Quite the most bizarre game most of us have ever played in as we came up against a West Indian outfit called St Mary's CC. After losing the toss and being sent out to field, trouble flared up around the umpiring, firstly with a dismal decision on a stumping and then on a caught behind which also wasn't given. However a series of verbal stoushes kicked off when Boughey was no-balled several times as the umpire couldn't get his head around the fact that he bowls off the wrong foot, and then gave an absolutely plumb, back-foot LBW not out apparently out of anger.
The verbals continued throughout the game with players and umpires making noises at various times about leaving the field. Most of the oppo players were actually reasonable blokes, but at the heart of the problems was the stand-in captain, who must have taken umbrage at the fact that Spencer bowled him for a golden duck because he behaved like a clown for the rest of the game, as well as being responsible for two of the umpiring atrocities just described. He did however come up with some choice quotes, one favourite being, "He can't be out because he's a Christian and would have walked if he was out" (no need for an umpire at all then?). By the end of the game, we didn't have to argue with the oppo any more as they themselves turned on each other and told the captain repeatedly to STFU. Word has it he's going to retire from all cricket after this episode, although we're not sure his teammates want him back again anyway.
As far as the match itself went, it was a mixed performance with some top quality bowling from Spencer in particular who bowled as tightly as any of us have ever seen and collected 4 wickets for just 22 — the first of which being a spectacular (and rare!) diving catch from Gav at gully (his first in about 4 seasons! — Ed). Great spells from James, Graeme and Harry also tested the opposition but St Mary's had a couple of guys who could really bat, and they accelerated nicely to a good score of 254 off 40 overs.
When it came to the run chase there were some good innings from Spencer (47), Graeme (27) and James (24) and Dickie can count himself the victim of the most unfortunate dismissal of the season when a blistering straight drive from Spencer was tipped onto the stumps at the non strikers end where he had already left his crease to run. But overall it was a bit of a disappointment as it felt like a game we could have won.
The Strollers burned in their own 'Fire In Babylon' as they took on newly found opposition, the heavily West Indies influenced St Mary's. The cricketing facts of the game are St Mary's won the toss in this 40 over a side match and chose to bat, after a slow start they were pinned down by some excellent swing bowling from Spencer who produced a near perfect spell (4-22) and some excellent pace based hostility from James Connell who took corking short pitched "coals" to the Caribbean.
But St Mary's middle order dug in and started punishing the tiring Stroller's attack and profiting from both a fast outfield and a small boundary. The Strollers had to chase down 254 but got bogged down, lost early wickets and despite some flairs of hope when Fowler, Holmes and Connell batted, never really put up a decent challenge in the face of fairly indifferent bowling.
The days of Holding, Roberts, Marshall, Croft et al a distant memory but something of that all conquering Caribbean spirit did fire up in St Mary's, who, echoing their homelands more recent troubled test history, were simply the most cantankerous, argumentative, maddening and ludicrous bunch the Strollers have ever encountered in their 21 year history… and this was amongst themselves! Even though we inevitably got drawn into all sorts of tedious kerfuffles, for the most part you surreally couldn't tell if they were having a go at us or berating each other. For the first time ever we asked for an umpire to be replaced when their captain appeared startlingly less than impartial as he began cheerleading and shouting for his team like a demon possessed loon as he arbitrated.
And somewhere, yes somewhere, in the middle of all this was a cricket ball and a game of cricket, but Jesus you had to work hard to find it. St Mary's were found at the last minute on the Internet (thanks Tim!), and as we know, there are many worrying things on the Internet. A return fixture next year seems unlikely.
