Punctual Cross (!!) lift the gloom at Arbo

Parks Trophy 1st Round.
At Arboretum.

APNA 86ao (19.2overs)
Hamid 28.
Bainbridge 4, o, 17, 1
Bonfield 4, 0, 18, 1
Ellis 3.2, 0, 19, 3
Russell 4, 0, 22, 3
Lynch 4, 2, 7, 1

Holy Cross 92/4 (12.4)
S. Pickering 34*
K. Fraser 18
N. Webb 15 *
Mr Extras 26!
Umair 4, 1, 14, 3

A few aspects of the match worth remarking on:
* HX won a Twenty:20 match versus a decent side!!-something that happens about as often as Volcanic dust disrupts air flight in the UK.
* HX's catching (and calling for catches) was notably good.
* For once we took the 1st chance offered by their best bat (Zahid Ali).
* Dougie took 3 wickets in 4 balls in his final over.
* Pat was too quick for them.
* Nawaz played for the opposition but only made 5.
* KF and Spick got us off to a flier (44 off 4) that pretty much assured victory-despite a middle order wobble against a fine spell from Umair.
* cje was dismissed by one of the balls of the decade.
* Norrie finished off the game with 2 6's.

But most remarkably:
*HX had 10 players (plus 2 subs -C. McGill and M.Baker) at the ground and ready at 5.50...when the opposition only had 1....

Cheers to our scorers/ supporter/ helpers:
C.McGill, M.Baker, A. Quinn.

That Ball

KF alerts us to:

A few links relating to Warne's retirement. First is to a BBC article, ok in itself, but it has the original (brilliant) TMS recording of Warne's 'Ball of the century'. Subsequent links if anyone needs Warne's reminicences or to see the ball.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tomfordyce/2011/05/warne.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmb2HBUTJRw&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOVei8iTyM8

but (adds cje) sometimes it is nice to see him take some serious tap:
http://youtu.be/PKs-mKdwAhE

Suspicions aroused

Cricketers across the world frequently call into question umpires eyesight at almost every unfavourable decision.

As we know HX batsman have such perfect technique that its impossible for anyone to fall victim to a LBW, so it was with great amusement to most of the HX players to spot to the above at hosts Boroughmuir's modern facilities at Meggatland on Saturday.

In other news rumours that the skipper may require a hearing aid on are yet to be confirmed!

lucky escape...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s93XgGOIyUQ

and some good umpiring too!

2nds Complete Consecutive Crucial Victory

1sts-East Drive, Largo
Holy Cross 84ao: Largo 85/3
I could try and produce a Ziggy style rant but simply we were totally shit a bit below par .

Largo's view of proceedings here

2nds-Arboretum
Holy Cross 2nd XI 143 (J Bates 75):Stirling 3rd XI 109 (C Smith 4-21)

3rds-Inverleith Park
Drummond Trinity 2nd XI 156 : Holy Cross 3rd XI 135 (11 pts)

Coaching Corner (No. 1: the Forward Defensive)

With the season now over, it's now time for every Crosser to focus on the areas of their game that will need to be worked on with the club coaches in our indoor net sessions. Such 'technical audits' ought to begin with the essentials of the game:

'The forward [defensive] stroke is one of the most important in cricket. Not only does it enable a batsmen to survive against good deliveries but it forms the basis of all the drives. Learn to play it correctly and you are half-way to becoming a good batsmen...[g]et well forward; bend the left knee; get onto the toes of the right foot. These are the three basics which must be observed'.
(Boycott on Batting, London: Stanley Paul, 1980, pp21-23)

Here Ellis Snr (batting at Grange Loan last Sunday) demonstrates decent technique, though some might suggest that his bat and pad could be closer together.
Perhaps blog readers can spot other technical errors revealed in this photo.