Cross Scramble into Activcity Semi

Activcity Quarter Final, Arboretum, 14th August

Murrayfield DAFS 119-7 (Sam Fergusson c30)
Holy Cross 119-6 (Owais Mazher c60, Charlie Ellis c30; Bharat Nussum 3 wkts)

Good game. HX scrambled a bye to the keeper off the last ball to tie the scores and win by losing one less wicket.

Cross squeaked through to the Activcity finals day (Sunday August 26th at Myreside/Craiglockhart) in an excellent game versus MDafs - adding to a long list of epic HX vs MDafs contests since THAT game in 2004.

A generally solid bowling performance with Andy K (plenty movement!) and Shannon's spells the pick and cje's the lowlight. Unusually we displayed some good fielding; especially from an unprecedentedly mobile cover field (Nawaz, Tom and Andrew R). We kept MDafs to 119: rather more than seemed likely at the 10 over mark - some good hitting from Fergusson helping their cause.

With a recently cut outfield and a decent pitch, 119 ought to have been more easily reached. But a slightly slow start put us behind the rate before some fine striking from Owais and steady play from cje seemed to have put HX in control.

But when cje and Owais were dismissed, the gloom descended further, the MDafs bowling tightened-up (Akerkar and Bharat) and we found ourselves struggling to pick up runs with any consistency (too many dot balls).

Some vital late boundaries from Jon and Shannon and energetic running from Tambo put things back in our favour before a late flurry of wickets made MDafs the favourites. With 2 balls remaining we needed 2 for the win and 1 for a tie but a swing and a miss meant that we had to rely on a scrambled bye to the keeper (would it have been a run if the keeper had hit? McGill said it would have required the 3rd umpire...).

Anyway, it all seems to suggest that Gary's long-distance running training has finally paid off..

This was exactly the scenario when we LOST the final last year. Indeed it will be Marchmont we play in the Semi-final (at Myreside).

EC's last chance...

EC has a final chance on Saturday to notch up his maiden 1st XI league century.


Here is the Roseburn Pitch (photoed last night) on which he hopes to achieve his goal.
Chances of success??

Can EC pull on this?

The Crumbling Face of Italian Cricket?!?!?

Anyone requiring cheering up for the weekend need look no further!!!

After the grim snapshots of the erse end of our decrepit and crumbling institution please enjoy this much more uplifting photo of the erse end of another decrepit and crumbling institution clapping his peepers on the Danish PM.

If this doesn't make you laugh, nothing will.

PS: Her name is Helle Thorning-Schmidt.

It's That Time Of Year Again..

Another snapshot from Portobello

...when I return to a familiar theme and repeat the same old same old.

I've blustered fruitlessly in the past about a dislike of playing our noble game in sub-zero temperatures during April whilst reaching for the BBQ sauce after the last game of the season and soaking up some rays.

Some well meaning souls mutter mitigatingly about seed germination prior to dropping temperatures or of having to share pitches with other sports teams.

But I shall not listen to reason for no man!!! I have a bee in my bunnet and in my bunnet the bee shall stay!!! I feel so strongly about this issue I've never once attended a meeting with it in mind, let alone raised it at a meeting I've not attended.

I don't think we'd have actually managed a game this September as there was a lot of rain about at times that would have put Saturday matches in doubt (good for the fishing though, I've been howking them out good style).

However, we've just enjoyed/endured our hottest September since the thermometer was invented inspiring headlines such as;

'Its Too Hot'
'Why Is It So Hot'
'When Will It Stop Being So Hot'
&
'Coldest October 1st Since Records Began'

Britain-bakes-hottest-October-day-100-YEARS

I have to apologise that this post has been delayed, but it took me a while to decide on a photo from the range available. I'll start reviewing photo candidates for next years rehashed article this afternoon.

Those past 'articles'.
2010
2009

Parks Trophy Final - WEDNESDAY

Holy Cross take on our old friends MDafs on Wednesday evening in the final of the Parks Trophy.

