ALMOST! Business vs Pudong Indoor League Match!

The Bad…

A team of 7 assembled out at the N-Force Arena to do battle with the Pudong Power this afternoon – most feeling the effects of the previous night (see below). With only half a team at the start the Bashers batted first – Shitshoes and Badabing opening up. It was a solid opening partnership of 40 runs (no wickets) against a pair of plump “spinners” who bowled short for 4 overs. The batters were able to play off the back foot and tap the ball into the net to get some bonus runs. One well timed pull shot by Shitshoes bouncing up to hit one of the oversized Pudong players in the chin. Filthy and Sinbad followed up with a good effort of 21, but not quite achieving their best due to some disastrous running and an easy catch off Sinbad. Long Dong and Korean took the third partnership and contributed another 20-odd, but once again, it was a partnership that promised much but lost its way with a couple of good runouts by Pudong. Korean timed a couple of lovely straight shots and was using his feet well to the spinners. Pudong chose Long Dong to bat again, and with Paps, finished strongly with a 30-something partnership. Paps cracked a couple of elegant drives off the back foot, and Long Dong looked solid in support. However, 2 wickets in the last over cost the team a bit of momentum at the end of the innings and the final score of 102 was only a middling total. At one point the umpire told the Bashers to be quiet during play, but we maintained a respectable level of vocal support throughout the batting innings.

The bowling and fielding effort was outstanding, but unable to defend the total. Sinbad opened up – perhaps bowling a little short – but nonetheless looking likely to get wickets. Paps and Filthy bowled well – Paps getting a couple of wickets (Shitshoes catching off the net). Long Dong and Badabing also showed some good bowling – keeping the pressure on, but the Pudong batsmen played the percentages by employing a strategy of defensive prods into the side nets for scores of 1+1. Filthy’s mind was still in Suzhou, and so he was dancing all over the arena and picking fights with the Pudong batsmen. Unfortunately having a fielder missing cost us some extra pressure and Pudong surpassed our total in the 3rd partnership before a 3 wicket over by Shitshoes pulled the score back – and Filthy ALMOST pulled off a most sensational full dive fingertips catch that would have been the 4th wicket in the over. The last Pudong pair only needed to get 5 to win and despite some really tight bowling from Korean, who also showed some slick keeping to get 2 stumpings off Sinbad’s last over, it wasn’t to be. So in the end the Pudong scored 118 to win by 16 runs. In the end being a man short may have cost the Bashers a hard fought win – but the 7 who turned up to play showed a lot of fight and some good Bashers spirit.

The Good…

For those unaware – I got engaged to Garbo last weekend on the shores of the famous West Lake in Hangzhou. It was a picture perfect day and the location was a winner!

And the Ugly…

What happened in Suzhou stays in Suzhou (although some photos exist of last night’s events – the location/activities/Bashers remain a mystery).