The Highway Hurricanes
— vs St Fagans + four others

Well, after the thriller against the Echo last time out it’s difficult to summon up much enthusiasm to write an account of last night’s affair.

This was a very disappointing game – especially as it was such a lovely evening. St Fagans, who usually provide good opposition and enjoyable games, had been stricken by absentees and drop-outs throughout the day and arrived in a very sorry state indeed. Though they eventually managed to muster 6 individuals there were no familiar faces among them and barely a word of the ususal welsh chatter to be heard. Most of them didn’t seem like regular cricketers so it seemed that arms must have been twisted, and mates recruited, in an effort to raise some kind of side. However, having found myself in the same situation many times over the years I give them credit for that because the easiest course of action would have been to ring up and call the game off.

However, the nice weather had brought the Hurricanes out in numbers, with the exception of Stagg Senior (who’d come up with some feeble excuse), and we eventually totalled a mighty force of 14 players which, with four conscripted volunteers (Danny, Rudi, Mike Jagger lookalike Jamie, and Jaffa’s rather large mate Morgan) enlisted into the St Fagans ranks, brought both sides up to 10 and a decent game seemed in prospect. However, things went downhill from hereon.

First Griff rather foolishly lost the toss with St Fagans opting to bat first, but offering feeble resistance to the high-powered Hurricanes pace attack. Despite the Hurricanes reinforcements, and despite being invited to bat round twice to get the score up a bit, a modest total of something like 53 for 17 was never likely to test the Hurricanes. However, one consolation was the opportunity this offered to the ravening predators in the Hurricanes attack to fill their boots and up their bowling stats – though it was noted that Captain Fantastic shrewdly removed himself from the attack just as Danny was getting his eye and preparing to open his shoulders (clearly a move designed to protect his stats.). Bully Boy Greg also showed no mercy by stumping (what seemed like) 8 hapless batters who had the temerity to merely lift the heel of their back legs. A comment overheard by our spy in the St Fagans camp summed it up – ‘this is effing men against boys isn’t it?’.

As expected, the Canes knocked off the runs with little trouble and in quick time with Lewis and Mike D putting the St Fagans attack to the sword. The muted atmosphere (there was barely a chirp out of Jaffa all evening) was reflected in the Canes refusal of the invitation to carry on batting and use up the overs – resulting in a very early finish. The only item of real interest for the crowd was the first sighting of our exotic new mystery spinner from the far-east – Mr Rudi, who’d been talent-spotted and recruited by none other than Captain Griff himself. Now it may have been big match nerves, or perhaps he was hiding his wiles from watching Assembly spies, but he didn’t quite reach Murali standards and got a bit of a tonking – though he did strike to pick up the prize wicket of Lewis. Apart from COB somehow managing to run himself out with 1 run required, that was about it – and we hope for better things at Caedelyn on Thursday.

— Danny