Sunday

Saturday 26th July 2008.

As we were in Africa, I fixed up a game against Kenya. They won the toss, and decided to bat.

Vicus took a wicket in the first over: 1-1.

That may have given us a false impression of their ability, as they then started to attack our mainline bowlers, and it took some time before Tom managed to get an edge, held by a diving Richard: 30-2.

Two balls later, a yorker knocked over off stump: 31-3.

I bowled my man the next over: 31-4 And another: 31-5 And one more: 31-6.

My kidneys were troubling me, so I took myself off at this point. Unfortunately, none of our other bowlers seemed able to trouble them, and runs were flowing freely, so I reluctantly dragged myself back, knocking over all four of their remaining wickets for 2 runs (both extraordinary umpiring decisions, given as no-balls). All out for 80 – oh, and yet another 5-fer for me.

There were some heated words said about the umpires at tea. I’m not sure Vicus really helped to cool things down, when he poured a cup of tea over one of them.

Before my back stiffened any more, I decided to open the batting myself. They turned out to be quite quick bowlers, as Carol found to her cost when she nicked the ball to the keeper: 18-1.

I was then given out LBW in an extraordinary display of umpiring incompetence – the replay clearly showing that the ball had hit my bat: 25-2.

CB was caught: 38-3

As was Steg: 46-4.

Christopher was caught-and-bowled: 48-5.

Ivy was out LBW: 51-6.

Richard was bowled: 62-7.

It looked very much as if we were in for the same sort of disaster that had overtaken us last week, when finally all the hard work Phil had put in at the pie-shop, sorry, nets paid off, as he saw us home – finishing the match with a well-executed boundary. We won.

Saturday 19th July 2008

We had a match planned against Zimbabwe, but for obvious reasons I cancelled it. However the minibus had been booked to take us to Africa, so at short notice I arranged to arrange a game against the Namibian national side.

I think we all assumed this would be a walk in the park; certainly I had plenty of volunteers to bowl at them, so when I won the toss I put them in, and said that everyone could bowl one over – starting with our weaker bowlers, and leaving the heavy guns to break any resistance.

It looked as if we were right, as in the second over I bowled a man with my first ball (yes, I do consider myself one of our weaker bowlers – certainly the computer ranking shows five bowlers with better abilities than me at present): 2-1.

Sadly, Ivy dropped a catch off my third ball.

The runs slowly but steadily built after that, with no more chances being offered, until I eventually brought the big boys on – and Richard held on to an edge off Tom’s bowling: 28-2.

Vicus eventually sent a stump flying: 43-3.

Phil too bowled his man: 69-4.

I polished off the tail in seven balls, including a hat-trick and yet another five-fer. All out for 70.

There were some excited faces over tea. Our batting seemed to have steadied last week, and their attack didn’t look threatening. Certain people had great expectations that we would score the necessary runs inside ten overs.

We were soon shaken out of our complacency, when CB, looking to repeat last week’s half-century, was out for a duck when the score had reached: 15-1.

I was bowled soon after: 15-2.

Carol as given out LBW: 25-3.

Steg scored quickly, but was then caught: 42-4.

Richard was caught by the keeper: 45-5.

Christopher was run out going for a suicidal second run: 66-6.

Still, we only needed five runs to win, with four wickets in hand.

Make that three wickets, when Phil was clean bowled: 66-7.

A single and two no-balls brought the score to 69-7 – one run needed to tie.

Mincat played on: 69-8.

Ivy was bowled: 69-9.

Tom’s wicket fell too, and so we lost by one run.

More time in the nets everyone.

Saturday 19th July 2008

We had a match planned against Zimbabwe, but for obvious reasons I cancelled it. However the minibus had been booked to take us to Africa, so at short notice I arranged to arrange a game against the Namibian national side.

I think we all assumed this would be a walk in the park; certainly I had plenty of volunteers to bowl at them, so when I won the toss I put them in, and said that everyone could bowl one over – starting with our weaker bowlers, and leaving the heavy guns to break any resistance.

It looked as if we were right, as in the second over I bowled a man with my first ball (yes, I do consider myself one of our weaker bowlers – certainly the computer ranking shows five bowlers with better abilities than me at present): 2-1.

Sadly, Ivy dropped a catch off my third ball.

The runs slowly but steadily built after that, with no more chances being offered, until I eventually brought the big boys on – and Richard held on to an edge off Tom’s bowling: 28-2.

Vicus eventually sent a stump flying: 43-3.

Phil too bowled his man: 69-4.

I polished off the tail in seven balls, including a hat-trick and yet another five-fer. All out for 70.

There were some excited faces over tea. Our batting seemed to have steadied last week, and their attack didn’t look threatening. Certain people had great expectations that we would score the necessary runs inside ten overs.

We were soon shaken out of our complacency, when CB, looking to repeat last week’s half-century, was out for a duck when the score had reached: 15-1.