This is 9 years since our last appearance in the Parks final (we think - a narrow loss at Newfield vs Edinburgh CC....let's not mention the 1996 final loss) .....and even longer since we last won it: in 1990 (we also won in 1986).

Venue: Newfield

Game starts at 6pm sharp.

Can all those playing aim to get there for 5.40-or earlier. Supporters most welcome. The bar at Arbo will be open from 8pm onwards.


MATCH OFF-Newfield is unplayable...

Midweek Crossers Muffed

July 13th - at Roseburn.

Murrayfield Dafs 119/7ish (Adeel batting well again after his runs against us for Macabi).

Holy Cross 'limping' to 65/7 (R. Bainbridge 27* ['forcibly retired'], B. Fraser 19).

As ever an entertaining game with some er friendly bowling on offer. The end wicket providing plenty of life for the quicker bowlers. Ken getting carried away with getting a wicket with his 1st ball of the season and trying to bounce the Mufs' batsmen out... In contrast Andy K and Bimbo 'tuned up' nicely for Saturday with two good short spells.

Thanks to Mufs for an enjoyable game and for providing a sub fielder - one who took 2 good catches!

Pretty Vacancies....

In these hard times employment opportunities are limited. Therefore ambitious Crossers dissatisfied with President Shifty and Mr Admin’s autocratic regime may be interested in the posts being offered by our good friends Murrayfield/Dafs CC, including 1st team captain.

Job requirements include:

* Excellent face-to-face and telephone communication.
* Adherence to procedures relating to the proper use and care of equipment and materials for which the role has responsibility.
* Willingness to consume Macaroni Pies.
* An ability to coin bizarre nicknames –including of opposition players- possibly based on an individual’s preferred mode of transport, facial hair or girth.
* An irrational dislike of Heriots FPCC.
* Adherence to all parts of directive 369: the M/Dafs code of cricket.
* Willingness to accept advice on matters of cricketing technique from Don Wikie.
* A desire to play Div 2 cricket.
* Willingness to accept good-natured joshing on the HX blog.

Anyone interested in the post should be at Murrayfield Hotel this evening (February 11th) at 7pm. Apparently decisions will be made by democratic election (what’s that?).

Youthful Cross Prevail

Despite the rather muddy pitch we had an enjoyable friendly vs the Muffers in a a match in which an attempt was made to break the record for the 'most people playing whilst smoking' (I counted five; though Coco -as usual-smoked enough for 11 normal men).

The Cross fielded an unusually youthful and athletic side - with a few Cross veterans (McGill, Lawrie, Bates, Ellis) making up the numbers.
Skipper McGill prevailing against Don Wilkie in the battle of the cantankerous er.. captains.

A fluent start from the inform pair of Nipun Metha and C. J. Ellis (both retired on 30) followed by other useful contributions from 'Psycho' Bates (as he is known to Muffers), Vikram and Nawaz took us to 144.

Good bowling performance with good spells from Vikram, Burgess, McGill (adding to his long list of international victims), Bates, Nipun, and particularly Nawaz kept Mufs to just over a hundred -despite some fine striking from one of their openers (Anand Venkatesh). (Though he almost fell to an attempt for catch of the millennium from Andy G/J Pope-they attempted something along the lines of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWO5MO8z4ks )

Some good keeping from Ken -including a nice stumping (!!).

BTW can the person who borrowed my bat at the weekend and put a rather large crack right through the middle of it....

McGill's (7) Midweek Men defeated by OCs

I'm reliably informed the by man pictured (left) that the Midweek team (of just seven*, with Michael of the rugby club sub-fielding) lost to 9 OCs, including ex-Crossers Dominic Mason and Willie McIntyre (before my time, so check spelling Mr Admin).

At Arboretum.

Holy Cross 134/5 (20 overs)
After the openers (Pickering and McGill...) fell early, Bainbro with 42* (giving another nudge to the selectors...) and the returning Rupert Barker with an undefeated 50 batted well.

