With the mercury threatening to tip into the second half of single figures, the winter snows now only restricted to higher ground and the Caledonian mistral easing down to mere icy gale levels, turns out its time for us northern Brits to pretend summer is once more upon us (or at the very least imminent) and engage in our annual sporting flagellation's by partaking in the pastime known as cricket.
Holy Cross 1's have a new skipper this season. A keen and able individual known as Radge who likes smashing it out the park as regularly as possible. So far so good. His naive optimism at the embarkation point of the 'Radge Era' compelled him to err into comedy with his first captatorial decree. After declaring my availability I received an email;
"Home game 1pm start. 12 o'clock meeting at Arbo sharp". Comedy gold!!!
Arriving bang on 1pm, I quickly discovered the wife had forgotten to check I'd packed my breeks, meaning not just playing like a total amateur all afternoon, but looking like one too, being forced to field half clad in denim.
So I missed about the 1st three overs or so of the scheduled 35 per side, cleverly foregoing any need for a warm-up. By the time I entered the arena, nothing much had really happened. We seemed to be playing Edinburgh, but we also appeared to actually be Edinburgh as well, with more Edinburgh CC attire on our side than HX clobber. Probably a devious captaincy ploy to befuddle any potential skullduggery or something I suspected (though we still didn't get any LB's).
Asif (6-1-32-1) and Raz Ahmed (7-1-23-1) opened from the Castle End and Harbour End respectively without making the breakthrough after 4 overs apiece. First change Farooq (7-2-22-4) drew first blood bowling Majeed for 11.
Apologies as the scorebook standards demanded by ancient club scribes weren't fully adhered to, meaning details proving elusive.
Third change Dom McMonagle (or J Mack as the scorebook has him) finished with 2-36, his spell an interesting three way combination of marginal legside wides (not a criticism of him or the umps, that was what had been agreed pre-match), straight sixes and wickets.
The skipper also had a chuck showing a bit more control than his band of bowling brothers (e.g. less wides) but not quite matching the accuracy of Farooq or threat of Asif.
Pick of the Edinburgh batters was opener K Hussein who seemed to adjust to the occasional slow/low Arbo track better than most, right up until totally misjudging a Dom half tracker which didn't really get up and didn't really come through. Hussein tried heaving it onto Arboretum Road a full thirty seconds before the ball arrived on the off stump departing for an innings best 39.
A decent effort by both sides in the 'stiff' conditions, Edinburgh posting 157 (only 10 men, 20 wides) in the 33rd over, somewhere around par for April.
Raja and Owais opened the Cross response, but the latter was back in the hutch before I even began spectating. New vice captain Euan House lasted three balls, the chat on the boundary being he 'got a jaffa'. Raja also rejoined his team mates for 13 leaving the hosts wobbling at 23-3. Farooq (15) and Adnan (12) began the rebuilding with a partnership of 30. Farooq also provided decent support to Asif taking the Cross to 117 by the time he was out in the 27th over.
But the wintry conditions had already 'Dougied' Asif's hammy, Adnan rejoining the fray as a runner. Despite being new to the club, they all quickly adopted the Holy Cross tradition of running confusion, at one point it even looked like Adnan (the runner) might need a runner, leading to conjecture about how many batsmen who couldn't run we could fit onto one cricket square.
With Farooq's departure, the short-trousered McMonangle made his way to the crease with visible intent!!! Most of our running, you'll never believe this, had been more 'ambly' than rapid, the run rate was creeping up and time was running out. Dom made his intentions clear maximising the scoring opportunities hurrying along a startled looking Adnan while Asif continued punishing the bad balls with 2's, 4's and the odd 6.
Michael could hardly contain his excitement at this stage even breaking into a one man cheer when Asif was dropped in installments at long off.
As the total passed 150 and a Cross victory rolled closer, news was relayed from the scorer that McMonagle, for all his action, efforts and enterprise, having been at the crease since the scoreboard read 117, had still not actually got off the mark. He'd maxed out on wides, byes and leg byes but was yet to actually get a run all to himself. And so it continued with Asif and extras with Dom's pace between the wickets carrying us home in the 33rd over. Asif (jug!!!) making a match winning 81 not out and Dom one of the best 0 not outs you will see. Even Coastal Ken (padded and due in at 9) nodded with admiration at the next generation of coastals coming through.
A final word to the only other home player not mentioned. Navraj didnt get to bat or bowl. When I pushed him as to how he'd describe himself, he replied 'well I've not played since school, met Robin at a party and he got me to come along and if its OK with you, I'd prefer to delay identifying whether I bat or bowl for a week or two yet'. I suspected he'll fit right in before he clinched it by saying 'and I'm only available til July'. That's like the perfect template for a Crosser is it not.
C'mon the Cross!!!
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