Parklife Over

Parks Trophy 2nd Round (Arbo- 27th May).

HX 85-9 (20 overs)
G. Trewartha 26
J. Zarkoob 3-13
S. Fergusson 2-13
M. Asif 2-26

Murrayfield-Dafs 86-1 (16.3 overs)
A Jaffrey 36*
R Javed 1-8

HX were bundled out of the Parks Trophy by an able Murrayfield-DAFS side who were impressive with the ball and in the field (young Ross ? in particular).
Fine opening spell (including 2 key wickets in the first over of the match) by Zarkoob was critical. The early run-out of Raja Javed was also important. After that HX were not able to set a competitive total, though GT batted nicely for 26 and Bimbo clobbered a couple at the end.

Despite some good testing overs and some good ground fielding (GT setting the example), the total never looked like being enough. One highlight was another one-hander from cje (a catch that is!), but it was probably a relief to most Crossers when the end came in the 17th over at a gloomy Arbo.

Indoor cricket.

Holy Cross have entered the inaugural ‘LiveSportOn.TV ESCA Indoor 6's’.

For some, the words cricket, indoor & league may summon up memories of this  (surely-alongside The Ascent of Man, The Singing Detective and Threads- the crowing glory of British television), in fact this competition involves something akin to cricket...

Now we just need a team…

Gary T and Cje play a proper athletic indoor sport but since the rest of you spending the winter evenings slumped in front of the XFactor, you could perhaps do with some exercise.

Can anyone interested please leave a comment to that effect-or email Jon.

We need a volunteer to organize the side…go ahead-seize the opportunity! …if might influence the selection committee currently engaged in the task of nailing down a captain for the 1sts for next season.

Details of the competition:

‘The competition will take the same format as the cricket Scotland tournament with 4 groups containing 3 teams in each.  The 3 teams in each group will attend on the same night and play round robin, each team will take part in 2 nights thus getting gets 4 games in total throughout the tournament.  Each of the 4 group winners would then attend the finals night for 2 Semi-Finals and a Final being held.

This will be run every Friday night from 20th January to 16th March 2012 at Liberton High School, the 1st game on each evening will start at 6.30pm prompt’. 

teams entered are:

Glenrothes CC

Edinburgh Schools Academy

Penicuik

Edinburgh South

Musselburgh

Holy Cross

Boroughmuir

Tranent

Marchmont

Edinburgh Accies

Fauldhouse

Morton

The Final Cut

Crossers will have heard about the imprisonment of Charlie Gilmour.
How will his father feel about it?-how will he react. Perhaps by whacking some bowlers around in Dunfermline on Sunday....

KF and Shanton reign in the sun

On the best day of the year so far the 1sts travelled to Roseburn to meet our old friends the Mufs. With the return fixture called off in April and the Mufs going well on their return to the top flight there was keen interest in the fixture, hence our near full strength squad. Only the skipper was missing so KF returned from injury and Ziggy came in to strengthen the batting on a usually bowler friendly Roseburn deck.

Spickers had the honour of again leading the team seeking to continue a good run of wins. The Cross spy had reported a green top awaiting us so it was of little consequence when the Mufs skip put us in to bat. Owais and KF opened up with KF playing a foil to Owais' swashbuckling start. One particularly large 6 had the unfortunate consequence of scattering a bevvy of bikini clad sunbathing wenches camped out at the long leg boundary. After a good start it was a shame when Owais fell in the 30's but KF picked up where he left of. Supported by CJE (25) and CA, KF went on to make a classy 50 odd. As we all know KF is a modest fellow, too modest to write a match report that he top scored in, but he truly is a great of the game, a legend no less.

After KF and CA fell, Shanners and Ziggy made a few handy runs with Dougster adding quite a few at the end. Mufs bowled well in the midsummer heat and runs aren't easy to come by at Roseburn so it was pleasing to see the Cross batsman put the odd bad ball away and run well for 2's. Captain Spickers reckoned 170 would be dependable and 200 plenty, so to wind up on 196 for 8 was a good effort.

After tea and learning of the 3's capitulation Spickers reminded us how poor the fielding had been midweek and we needed to get amongst the Muffs right from start. A great start from Robin had Muffs 2 down with Shanners keeping it tight from the other end and quite quickly the run rate began to creep up. Muffs did threaten from time to time with Mohamed striking some good straight drives and the Muffs opener hanging around, however a combination of tight bowling and regular wickets meant things were ticking along quite nicely. Dougs and Shanners picked up the odd wicket which brought Agerkar to the crease needing to up the run rate. The Muffs stalwart brought them back into the game helped by some adventurous stroke play and a particularly rank over from your author. However excellent spells from Pat and Dougster kept the squeeze on and when Agerkar fell in the 40's nothing could save Mufs from Shanton's superb last spell, which very nearly included a hat trick. Shanton finished with 4, 3 for Robin, and 1 a piece for me, Dougs and Pat and the Mufs were out for 141.

Special mention must also go to Spickers for taking an excellent diving catch in front of 3rd slip and to Pat for an equally spectacular diving effort at mid off, erasing all memories of.........

All in all a very good performance where everyone contributed to a solid win. Thanks to Mufs for the hospitality.

The HX committee may like to note the upgrade in Mufs facilities including a bowling machine, collapseable nets and sightscreen.

Undercover photography reveals Mufs' desperate measures

In order to counter the HX pace seam quintet, Mufs have been panicked into acquiring a bowling machine capable of recreating the speed and movement of the Cross attack. Unfortunately it isn't able to recreate the deliveries of the '5th man', as it doesn't have a setting below 40 mph.

The other picture shows the dry, grass-less surface that is being prepared to subdue the Cross seamers. Luckily we can counter this by fielding at least two front-line spinners with Ziggy's mystery variations as back up.

Quasi Traditional mid season BBQ!!

As we are just over the halfway stage of the season it seems a good time to ruin a perfectly good weekend's cricket by proposing the annual Holy Cross BBQ!

Looking at the fixtures I think next Saturday 31st seems like an excellent choice to invoke the rain gods and thus I declare it shall be held on said date.

As is becoming tradition of sorts the BBQ is a splendid opportunity to bring the other half along to see how you spend a quarter of your valuable weekend (although through bitter experience I would urge caution in doing so). Last year saw a 100% increase in the number of ladies in attendance so it would be great to see this topped in 2010, maybe to get into double figures!

With over 10 days advance notice this year there is little to no excuse to avoid attending on what is rare opportunity to bring all three teams together in orgy of Cross love......again of sorts.

Famous Crossers? (1st Instalment)

Though we're all aware that the club membership contains a number of distinguished individuals (well 3 at least) could it be that it contains some hidden talent...

Exhibit A.
Is this a young Matthew Broderick...or perhaps a well-connected young Crosser?
















Exhibit B.
is this Danish Table Tennis Player (and European Champion in 2009)
Michael Maze...or is it a fearsome ex-Crosser?






watch Maze/ The B***t win the European Championships here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbpRt4pgVu8