From Captain Dutchy….
That time of the season had come again. An annual dark period with some still in therapy re flashbacks of J-Rod’s opening stint in 2018. But this year, surely would be different. During the off season they had recruited well as the Draught looking favourably upon them. With more wins than losses and much vim and even vigour surely 2019 BDNO could see the lads show some pluck.
I had been dragooned into captaincy and formulated a rather simple plan. If we could make the opposition score less than us we were a mathematical possibility.
Our first game was against the Rose and we bowled first. On Albert Crescent it’s normally a four/six fest and the only way i could see us with a chance was to bowl full and outside off. Systems had been put in place during the week to ensure the Peel Nightclub was shut and so Ami was available to take the new ball and did not disappoint with a great over of near yorkers. Snipper followed suit and managed three much sought after dot balls (there were only ten for the inning). Special kept the the theme going and we had them at 0/21 off 18 deliveries.
Pete started with a dot ball but then the Legside boundary saw a few. Jay steadied the ship and the mood was good. Sizzle sent some fizzing bombs down and in four balls had 1-for-3 with a lightning stumping from the Quokkas weapon behind the stumps, Radar. Big shout out to the guy in the gloves as he has made us spin bowlers, plus Ed, look really good. Pup kept it tight and Ed came back well after a couple got away.
It was time to ‘bring on the Dawg’ and he didn’t disappoint conceding six straight singles. I then finished proceeding with 1/5 (catch to Radar) and we had actually done it! Kept an opponent to 84 runs. Only nine boundaries. On Albert Crescent. Outstanding.
Time to bat and thoughts of previous quokka collapses were pushed out of mind. In the end we got there comfortably in the eighth over with only five batters needed
(Me – 20 off 9, Ed – 20 off 15, 25 off 13, 5 off 7 and Jay 18 off 9).
New territory as we now had to play a second game on BDNO, only the second(?) time in a decade of trying. Unfortunately for us we were to face the Dan. All 73 of them. Strange for a team that turned up with six a couple of times during the season… But all we had to do was execute the same plan.
And after Ami and Snipper had bowled the first two it was looking promising, conceding only a boundary each. But then the floodgates opened with Pup the only wicket taker and the rest of us getting pummelled with a further 21 boundaries peppering the North Fitzroy passers by.
144 was the target.
Ed and Radar strode out with Ed returning shortly after a runout with seven next to his name. Radar and Snipper retired with 23 off 13 and 21 off 9 respectively. We were in with a shot but the Dan’s bowling improved and the runs were harder to get. Jay couldn’t keep his strong form with the willow going and got a donut and Pup, Special, Sizzle, myself and Big Dog could only add another thirty runs off thirty deliveries for a total of 85. The same as our winning score the first game.
It was small consolation that the Dan went on to win the Cup and I honestly think we could have been in with a show against other teams.
Mighty men of fortune
At this point i think it is worth highlighting Ed. He did the majority of work to put this great day together (over many days in the lead up), ably assisted by Kathleen.
In summary a good day and something to build on in 2019/20…
It’s obvious to me now the reason we lost the second game was simple. Council’s boorish licensing laws stated that the Bar could not open until 11:30am. How are finely tuned athletes supposed to play under the oppression of Local Government,
an organisation too distracted by ‘Way-finding Workshops, Ferret Outplacement Programs and Adopt-an-Alaskan initiatives to see the plight of the common man/woman/etc???
Its just not cricket!
I’m writing a stern letter to the Green Guide…
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