Getti Goes Large as Largo End Scoobies' Unbeaten Run

Most Scooby Doo episodes end with the villain, unmasked, saying something like "And I would've gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you pesky, meddling kids!" Crossers are obviously heroes rather than villains, but the Largo youth system has been so productive for so long that many a Crosser has found himself muttering something similar at the end of a summer Saturday.


Unmasked

But well as several Largo teens played in the first proper cricketing weather of the summer, notably Ben Caton (9-3-32-1), Peter Matthews (6-1-18-2) and Nick Baddeley (two catches and a stumping), it was a rather older player who dominated the game. And for once it wasn't the extraordinary amalgam of shorts, moustache, competitiveness and sportsmanship that is Bob Mowat.

Our visitors won the toss and opted to bat and, in opener Naveen Getti's case, bat and bat and bat. The Largo Twitter account had recently described him as "mercurial", that is volatile. Perhaps some people are so truly mercurial that sometimes they're not mercurial at all, because this was an innings of skill, determination and watchfulness that ended with Naveen 111 not out in a total of 207 for 9, with only two other batsmen reaching double figures. Early on there were a handful of sliced drives but none that landed anywhere near a fielder and, along with five maximums and ten other boundaries, there was plenty of solid defence and well-judged running. A truly excellent innings.

Almost all the Cross bowlers suffered at his hands, although Smudger avoided punishment by cunningly tweaking his back in his first over and Elmondt (8-2-22-5) bowled a very fine spell finding just the right, oddly short length, for the oddly low, skiddy Arbo track.

In reply, Cross were powering ahead on 75 for 1 after 15, before Bob Mowat (7-2-27-2), who had been unusually wayward in his first two overs, bowled two wicket maidens to remove first JB (29) and then Bainbro (35) - both self-confessed members of Bob's Bunnies. From then on it was a bit of a struggle for the Cross, especially against the leg spin of Baddeley Senior (9-1-33-3). Dan batted well for 34 but we were 120 for 7 with ten overs to go before Gerry (34 not out) produced a late flourish to take us to 167 all out just shy of maximum batting bonus points.



Contrasting preparations

While there were a couple of tense moments in the game, they were, as they should be, defused amicably and quickly forgotten. Even if the result isn't always as we'd like, it is almost always a pleasure to play Largo so thanks to them for another good game. Thanks also to the Crossers, including three generations of the Presidential dynasty, who turned up to support.