OCs 135/5 (19 overs)
No bowling performances deemed worthy of note (perhaps Coco got some tap??). Colin was sorry to report that D. Wilkie (playing for the Cross) was dismissed first ball and conceded 'about 50' from his three overs.

* This a pity given that these games are a useful way of getting 'middle time'. The next midweek game is next Tuesday against the Muffers. who are likely to field a fairly strong side.

1sts Pip Mufs in Arbo Thriller

At a hot and sunny Arboretum.

Murrayfield/DAFS 227-4 (50 overs)
M Agerkar 57, R Black 52*, J Crus Rocha 49*, P Hubbard 43

Holy Cross 228-6 (49 overs)
C Ellis 87, D Russell 54*, C Smith 47
R Devangere 3-19 (a top class spell on a pitch generally favouring the batsmen despite Friday's heavy rain)

Super game of cricket that fluctuated throughout. The final stages played out in a cracking atmosphere with Mufs 2/3/4's players and our 2nds/3rds (plus our regular supporters; AR, HK and JLRB etc as well as Dougie's family) creating a sizeable, good-natured crowd.

An adequate performance in the field (crucially, as against Helensburgh we kept things quiet in the final few overs - despite Mufs having set batsmen in and wickets in hand).

After we seemed well set at 105-1 at the halfway point, things looking dicey for us with just 4 overs left and 34 required but some fine shots (from Dougie in particular; 54 off 61 balls) got us home, 17 runs coming off the key 47th over. Shot of the day may have been Bainbro's 1st ball; a class cover driven 4 off Mel, though the turning point may have been Simon's 4 just over the head of long off.

2nds and 3rds lost despite runs for Jon (2nds) and Nipun and Scott (3rds).

Better stop there as I've just returned from Bainbro's excellent Barbeque (we can surely now use the word now that it has taken place) and am somewhat less than sober.

MDafs Take Hard Line

It's a good thing that - because we are such a harmonious, efficiently run club -
our committee (what's that...) does not feel the need to
make lengthy decrees such as:

http://tinyurl.com/odms6f

Mind you it mostly sounds rather sensible...
such as the need to make your availability (or otherwise) clear to
your captain and the match secretary.

Perhaps (libertarian) paternalism isn't such a bad thing...

All 3 teams undefeated

Both the 1st & 2nd team matches were called off without a ball being bowled.

The 3rds managed about 14 overs, reducing Mufs 4th XI to about 24-2 (I'm relying here on someone with a somewhat unreliable memory [apparently it was 49-2!]). Apparently the game was then cancelled as the rain got heavier and "everyone was a bit cold".

Given that the weather was excellent from about 4.30pm and the match was being played on an artificial wicket, why wasn't the game completed??

1st XI Edge Roseburn Thriller

Though failing to reproduce the tight bowling and fielding performance of the previous week, the 1st XI began their East League campaign with a victory against Mufs at Roseburn (on a pitch already showing signs of improvement - having been rolled for the first time in a decade).

We made 189-6, failing to fully capitalise on a superb opening partnership between Simon and Calum but giving us a good total. We should perhaps have defended it more easily after taking early wickets but Mufs' lower order batted with skill and determination.

Holy Cross 189/6 (50 overs)
(Pickering 58, E.C. Smith 42, C. Ellis 35*, C. A. Smith 25)
M. Asif 2/13
M. Clench 2/20

MDAFS: 174ao (45.2 overs)
(Patel 45, Asif 35, Devangere 27, Hubbard 22)
Bonfield 10 overs, 4/24
Ellis 7.2 overs, 2/29
Worsnop 7 overs, 2/35
Astley 8 overs, 2/34

A super game of cricket-with a good atmosphere created by the Rugby League supporters. Game interrupted for about 40 mins when some local youths stole 2 of the stumps while we were having drinks (1 stump retrieved by chasers)..