Argentine tour ends on damp note

The heavy rain that had completely scuppered MCC’s second representative game against Argentina was also responsible for the delayed start and reduction to 30 overs a side of the third. Although the Club’s final full day of the tour dawned bright and warm, the Belgrano wicket and damp outfield needed extensive treatment during the morning which made the 11am scheduled start impossible. Eventually a 2pm start was agreed and a most enthusiastic and determined Argentine XI made the most of the conditions and opportunities to record a thrilling victory in their final over.

Michael Gatting, having not missed a match all tour, handed over the captaincy reins to Anthony McGrath, and instead spent the entire MCC innings out in the middle as umpire, enabling George Sharp to have a break from his gruelling responsibilities. The day quickly became as hot as any tour day yet. McGrath lost what was a particularly crucial toss.

The wicket was erratic to say the least and fine accurate seam bowling from Gary Savage rocked the MCC early order to an extent from which the side never completely recovered. Savage took four wickets in six hostile overs while Nino kept it (and mainly Paul Bedford) tight at the other end. The heat, the pitch but above all the excellent deliveries accounted for, if not the cream of MCC batsmanship, a good deal of fresh milk and after 8 overs a score of 17 for 4 looked extremely sour.

Rob Hillman and the patient Bedford attempted a painstaking rebuilding process once Savage had been put out to grass and although this was more or less achieved with a stand of 70 against Argentina’s second wave of attack, there was never a feeling that the bat was in total control. Bedford once suddenly inserted a six into his string of invaluable singles and Hillman regularly essayed ambitious drives and pulls, but the scoreboard never ticked over with gay abandon. At 87, Australia’s unlucky number, both were dismissed going for broke, thus curiously providing the third instance in the innings of two wickets falling at the same score. Argentina’s fielding was lively with a terrific catch at deep mid-wicket by Pereyra to dismiss Richard McCarthy the standout.

McGrath, the batting hero of the tour, led the final charge with two sixes the highlights of his aggressive 39, but when the overs ran out many felt that MCC were perhaps 15 runs or so below par. On the other hand, others suspected the wicket was still doing strange things and a rate to win of 4.8 an over not impossible to defend.

Although several balls kept low (and one or two others never got the chance to pitch) the terrors of the turf seemed to have abated when Argentina batted. Or else their application was more in evidence. Gibson and Paterlini got off to a spanking start and although Jonny Wightman broke through with an electric over that disposed of two men, including danger man Savage, at 39, this punchy start proved to be the platform necessary for a magnificent win. Gibson batted throughout the innings with steady aplomb, supported excellently by Forrester and Siri. The MCC bowlers and fielders wilted a little in the burning heat and although Wightman’s return at the end, coupled with some probing economy from Henry Watkinson, slowed and nearly halted the Argentine parade, the home team achieved a four-gone conclusion with three balls to spare.

MCC’s run of wins had been nobly ended but the club’s mission to encourage cricket in one of the great game’s more distant outposts had been made even more successful by this magnificent Argentine triumph, justly celebrated with enormous enthusiasm by the home team and supporters as mementoes, shields and thanks were exchanged between the two sides.