{"id":19578,"date":"2025-05-12T10:03:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T02:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/?p=19578"},"modified":"2025-05-12T10:09:54","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T02:09:54","slug":"bashers-arrive-in-fours-still-give-the-devils-hell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/bashers-arrive-in-fours-still-give-the-devils-hell\/","title":{"rendered":"Bashers Arrive in Fours, Still Give the Devils Hell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Arrival \u2013 Swiper Time, Scenic Detours & a Bashers Headcount Crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bashers arrived \u2014 or rather, trickled in \u2014 to NAIS\u2019 picturesque new ground. Pretty, petite, and surrounded by the kind of tranquillity that did not<\/em> foreshadow the chaos to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swiper, ever keen to get to a cricket ground, began his solo pilgrimage from the far reaches of Suzhou (adding to his Trans-Pacific voyage) and was, unsurprisingly, the first<\/em> to arrive. No trains, no carpools \u2014 just raw dedication and Didi as a sidekick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly after, Haseena rolled in with Paps and Mr. Tickle in tow, forming the core of the early Bashers contingent. The rest? Scattered across time zones, group chats, and varying definitions of \u201con the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soapy, meanwhile, took the scenic route via SRFC, later claiming (with a straight face) that he only went there to \u201cpick up the team kit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With just four players present and full confidence in the chaos to come, Haseena strode up to the toss, won it, and\u2014naturally (with not much of a choice)\u2014chose to bat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Batting – Starts, Smashes & Sudden Collapses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haseena sent in Swiper and Paps to open with the kind of confidence that neither batter likely shared \u2014 but for a moment, it looked like he might be on to something. Swiper started solidly, looking in good touch, playing a few crisp strokes that suggested he meant business. But cricket, being cricket, had other plans. In a stroke of misfortune that could only be described as cosmic trolling, he picked out the only fielder in the same postcode \u2014 dismissed in the unluckiest fashion, since Paps on the other end intended to use up all the luck allocated for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paps, meanwhile, began working through his nine feline lives. The feline nature was put into question when he begrudgingly ran a three with Juggler, who had replaced Swiper and looked absolutely thrilled about the cardio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juggler\u2019s stay was brief but dramatic \u2014 caught and bowled<\/em> trying to punch one back down the ground. The kind of dismissal that says \u201cI\u2019m here for a good time, not a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came Mr. Tickle, who started like a Test opener with front-foot defence before deciding that he only knows how to hit the long ball instead of the text book batting. He launched a blistering 50 with six sixes \u2014 including three in one over<\/em>. Paps, not one to be upstaged, joined the fireworks, reaching his own half-century before finally falling \u2014 either to the bowling or gravitational fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A minor collapse followed, but thanks to some tail-end contributions and a solid platform already laid, the Bashers posted a healthy 232<\/strong> \u2014 well above par for a side that started the day with a four-man squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bowling\/Fielding – Slips, Strikes & Surprise Appearances<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suka and Juggler took the new ball, keen to reclaim the lives Paps had borrowed earlier. Soapy, living up to his name, dropped two catches like the ball was dipped in baby oil. But Juggler made amends by bowling one of the openers, knocking over the furniture and lifting Bashers\u2019 spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came Swiper\u2019s catch of the century (that\u2019s what he claims it to be) \u2014 a running, over-the-shoulder grab taken at full speed and the last possible moment. A moment that belonged on highlight reels and motivational posters, and something he is intent on not letting people forget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Devils lost three but began to consolidate, keeping the chase alive. Some animated sideline coaching from their captain put pressure on the batter \u2014 and DRS capitalized, bowling him around his legs. DRS continued his spell of destruction, finishing with a 3-wicket haul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With runs flowing again, Haseena made a bold call \u2014 pulling Yeti Dick from behind the stumps and tossing him the ball. The original bowling openers returned, and momentum swung. Suka\u2019s clever low full toss tempted Lobo into a big hit \u2014 and guess who was waiting underneath it? Swiper again, clutching his second catch this time with gloves on, and completing his fielding redemption arc (which included gifting five penalty runs earlier).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, just as the Bashers began feeling the heat, Fling mysteriously appeared near the rope. No one quite knew when or how. Before he could say hello, Paps had thrown him into the deep field, taking full advantage of the surprise arrival. No warm-up. No explanation. Just field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, the Bashers hunted in packs. Yeti Dick rushed the batters, bowlers choked the runs, and the Devils\u2019 innings limped toward the finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final blow? Soapy \u2014 from the deep \u2014 with a direct hit. Redemption in one throw. Game over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bashers win \u2014 narrowly, gloriously.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2e3b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post-Match \u2013 Fines and Froth at Momentum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrations carried over to Momentum<\/strong> \u2014 the sleek new, not-yet-open venue proudly sponsored by the fine folks who brought us 521. It was christened the only way the Bashers know how: with a fines session<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Arrival \u2013 Swiper Time, Scenic Detours & a Bashers Headcount Crisis The Bashers arrived \u2014 or rather, trickled in \u2014 to NAIS\u2019 picturesque new ground. Pretty, petite, and surrounded by the kind of tranquillity that did not foreshadow the chaos to come. Swiper, ever keen to get to a cricket ground, began his solo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13673,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13673"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19578"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19582,"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19578\/revisions\/19582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basherscc.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}