Saturday 4th August 2007: A beautiful setting to slaughter lambs….and Dasvidania Moskva

What a backdrop!! Tough luck Madge...

The Moscow International Baseball stadium was the most scenic and certainly the best ground we played on while on tour.

We had just about escaped the rain in Estonia, Finland and St Petersburg but we were to get a whole tour’s worth in one day as it never really stopped in Moscow on the day of the game but the weather didn’t dampen the spirits as we were honoured to play in our second international at such a prestigious venue.

Rumour had it that there was meant to be a Madonna concert at the 5000-capacity stadium on the Saturday but they had to postpone because history was about to be made as Carmel became the first touring side to compete against the Russian national cricket team.

The ground was huge (a gift from the Japanese to the Russians and the only one of its kind in Russia) and whilst warming up the ball seem to fly at a rate of knots off the special artificial surface. The Aussie batsman and the seamers were liking the look of this!

The Russians had even suspended the 11-team Moscow Cricket Union League for and the visit of Carmel and cherry picked the best players from the league to make up a select XI for the national team. They clearly weren’t taking our visit lightly!

Tour match 5: Russia National Team v Carmel & District Cricket Club. 40-over match. Moscow International Baseball Stadium, Moscow (Russia won toss).
Not exactly a good toss to lose as the Russians put us in to bat but after a positive pre-match team talk the skipper picked what he thought was his most balanced and strongest batting line-up. Four overs later he had his head in hands.

Opener Rob Barnett was the first to fall with the second ball of the innings after edging a delivery to second slip for duck: 1 for 1. Andy Pierce was back in the pavilion, sorry dugout, two overs later caught behind for 1. Gaz Roberts followed for a duck with the next delivery as Carmel slumped to 11/3 off three overs.

Sam Philip hung around for five balls before being bowled for a 0 and Carmel were 24/4. Australian left-hander Matt Somerford could hardly believe his eyes as batsman came and went with alarmingly regularity.

Skipper Tim Abraham was next to the crease and determined not to give his wicket away cheaply despite some hostile bowling. The right-hander began to build a half-century partnership with Somerford by using the pace of the ball and the artificial outfield rather than attempting to play big shots.

Somerford at the other end was looking more relaxed even and began to find the boundary. If these two could stick around then there was hope Carmel could get to 200.

It wasn’t to be as Abraham (22) was bowled and Somerford (27) was caught behind in relatively quick succession by the fourth-change bowler with the score on 72 in the 15th over.

Justin Peacock was left as the only recognised batsman but despite brave efforts from Harry Reekie (8), Tom Horne (9), Tim Hill (1) and Andy Abraham (1) he ran out of partners to finish on 29 not out. Carmel’s total of 136 all out was never going to be enough on pitch that most of the opposition played on every week, and we knew it.

Carmel were determined to make some sort of a fight of it and the skipper removed one of the openers in his second over to give Carmel a hope, with a well-taken catch by Philip at deep gully.
Several overs of pressure followed as the Carmel bowlers consistently beat the bat but the Russian openers had now got the measure of the attack and began to pick off the bad balls. The Russians looked to put the game out of Carmel’s reach as the opening batsman and the number three began to play aggressive shots.

Philip was introduced into the attack and got the second breakthrough but with the score on a 100/2 Carmel were looking in serious trouble.

The skipper brought back Horne who had gone for 29 from his first four overs. Horne was clearly fired up and took three wickets for only six runs in a devastating second spell. Suddenly Russia had gone from cruising at 100/1 to 108/5. Surely Carmel couldn’t get back in the game?

Russia’s batsman closed ranks and played more conservatively to chase down the final 36 runs. Despite the attempts of Philip (who finished with 1/26), Peacock and Barnett the hosts comfortably reached the target with 20 overs remaining and five wickets in hand.

A few more breaks (the toss) and some runs from some of capable batsman in the top order and Carmel could have made a game of it. But on this occasion they were thoroughly outclassed by a strong Russian team.

Carmel lose by five wickets (Scorecard)

Our hosts took us back to the hostel where we were able to pick up our bags and they dropped us at the train station to catch the overnight train to Riga.

There was still time for plenty of beers at the train station, the skipper to put his foot in a load of dog crap and a bit of wander round before boarding the 17-hour train from Moscow to Riga.

Dasvidania Moskva
The journey itself wasn’t as bad as you’d imagine. Games of cards, a lot of drinking and the usual high jinks (niet niet niet!! vt vt vt vt vt vt!!!!) made for an interesting mix. For future reference don’t let Roddy Brooks lose after drinking two bottles of vodka with a video camera and two Latvian girls.

The Aussies and the Abrahams were the last to bed after irritating probably their entire sleeping coach with laddish antics.

Checks at the Russian/Estonia border went ok although the skipper’s passport which looks like it has been through the washing machine several times went under severe scrutiny. Rob Barnett meanwhile didn’t even has his checked on the way out!