Zen and the Art of Cricket - The Coastal View

Auuum Auuuum. after the by now normal 3rd XI cross legged navel introspection and mantra session prior to play (read gossip, fags, deep heat, strapping, wrapping and other bionic aids so common to the youth team of HX) We wandered down to the idyllic Inch field of play "Do we know what we're doing yet" that perennial question to which the answer is "42".

A quick trip to the middle only for coastal's pet theory on risk and chance to be found wanting (lost the toss) my existential "42" changed unsurprisingly to "we're batting" -

Round 1 to Edinburgh!

Coastal and Nipun opened! well Nipun did, Coastal tried to play "his new stroke" (see last week's blog) and promptly edged to the keeper!

Round 2 to Edinburgh!

Nipun was joined by Shifty (the man on a secret mission to discover he 3rd's 'mojo') wham bam Nipun and Shifty started to do this strange thing called score runs! however wickets did fall and they edged, caressed, bludgeoned and smote their way to 40 ish for 4. However this did no more than signal the entrance of The Ellis (the sun shone a bit brighter and the angels did sing) who joined the redoubtable Scott and the score mounted inexorably towards 100. Scott fell to a good one for 37, bringing Mahmood to the crease who was undone by the mysteries of left arm slow, high for a few more (who I believe was heard to say it hit my pads -it was an LBW shout).

On trudges the archangel Coco, fag in mouth and the ultimate youth policy then took the score on to 164 for 6. Highlights - Richard 67 not out magnificat! Coco after the second all run 2 in an over pleaded with The Ellis "please hit a boundary, I'm totally fcucked" The Ellis duly obliged by striking an awsome 6 to the longest reaches of the ground!

Round 3 to HX

Tea was served 'al fresco' and stock was taken (as well as a fair few fags)!

Onto the fielding - The redoubtable Shifty was pressed into service to keep for us. Now the real captaincy started, Scott, Mahmood (and the rest of the captaincy committee) kept Coastal right (a nudge here a comment the field would be sensibly set and the bowling changes organised).

On to the fielding - well what can I say Keith (KG as he has now been christened byPopey) bowled beautifully carrying on from last week with an incisive spell of hostile bowling taking one wicket could have been more, Coco taking 2 of his 8, James Burgess taking 2 ofhis spell, The Ellis taking 2 in his 8 bowling so mesmerisingly that batsmen occasionally just watched the ball without moving! Popey taking 2 in his spell all conceding only ca 15 to18 runs. LAt wicket to go was a runout engineerd by Scott and executed by Shifty - Now for the fielding - a real team effort catches 2 in gully to Coastal, 2 crackers to Shifty standing up to the Harmiston like pace of Burgess! Nipun taking a superb running over the shoulder one! One high slipper to Coco. Everyone carried on from last week chasing, covering encouraging, great throwing in esp from Coco, Nipun (hit the stumps from 20 yards with only one to aim at!) and Popey! Calumn ran all over the shop and saved us a lot of runs!

The decisive round 4 to HX

Thanks to Edinburgh who played a great game of cricket with us, fair and hard, good spirit and good banter - good luck next week guys!

Well done guys another cracking performance - one more week, one more game. We're provisionally second by 1 point I think. Won 10 lost 5 what a season so far!

Coastal signing off Auuum Auuuuum man padme ummm (group hug! group hug! Feeeeel the lurv) Seems to work guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!