Pleasure Lumberjack: Bashers “Swoop” of a Day…

Arriving at the SRFC with Tiny by an alternative transport than the early bus, the Pleasure boys were already at the ground and going through the usual preparation for the big game smoking, eating, scratching private areas and talking about the vague memory of the night before.

As the captain for the day Tank went out for the toss with the Devils Digital captain, it was left to Tiny to prepare the boys with the fielding warm up session.

It was quickly established that we needed an IQ of aver 200 to even understand what we were expected to doing in the warm up, running towards each other, running away from each other, alternative running towards each other, alternative running away from each other (yes there was a ball involved which made it even more complicated)!!!

With the fielding warm up session deeply embedded in the pleasure teams minds we were coiled like a spring waiting to be unleashed.

Tank pulled the boys together and gave the rallying cry to “Win the Game, cut down on the wide bowling, support the bowlers, chirp away at the batsman and Only speak through him if you wanted to address the umpire”… What happened to the good old USA freedom of speech!!!

Billy opened the bowling with a tight first over giving away only one run, then in the sixth over Swahili broke through the opening pair. With the batsman having smashed the ball and thinking an easy run was available, Swoop picked up the ball and threw a direct hit at the stumps from around 30 yards!

In the following over and with a decisive bowling change made by the captain, Tiny with an interesting over (dot balls, wides & 4’s), picked up the 2nd wicket of the day with assistance from Pitstop, who looked like he was taking trials for the Chinese acrobat show as he took a tumbling backwards catch!

Pleasure boys bowling continued with Tank picking up two wickets including a good catch from Swoop and clean bowl, the Champagne moment of the Tank bowling was the background of thunder and lightening as he ran in to unleash a full toss at the batsman’s head!

Long Dong using all the tricks in his repertoire took two great wickets with some unplayable bowling, special thanks to the Woodstock, while playing on the next pitch verbally supported each Long Dong over!

The game was then interrupted by a deluge of rain and wind which reduced bowling to a 25 over match, having survived the storm the game moved into a new phase as the Swoop was asked to take the wet and damaged cherry.

With a run out and a catch already to his name Swoop tore into the remaining batsman and came out with final bowling figures of 4 overs, 11 runs, 3 wickets and no wides (I hear business team calling)!

Special mention for the dynamic fielding of Shit Shoes who having picked up the ball threw to the wicket keeper’s end and somehow managed to slip and the ball ended up at the bowling end, also to Billy for his impression of a sea lion as he slid through the water to retrieve the ball!!

With a final score of 141 for 9 wickets, Pleasure opening pair of Pitstop and Pothole walked to the middle to face the first over of the match with a run rate of 5.6 to win.

With 22 on the board Pothole was first to go followed quickly by Pitstop, a dubious LBW saw Tiny return to the pavilion a good knock of 21 by the Korean moved the score along with support from Swoop.

Tank and Shit Shoes contributed with 6 runs each and in the 19th over Long Dong came to the crease with 83 runs on the board to join the ever present Swoop.

Even with some good running and hitting the game was beginning to slip away as the run rate increased, after the 21st over and with 4 overs remaining, Pleasure needed 43 runs to win. The Devils began to celebrate the win when…

4, 2, Wide, 6, 4, 6, 2! Swoop destroyed the run rate taking 25 runs from the 22nd over and game on!!!!!

As panic set in the fielding side and the last over to be bowled Pleasure needed 6 runs to win, Swoop continued with his attack on the bowlers with 4 runs from the 1st ball then a quick single, 141 on the board and game drawn!!

With 1 run needed from 4 balls Long Dong became tied down with accurate bowling from the Devils, last ball of the game and with 1 run needed the ball smashed into the stumps to conclude the game to a draw!

Great partnership from Long Dong and Swoop of 61 nearly snatched victory at the end of an entertaining game, good contribution from the all the Pleasure team in the fielding, bowling, batting and team spirit.

• Sunday 14 August 2011 SRFC Far
  Bashers Pleasure 141/7 (5.21)
  Devils Digital 141/9 (4.81)

For Basher’s Pleasure history the game will always be remembered as a Swoop of a Day with his contribution of 1 catch, 1 run out, 3 wickets and 52 runs not out!

One last mention for the bus journey back to the camel with the Leisure boys, great entertainment, drinking, swearing and the new word introduced into the Basher dictionary…CLUNGE!!

On to the Hot Logs Sunday and the next clunge of a game…

2011 Division Two