mere finished on 92, some way behind our Australian opponents but it was a game played in a great spirit and considering the last minute nature was a real bonus on a lovely sunny Saturday. All retired to The Walnut where they also showed us how proper men drank too, (our all rounder Harkin not having played wasn't there to show them how it's done professionally). In fact in trying to keep up with the "Aussie Rules" aftermatch imbibing a few of our players had to "return to the pavillion" early, the most notable our Chairman who then managed to lock his wife out of the house, who's methods of attempting to gain entry led to a fall out with the neighbours and a bill for a broken bathroom window.

All in all a great day for both clubs and our tour organiser Mr D Weir has been given food for thought for September.....watch this space.

The full scorecard will be available under the fixtures tab soon.

MC