Deborah Oakley

Shrieks, groans and cheers echoed across West London yesterday afternoon as the MRC’s Clinical Sciences Centre (CSC) hosted its annual rounders tournament. Eight teams competed for the coveted trophy, and defending champions Mansfield emerged victorious after three gruelling games.

Spectators thronged to Wormwood Scrubs Park for the event, a relaxing interlude from serious science. Around one hundred people sampled the buffet picnic before the tournament kicked off at 3pm.

In the opening rounds, competitors had the opportunity to bat twice, and were quick to impress with their athletic abilities. Skilled hand-eye co-ordination was also especially notable, with many talented players caught out by colleagues before they’d had much of a chance to attempt a full rounder.

But as pressure mounted, some players were seen to fumble with the ball and stumble over the bases. “I can see who needs to take advantage of the MRC’s discounted eye test!” said Mohammad Famili, head of finance.

No points were on offer for team names, but some used their imagination to come up with titles befitting their roles at the CSC. The fruit fly laboratory was represented by ‘Fly-ing High’, and ‘Mansfield’ competed on behalf of the imaging facility named after Sir Peter Mansfield. Others took a more conventional approach to naming, including the ‘Admin’, ‘Second Floor’, and ‘Fifth Floor’ teams.

Asked about the score and likely ranking of teams at the end of the first round, umpire Sharon Citrone, head of human resources, said, “It’s hard to tell because they’ve all jumbled up…”

The four teams that made it through to the semi-finals were ‘Lymphocyte Development’ versus ‘Mansfield’, and ‘Withers Lab’ against ‘Tanglefoot’.

As the competition heated up, emotions began to run high. Players cooled down with ice-cold drinks between rounds. ‘Mansfield’ and ‘Tanglefoot’ eventually progressed to the final.

The defending champions were cheered on from the side-lines by Dulcie Rodrigues, of the CSC’s MR Facility. Rodrigues’ legendary enthusiasm was reported as being a bizarre 150% last year, when she was awarded the trophy for the ‘Best Participant’, despite failing to win a single rounder. The cup is due to be passed on next year.

On the back of Rodrigues cheers, Mansfield surged to victory with a whopping 8.5 rounders. Institute director Amanda Fisher presented the coveted trophy to the (pictured) happy team. At the end of play, Peter Faull, head of the mass spectrometry and proteomics facility, summed up the mood: “We’re all winners!” he said.