Pretenders VS Shades 2008
Richard Cowley
Result: Abandoned due to rain
The Armish told me in the pub that he was responsible for the apparent high interest shown after his wording in his advert in The Gum tree. The choice of words, he told me, was the key. The Ringer who played for us as a result of this advent was questioned closely as to why he chose us from the adverts. He told us it was the word Sunday, as in Sunday cricket. "Exactly" cried The Armish " it was incisive and clear thinking"
On arrival it was poring with rain, but classically - to form - our Chairman was undeterred - putting out the boundary markers. After it stopped - there was considerable debate as to when we should start after looking at a sodden wicket. The Chairman couldn't understand why we hadn't already started. Incidently Nick Goodchild joined the insanely optimistic camp on all deliberations throughout the afternoon. On the other hand there was caution in the air too. If we made the wicket into a newly dug garden on our first visit - the groundsman could make it our first and last visit to this magnificent ground. In the end we started at a reasonable 3pm. Morse and the ringer looked good, against some challenging balls, and hitting the bad ones. The outfield looked pleasantly fast - despite the earlier rain. When Morse ran himself out, Dalton looked good too, Morse 10, Ringer 25*, Dalton 8*. We were 56 for 1 after 10 overs. Then the rain came.
Morse produced a magnificent tea. Mr Money is still on the straight and narrow, 'full of the milk of human kindness', and 'thinking of others', washing up, clearing up......he's going to crack surely
A lot of cloud watching followed,and debate about when we should start again, but God had had enough of all this British musing, and sent a dog's bollock's of a cloud to shut us up, and send us all to the pub. The Greyhound is great, and God relented and bathed us in sunshine as we sat outside -
Our player base is reasonable it seems -We are delighted 'Player of the Season' The Doc is with us after all - after we all had our hankies out after his farewell speech at the AGM.... (I must say he is looking slimmer and fitter!)
Despite our disappointment of the game being rained off - 10/10 for morse's captaincy - great food, sparkling wine in the rain, and effortless leadership
(batting 5 will suit me next week, morsy boy?)