Match
reports
Z
After
another heavy night out, this time centred around Yeovil's
classiest night-spot The Jardin, the Cavs set off for Ilminster
under leaden skies. As the intrepid and hungover* cricketers
drove further in to deepest Somerset, the heavens opened
and it seemed that the game would have to be postponed.
But,
on arrival at the picturesque ground, the skies cleared
like the start of the Simpsons and, after a pint of absurdly
strong cider called Rider's Rectum Rectifier, it was game
on. As ever, Skipper Jimmy Hat did his Nasser Hussein impression
by losing the toss and the cavs found themselves in the
field, against what looked to be the perfect tour combo
side of a mixture of 1s, 2s, 3s and colts.
Brindo
and Hat opened up the bowling with tight spells, Brindo
in particular getting the ball to rise unexpectedly and
cause problems, beating the bat all number of times before
getting the opener to balloon one to Jay Wise at mid on.
Jamie stunned the Cavs by taking the catch high above his
head, making a farce of his Worst Fielder of the Year awards
from 1999-2003. Tanty replaced the hamstrung Brindley and
kept up the niggly bowling, PJ Wise moved his first ball
of the season a mile and took out the stumps, and when the
rain came after 20 overs, the oppo were only 80. A short
rain break and a pint came and went, before the two teams
returned to the pitch and witness without question the two
finest catches in Cavaliers history. First, Jim Burton got
under a steepler so high that the batsmen had crossed on
their second runs by the time the still-drunk Bagsmore took
the catch and then Jay Wise sprinted around the boundary
and took a low, diving catch that somehow surpassed Jim's
effort.
Perhaps
the best tea in cavs history (lovely home-made scones, coffee
cake, lemon drizzle cake, faultless sarnie selection) was
taken early during a more lengthy rain break in which it
was decided to shorten the match to 25 overs a side. The
hosts were given four extra overs to reach a defendable
total, which they duly did after yet another Cavaliers'
All-time record - this time BCR going for a record 20 runs
off one over.
Chasing 131 for a second successive victory, the Wises opened
up and put on 50 odd before the Prince holed out trying
to up the anti. The Buzzard was in at three and scraped
a few, Hat and Elbow came and went, and it was left to Brindo,
with 15 or so not out and Frase, avoiding a Tour Golden
Pair with 1no) to take the cavs home in the last over. For
the record, the Cavs also won the stump game, but lost a
boat race.
*except Elbow, who was in bed by 10.
Men
of the Match: Jay Wise and Jim Burton, for unbelievable
catches
Champagne Moment: As above
Orange Cap of Dishonour: Not awarded, due to great all-round
team effort.