I was bowled soon after: 15-2.

Carol as given out LBW: 25-3.

Steg scored quickly, but was then caught: 42-4.

Richard was caught by the keeper: 45-5.

Christopher was run out going for a suicidal second run: 66-6.

Still, we only needed five runs to win, with four wickets in hand.

Make that three wickets, when Phil was clean bowled: 66-7.

A single and two no-balls brought the score to 69-7 – one run needed to tie.

Mincat played on: 69-8.

Ivy was bowled: 69-9.

Tom’s wicket fell too, and so we lost by one run.

More time in the nets everyone.

Saturday 12th July 2008-07-10

The West Indies looked like being formidable opposition, as they seemed to be the men of three years ago, with Lara at his peak. They won the toss and decided to bat. Twelve overs of mainly defensive play against our main-line bowlers saw them at 28-0, with not a single wicket-taking chance being offered. I decide to try a few of our lesser bowlers, to see if I could tempt the batsmen into doing something rash.

That tactic failed, so I returned to our main bowlers – which is when they did decide to attack. With runs flowing freely and no sign of being able to get them our, I cursed the fact that I’d agreed that we’d play a 50-over match, rather than our usual 40-overs.

Chindarpool’s 50 came up in the 29th over, with the score on 82-0.

Finally, with Goyler on 47, and a little excited about getting his half-century (yes, the computer does actually factor in nerves at times like this, it is an amazingly clever little programme) Tom managed to knock out his middle stump: 115-1.

Christopher took a brilliant catch off Mincat’s bowling to dismiss Chindarpool: 142-2.

Unfortunately that brought Lara in, and he set about our bowling – but before he got too far, I tempted him with an off-spinner, which he mis-hit, Ivy holding the catch: 157-3.

Richard held an edge off Mincat: 157-4.

Two overs later I held a catch off Mincat – her swing bowling was the decisive factor here, as it really seemed to be deceiving them: 175-5.

A few balls later I held another catch: 176-6.

The next over Ivy held another catch off my bowling: 176-7.

I knocked out the off-stump with my next ball: 176-8.

And took a hat-trick with the next: 176-9.

And another five-fer with my next: 176 all out.

Despite my five wicket haul, I would say that Mincat was definitely the pick of our bowlers.

Tea-time was quiet. I think we were all very conscious of our poor batting performance over the last month, and against an impressive line-up of both speed and spin our prospects looked hopeless. There were some very pasty faces around the table (oddly matching the Cornish pasties we were eating).

Carol and CB made a solid start, before Carol was bowled: 28-1.

Mine was the next wicket to fall, when I casually edged the ball to the slips: 49-2.

CB was dropped twice, but rode her luck to a fine maiden half-century:


Sadly, she was caught behind soon after, but not before she and Steg had pushed our score to: 104-3.

Steg had been striking the ball well, but was finally caught on the boundary: 140-4.

It looked as if Richard and Christopher would see us home, but sadly Richard was caught off a top edge: 164-5.

Within sight of the finishing tape Christopher was caught-and-bowled: 174-6.

With the scores tied, Ivy was bowled, as she tried to hit the winning run: 176-7.

The match ended in anti-climax, as they bowled a wide, and thus our 177th run came up and we won the match.

Saturday 5th July 2008

After two hopeless performances, I arranged what should have been a rather easier match. Let’s face it, the Netherlands aren’t renowned in the cricketing world.


I won the toss, and realising that we needed as much batting practice as possible, decided we’d bat first. To be perfectly honest, their bowling attack was fairly innocuous, so I can only conclude that some of you weren’t taking this seriously.


Our first wicket fell when Carol edged the ball to the keeper: 31-1.


CB sliced the ball to the slips: 43-2.


Steg was given out LBW: 72-3.


Christopher edged the ball to the slips: 83-4.


I was clean bowled: 87-5.


Richard also edged the ball to the slips: 93-6.


Phil was bowled: 102-7.


As was MinCat: 106-8.


Vicus was given out LBW: 114-9.


Tom was bowled, leaving us all out for 117.


A bowl of oranges was presented to us for tea.


I felt their batting line-up probably posed no challenges to our modest total, so said that
everyone could have a bowl, while I took the other end, and tried to keep things tight.


Vicus bowled an opener in his over: 0-1.


My first ball clean bowled the other opener: 4-2.


My second ball also took a wicket: 4-3.


Phil dropped a caught-and-bowled chance.


The next over saw me hit for four boundaries, and I considered taking myself off, but things
changed rapidly in the next over, as Tom bowled a man with his first and third balls, and achieved an LBW with his 5th: 28-6.


I took a wicket the next over: 30-7.


Two overs later I took another, and another (giving me a five-fer) and then a hat-trick to finish the match: 32 all out.


We mustn’t crow. I anticipate stronger opposition next week.