As I rushed through North London's car park into the sanctity of the pavilion I reflected that the downpour was going to scupper our chance for revenge. Last year we made 246-5 in a 35 over game but they chased it down in the penultimate over. As I peered through the rain spattered windows I heard Dominic bidding me hello. How strange. Last week's triumphant tankard winning taverner hadn't been on the list. Of course not. He was playing for - and captaining - The Bricklayers. Traitor.
As the rain fell North London's Master of Ceremonies Andy asked if we wanted him to call it. Dom insisted that it was clearing up. And after insisting it for a good 25 minutes it cleared up. Martin pitched the stumps that Andy had un-pitched. The sun came out. We got changed. Then arose the issue of captaincy in the absence of Chris and AndyP. Raj and Andy J had thrown their hats into the ring during the week. Unfortunately Raj had pulled out (replaced by Aymon) and AndyJ hadn't arrived yet. It came to pass that Hugh - as most recent serving captain following his stint as vice captain last year - went out to toss. Our tossing record this season has seen us come second to pretty much everyone but Dominic called heads and it came down tails. Hugh had no qualms about inserting. Good man.
There then followed a short delay due to Trousergate. Andy J had arrived to discover he had packed his son's trousers. Dave Seymour arrived to discover he hadn't packed any trousers at all. It came to pass that Dave S wore Robert's trousers and AndyJ found some half-masters lying around the dressing room.
The odd trouser couple opened the bowling. Dom drove the first ball to me at backward point. I promptly let it through my legs for a single. Thankfully the less than auspicious start was soon forgotten as Dave S struck in his first over. The ball swung away, seamed back, lifted and trimmed the bails. The batsman couldn't believe it. Now, you've all seen cop movies where the chief of police is led away at the end suffering a potential mental breakdown because the maverick has solved the case single handedly whilst breaking every rule in the book. In this instance Dave was Eddie Murphy, the batsman Allen Garfield. In his next over the trouser-powered Axel Foley of the Railway Tavern struck again, clinging onto a fierce caught and bowled chance at the second attempt. Batsmen 2 and 3 out for a duck.
After a period of retrenching the score was 24-2 after 8. All 24 runs had been scored behind square, a sequence broken with a pull through mid-wicket for 4. We needed a reply. Dave S unleashed the demon killer full toss. Their number 4 smashed a sweep. It flew like a tracer bullet to Stuart at square leg. Via some combination of wrists, elbows and stomach Stu prevented the ball from reaching the floor. Marvellous. 28-3.
There followed more digging in. Dave S was seen off (3-9 in 8 overs) and Martin's canny changes of pace were dealt with very watchfully. Drinks were taken with the score about 50 odd. By now Stuart and Matthias were operating. They both delivered what I would consider their best spells for the club. Matthias got some grip from the surface whilst Stuart found some bounce from a length. At one point he was bowling to 4 slips. Unfortunately the bowlers endeavours - whilst supported by some excellent ground fielding - weren't backed up in the catching department. Several tough chances went down.
Having been given various lives Dom and his partner opened up. By now I had replaced Matthias. Dom the git hit me for 4 fours in one over but perished in my next. The ball after the number 5 smashed one miles straight up - and I completely stuffed it up and joined the drop club - Dom stuck one straight down Andy J's throat at cow corner to depart for 70 odd. Next over Aymon bowled the number 5. Barrie then got in on the act with Simon pouching a catch at backward point. The number 7 - who got a huge round of applause from his team mates for defending the first ball - then rattled off a rapid 20 odd (although we dropped him too) as Bricklayers closed on 175. A good recovery from where they were, but it just goes to show what happens when you keep wickets in hand and the fielding side drop catches.
After tea Simon opened with Alex's 'acquaintance' Andy. It wasn't plain sailing. Whilst the wicket had dried it had also started to break up somewhat. Andy nicked a couple that were grassed before being rapped on the pad and being adjudged lbw. 18-1. I joined Simon and got going with a couple of leg side fours. Dom responded by dropping 6 men back on the boundary for me whilst being more attacking for Simon. It suited us fine. I drove singles, Simon found gaps despite being confronted with a 7-2 field.
The going got easier once their one quick bowler had finished his spell but there was still the occasional odd bounce to contend with. Eventually Dom decided he had to fight Dave with Dave. Their Dave was a bespectacled left arm around bowler. Sound familiar? I decided to eschew the Dave union and launched a sweep / mow at his first ball. I missed it. It hit my elbow and dribbled agonisingly past off stump. After that I signed back up to the Dave union and left it to Simon to smash him through the leg side.
Drinks were taken with us needing about 75 from 20, but despite the hard hitting number 7 getting some sharp bounce Simon and I were largely untroubled as we knocked of the requirement with plenty of overs to spare.
Post match Hugh awarded the Captain's pint (the tankard was absent) to Simon for his 72 not out, whilst acknowledging that had Dave S not had to shoot off straight afterwards his 3-9 in 8 overs would have put him 'in the frame'.
DT
