Leisure vs Doggies – 2025 Semi-final

Leisure narrowly beat the Hot Dogs in the 2025 semi-final by 2 runs. Piece the game together yourselves using IPA (Individual Player Analysis, not the beer):

Korean

Can’t win a toss, but neither can the opposition make the correct decision. Bashers bat first – not that the captain was needed, posting 108-2. Great bowling changes in the field and managed to ignore sub-fielder Yeti in his every-ball-captain-coup attempt. Quick thinking in the final over deciding not to run out their young teenage batsman as this would have brought back his Dad who retired on 50. Possibly morally dubious until you realise the kid was trying to get run out for this very reason.

Cracker

Opened the batting, scoring 9, returned to the hutch with his eyes set on a particular fielder to sledge. Fielding for the Leisure was bookended by two fantastic presidential moments:

1. When his nemesis came to crease as opening batsman, you wouldn’t believe the vitriol that came from Cracker’s mouth! The Daredevils almost signed him up on the spot. It worked, though, the guy was out for a second ball duck. Cracker went silent for the rest of the innings.
2. Last ball of the game, and the doggies needing 3 to win, a smart on-drive from the batsman was intercepted by what can only by described as Cracker’s ‘Messi-moment’, fielding the ball with his ankle, after sprinting around from mid-wicket, grabbing it and taking off the bails as the batsman came back for a forlorn attempt at a second. Who knows what would have happened if it was a ‘Maguire-moment’…

DRS

Batted like Boycott – solid foundation. Pretended he couldn’t run until he had to. Carried his bat but couldn’t reach his fifty (45*). Sat out for ALL the fielding whilst Yeti Dick put in the hard yards.

Mr Tickle

Batted first-drop and contributed with a handy 14 runs off 10 balls. After shadow bowling at long-on, the captain brought him on as part of the death over bowling attack – needless to say, all went well.

Fling

Batted at number 4 and put together a very handy 28 going at just over a run a ball. Some lovely bowling figures going for only 16 runs off his 4 overs  at a crucial time in the match.

Focus

4-1-11-3 – not much else to say… Stirred up the Bashers in traditional Mancunian spirit from the boundary when we got into the tense final overs.

Rooty

Opened the bowling with Focus, both bowling their full quota. One wicket and an acceptable spell to their top order.

Paps

He’s all about the massages but never has he had so many in one day. Waggling the Deep Heat in every team mates face until they succumbed to ‘rub-rub’. Didn’t have to bat but bowled 3 overs of one-step sublimeness taking 1 wicket.

Sasquatch

Fantastic bowling from the silent Nepalese grabbing 3 wickets. After pulling out half an hour before the game, sense over took him when he realised he wouldn’t be able to live the rest of his life without seeing Yeti Dick again, so called a didi to the ground.

Hub

Covered the cover region well but more importantly stepped in last minute to save the Bashers from only fielding 10.

Cheerful

Took a lovely catch from square leg and was cheerful throughout.

See you all in the final against the Devils!