Baggy Blues Artosz won by 10 wickets

For the first time in the history of cricket at Gödöllő, both umpires and all players from both teams were at the ground and ready to play before the appearance of the groundsman. The usual habit is quite the reverse. Fantastic umpires Syed and Aneyas had already ensured that the toss and all other pre-match necessities were out of the way, so no further time was lost once the pitch was rolled and ready for action. The threateningly looming clouds had lead Artosz not to believe the forecast of ‘6pm rain’, and the decision to bowl first proved decisive in the end. A good toss to win.

The match couldn’t have started much worse for DCC – Mahesh and Onka both hit perfect line and length right from ball one, with Mahesh claiming the 1st wicket on the 2nd ball of the match, and shortly after another one. In between, Brandon had received a faster one from Onka that reared off the pitch and his top edge to strike him in the forehead, reminding us all that quick reactions are no replacement for helmets on our pitches. He retired hurt but was fortunately OK and able to return later and complete the match.

The 3rd wicket stand of 17 had held out stubbornly for several overs, but once that was broken through Eddie’s determination to dive to the ground before holding any catch this season, a steady procession of wickets continued until DCC were all out for 46 after just under 20 overs. K.Hoque provided the greatest resistance, batting out more than half of those overs for his 5 gritty runs. Adrian surprised no-one with his slightly different approach to wielding the willow, facing his first ball with debut BB star Felix on a hatrick, and thrashing it uppishly to the vacant mid-off region. Felix did claim his wicket in the end though, and finished with an ultimately match winning performance of 4 for 15. The highlight for DCC, then, was most likely Steve’s immaculately timed straight six over the despairing head of bowler Andrew. People will remember that shot for much longer than the fact he was out next ball, Nick confidently calling for and holding on to the skied shot that seemed like it would never come down. Artosz vice captain Pip proved he is a man of his word to close off the innings: responding to the cries of ‘catch’ with an ‘I will’, he did.

46 would not normally cause any tension in the chasing team’s batting line up, but today was different. The first drops of rain were falling as the chase began, and the dark clouds were clearly not waiting until 6pm. Andrew advised openers Ed and Dom that they had 8 overs to chase down the target. He was wrong. They had about 5, but fortunately managed it in 4 overs and 3 balls. As the winning run was hit, a loud thunder bolt shook the ground, and within minutes the ground was drenched with a storm that would certainly have ended play. Baggy Blues Artosz won by 5 minutes. Perhaps, the balance of the game lay in the absence of DCC strike bowler Tim, whose attendance would surely have made the game last at least 6 minutes longer, and ensured a sharing of the points.

Appreciation must be shown to DCC for playing on in the increasing rainfall, and also a very special thanks to Syed and Aneyas for their totally professional performance as the neutral umpires for this match.

Man of the Match: Felix Nelson.