A Day at the Cricket - MCC v The Rest of the World

I

was a little bit apprehensive before the MCC v Rest of the World at Lord’s. I’m not normally one for friendly sporting fixtures and I feared that it might be light entertainment at its worst with an ambience bordering on the inane, hyperactive, jocularity of Question of Sport. Thankfully, none of the cricketers made any concerted efforts to mimic Matt Dawson, playing the game in a semi-serious manner. There was even some scuttling about on the boundary led by the blooming Tamim Iqbal and everyone’s favourite, Kevin Pietersen. Most of the retired cohort looked in pretty good shape with no one yet reaching the comfortable proportions of an Inzamam-ul-haq, although Murali seemed to be developing a slight paunch. Brian Lara kept the amateur spirit alive when he failed to make up the five yards necessary to take a dolly at short mid-on after a thick edge from Yuraj Singh.

The Rest of the World won the toss and elected to bat first in the overcast conditions. The opening pair of Gilchrist and Sehwag began briskly with the MCC’s pace trio of Lee, Gul and particularly Tait failing to exercise much control. Brett Lee ended the opening stand when his delivery cut back in sharply to bowl Sehwag, who did not play with as much fluency as Gilchrist. Tendulkar soon turned to his spin bowlers, Ajmal and Vettori, slowing the Rest of the World’s run rate. Everything about Ajmal deceives. His run-up/walk-up, even for a spin bowler, seems awkward and clumsy, as though bowling is not an activity that comes naturally. But this is part of the deception. None of the Rest of the World batsmen played him with any assurance in his opening four over spell and it was sporting of Tendulkar to take him off at that juncture to keep the contest alive. The pick of Ajmal’s delivery was his doosra that brought about Pietersen’s stumping dismissal.

Ajmal’s opening spell would have been more enjoyable had it not been for a pub bore sitting in the row behind me who felt compelled to inform the poor lady next to him everything that he knew about Ajmal, and then sport in general. After about half an hour on cricket he moved on to tennis when he proclaimed his support for Bouchard rather than Kvitkova in the Wimbledon Women’s Final. Perhaps feeling that his soliloquy had been a little vanilla up to this point, he decided that John Inverdale might be on to something when he expressed his fears for Bouchard’s chances ‘as it’s always the ugly ones who win’. A lengthy pause ensued. 

Back to the cricket. At 68/5 the Rest of the World were in a bit of a pickle. However, for the next 25 overs Collingwood and Yuvraj Singh played positively, but with caution, bringing the total to 199 when Collingwood departed for 40. Collingwood was very much the supporting act in his partnership with Yuvraj, keeping his powerful counterpart on strike wherever possible. Yuvraj rarely looked troubled by any of the MCC’s bowling, including Ajmal, in his innings of 132. It was an innings of control and poise rather than violence and belligerence. Yuvraj was aided by Peter Siddle’s swift 33 not out, resulting in a productive final ten overs for the Rest of the Word.

Shane Warne made it to the crease in the final over, much to the crowd’s delight. Unfortunately, this was all the crowd would see of Warne during the day as the beamer that he received from Lee, striking him on the hand, meant that he was unable take to the field for the Rest of the World. It was subsequently revealed that Warne had broken his hand. For those who had come to the game with the principal objective of shouting ‘bowling Shane; bowling WAR-NER’ this came as a heavy blow. Beseeching Murali to ‘give us a wave’ and imploring Tino to ‘watch the windows’ was not quite the same.

At the end of the Rest of the World’s innings the four-year old (might have been a bit older) sat in front of me, who had been in a battle with his mother (again, another assumption) throughout the early afternoon to get out of his seat, was finally set loose and proceeded to embark upon a game of ‘seat goes up, seat goes down, seat goes up, seat goes down’. Thankfully, he tired with his attentions gradually settling on his mother’s tablet.

The Rest of the World’s 293 seemed like a pretty stiff total considering the generally overcast conditions, but the MCC surpassed it with ease aided by friendly bowling, Peter Siddle aside. At no point was The Rest of the World on top during the MCC’s innings. Aaron Finch played in his typically pugnacious, punchy style, driving wherever possible. His knock of 183 could be divided into three parts: an assertive opening; a considered middle; and a swashbuckling final third. Tendulkar was a pleasure to watch: his elegant stroke play still in evidence. ‘SA-CHIN, SA-CHIN’ reverberated around the ground. His dismissal on 44 was acclaimed as though he had made a double-hundred by the sizeable Indian contingent in the crowd. Brian Lara replaced Tendulkar with his characteristic high backlift undiminished. Lara had to work quite hard, by his standards, for his 23, but never looked rushed or flustered. Rahul Dravid, on his walk to the wicket, was acclaimed with almost as much fervour as Tendulkar. However, it would seem that his relationship with India is not as intimate as that of Tendulkar’s with the Indian throng chanting his surname ‘DRA-VID, DRA-VID’ rather than ‘RA-HUL, RA-HUL’. Overcome with the acclaim, maybe, Dravid was bowled first ball by Paul Collingwood. Yes, that’s right, Paul Collingwood – dibbly-dobbler extraordinaire. 

Once Chanderpaul arrived at the wicket, and it became pretty clear that the game was over as a contest, the three chaps to my right, sporting the London smart-casual ‘biz’ look of boater shoes, stiff collars and sunglasses, called it a day. Throughout the afternoon their attentions had been principally directed towards an application on one of their smartphones called Tinder. Apparently one of these chaps had managed to secure a few matches and was deliberating with his companions whether it would be wise to pursue these. 

The MCC surpassed the requisite 293 after 45.5 overs. The match was not much of a contest, but watching Ajmal bowl and Tendulkar bat was a pleasure. So was sitting down in the most majestic sporting arena in the country with its cushioned seats and ample leg room with a pork pie in one hand and flask of tea in the other.

CLICK HERE for the scorecard from ESPN.