So, with three straight wins under our belts following Aidan
Selby’s newly copyrighted 7-11 formula, could the Invincibles march on to a
further victory which might cement this line-up as a regular Strollers evening
game policy?
After all, what’s not to like – it’s a brilliant
strategy. Use the youngest and fittest
of the oppo as fielding subs, keep our energy for the batting, get a couple of
stalwarts to 25 unbeaten and then, without tail batters, rotate them all the
more quickly to ensure chasing down victory. What could possibly go wrong?
In fact the initial omens looked unpromising in that the
Strollers, unusually, had what looked like a full team on the morning of the
game. However, with deftly dredged-up excuses during the day, purporting to be
personal or work-related, the numbers on the evening turned into a much more
promising and manageable eight.
From there things got a bit more uncertain. For a start the
weather had turned dark and threatening with winds swirling around the pitch in
the vast expanses of the Kings School ground.
This was quite the opposite of the hot, humid,
Kiwi-friendly weather prevailing in the previous three games. And to further
discomfort the natural Stroller bio rhythms, it was a Tuesday! Who on earth plays cricket on a Tuesday? Not the Strollers anyway – Thursday is their
natural habitat, giving time to those who have played the previous Sunday to
get their bodies into some sort of shape.
Indeed four of the eight present had given their all in the
victory at Prestcold just two days before, including Rowan Smith, stretching
gingerly after his heroics in both keeping wicket and then going on to score
89. The ever informative – on bodily issues anyway – Glen Oliver asserted that
while all his muscles were intact, his hamstrings were virtually non-existent.
In the meantime, the HMRC Dragons had arrived mob-handed
with not just 11 but 12 players, all fit and raring to go as befits a team who
play mainly/only evening cricket with the best part of a week’s rest behind
them.
With a couple of players still in transit, the Strollers
had little choice but to bat first. Will Baylis-Allen and Smith opened and
struck at a decent rate until Smith was bowled for 16 with the score on 27.
With John Low quickly falling middle stump for a duck it was time for the evergreen
(despite the missing hamstrings) Oliver to join Baylis-Allen and together they
upped the scoring tempo with a variety of boundaries, and even more importantly
kept their wickets intact, ready to return to the fray after mandatory
retirement.
However, with increasingly accurate bowling from the
Dragons, the run rate subsequently reduced, with subsequent batters all reduced
to single figures, with the exception of the Dragons’ twelfth man Pav, kindly
(or cannily?) lent to us, who made 15 not out with some elegant, angular
strokes.
The unplanned longer-than-usual tail meant that our two
not-outers were left stranded, padded up on the boundary but unable to return
to the fray. The end total was a defendable but maybe somewhat below par 132-6.
Freddie Broster-Turley and Smith (yes, once again, having
also opened the batting) commenced our
attack. Two early wickets courtesy of
Broster-Turley, bowling HMRC’s opener in the first over followed by a
magnificent throw running in from third man to run out their No 3 at the
bowler’s end, offered some hope.
However, in the increasing gloom, HMRC’s Fahad and Innes
set about the bowling with a variety of boundaries and excellent running
between the wickets until reaching their allowed maximums. Our go-to rescue
bowler Oliver quickly despatched the No 5 bat but from there the run tempo
increased again and solid batting from Nos 6 and 7 Neil and Miller enabled HMRC
to cruise to the required total in a little over 15 overs.
So maybe back to the tried and trusted 7-11 next Thursday.
Let’s see…
Capt: Alastair Macaulay. Wkt: James Stubbs.
Match reporter: John Low. Match fees: Aidan Selby.
