A hung-over Hurricanes squad assembled at the Clytha minus Captain Griff – who was otherwise engaged on hospital duty assisting Mrs Griff in the production of another future Hurricanes star. Dave took over at the helm, though texts throughout the afternoon from Griff asking what the score was showed that he hadn’t entirely forgotten where his priorities lay.
The rain had held off allowing play to start on a ground that looked far from its usual picturesque self. This was the first game that the Clytha had been able play since July, but efforts to cut the grass had left the soggy outfield looking a sorry sight. On a slow damp pitch it was soon clear that batting wouldn’t be easy, and that patience would be required. Jaffa confidently predicting that a score of around 150 should be enough for victory. However, the Hurricanes don’t really do ‘patience’ and, despite a short flurry of big hits, the three Nathans were soon back in the pavillion (or at least they would have been if there’d been a pavillion). Jaffa had fallen to a catch by Jeremy, who was fielding for the Clytha and received some severe abuse for his trouble – though in fairness the ball came straight to him and he couldn’t really avoid catching it. Greg had been playing the conditions rather better and was looking to hold things together, but he soon followed leaving Staggs Major and Minor to stage a brief revival.
Things were looking up until a ball-watching Dave ignored Jim’s call for an easy single – leaving the pair of them at the same end arguing about who was at fault. With the ball still in the bowler’s hand on the boundary, a guilt-stricken Dave eventually opted to make a dash for it and ended up making it with surprising ease. However, it must have unsettled him because he gave the next ball the big heave-ho and was caught off a skier. With less than a third of the thirty overs gone, the score not yet 50, and five wickets down, it was looking grim. Jeremy then joined Jim in the middle and these two seasoned campaigners proceeded to show the youngsters how it should be done, presenting straight bats to decent deliveries and then punishing anything loose. One thunderous shot from Jim had everyone wincing when a fielder foolishly stuck out a leg to stop it. Though the stretcher-bearers were on stand-by the chap appeared to show no ill effects whatsoever. Amazing. Sadly, the best partnership of the innings by far was ended with Jim being bowled just 1 run short of his 50 – a contender for best innings of the season given the conditions and the state of the game. Jeremy soon followed for excellent 30 odd and the inning subsequently subsided gently to 146 all out. A decent score and, in view of Jaffa’s prediction, it could well prove enough to win the game?
Though both Cytha openers looked very capable COB soon struck to bowl the one and, with tight bowling from Mike at the other end, things looked set fair for the Canes. It wasn’t to be however as the number 3 proved equally good. A long partnership ensued with both batsmen picking their shots carefully and looking in very little trouble (though fortune favoured them with a number of aerial shots finding the gaps between outfielders) as they took the game out of the Canes reach. Jim took a sharp catch off Jeremy to make the breakthrough and, when the next batsman failed to make contact with his first delivery, a hopeful Glenwood call went up. It was to no avail however with the Clytha cantering home to win by 7 wickets.
Jaffa had done his best to disrupt the batmen’s concentration during a hunt for the ball in the long grass following a boundary. Though he soon found a ball he pocketed it saying it was an old ball and not the match ball. The hunt continued fruitlessly until a Clytha player demanded to see the ‘old’ ball – which turned out to be the match ball after all. Disgraceful. A herd of cows at one time congregated near Mike on the boundary, mooing at him plaintively as if they were in urgent need of milking – but Mike kept his concentration and stuck manfully to his post, and they eventually wandered off. Arguably the most entertaining moment of the innings came from a one-legged Sully in the slips. Tumbling to his right like a giant chuck of ice slowly falling into the sea after detaching itself from the Arctic ice shelf, he not only managed to stop the ball but also had a shy at the stumps while in mid-roll. Awesome.
The Hurricanes were well beaten by a better team – but far from disgraced. However, things were about to get worse for Danny after the game as he lost his bearings driving through the long grass and found himself completely stuck in an extra boggy part of the field. On leaving his vehicle he found himself ankle deep in foul smelling muck. Was this the part of the field that the cows use as their latrine? It could well be the case given the rich brown colour the water turned when the socks were washed later on (could just be mud I suppose). Luckily for Danny, as it seems that this is a fairly regular occurrence, the Clytha were equipped with a 4 wheel drive vehicle complete with tow rope, and he was soon pulled out. Let’s hope the rain stays away so we can finish the season in style on Tuesday against the Cavaliers.
— Danny
A Chav