WHAT a day –
highlights galore, dramas, club rules broken and another
legend is made.
Unaware of what lie in store, I arrived at the home
of cricket just in time to salivate as Kirschy piled
on heaps of bacon and eggs to fire up the BNCC spirit.
Could things get any better than this?
Well yes they could.
Half an hour before play was to begin I was stunned
to be informed that I was to be inducted into the BNCC
OCL category, joining the ranks of Vana M, Vana M, Hatcher
S and Curtain C.
After being vertically challenged all my life, I now
walk with giants.
I just can’t wait for the next school term to
start so I can go back to Maribyrnong State and, looking
resplendent in my BNCC OCL jacket, speak in front of
the young faces of the future.
“This,” I’ll say “is proof that
is you work hard enough, anything is possible.”
What great delight I’ll have sticking it up the
teachers who all used to say: “Huxley, you are
a fucking dill, you will never amount to anything.”
Ha, well I have shown them haven’t I!
Then as if being made an OCL wasn’t joy enough,
Club rules were broken to enable me to captain for the
second week in a row.
Could things get any better than this?
Well yes they could.
With 13 paid up members on hand the team was to be drawn
out of a hat.
If you weren’t on hand to see it, you would swear
it was rigged – missing out were two of BNCC’s
favourite verbal targets Todman and Wright.
Especially funny for Wrighty since he had taken 6/9
against the same team a week earlier.
Given that we had a gun team, after winning the toss
I decided to bat to ensure that we used up the entire
45 overs with the prospect of everybody getting a hit.
In the end we only used 43, but with great contributions
from Patto, Gav, Gorgeous. Kirsch, Bowden and Paul we
piled up a handsome 276.
Disappointment of the batting was Robbie’s effort
in making a duck while wearing a full Santa Claus outfit.
Despite thoughts that he was chasing his Audi, turns
out it was “only” his third successive duck.
The Audi will have to wait until the next match.
We had more than enough runs to make it an enjoyable
afternoon’s bowling so my concept was to give
everybody two overs through the first 22 overs and then
two overs each again after that.
Naturally, using the captain’s prerogative I decided
to bowl the first over and was more than pleased to
go for only 14.
Thereafter we spread the ball around our never ending
list of talent.
There was slight concern issued by Paul who said: “Be
careful here, pretty soon they might be a 100 before
you know it, what are you going to do then?”
“See if they can get the other 176,” I replied.
Silly play of the day went to the Reds batsman who called
for a second on Povolo’s arm.
Result was a forgone conclusion, run-out by five metres.
There were several highlights in the bowling, easily
the most impressive that of Bowden being ordered out
of the attack after three beamers at a terrified Reds
youngster.
The ball was shared around, the wickets were shared
around, and although the Reds’ tail wagged a little
they were never in the hunt.
Victory to BNCC by 96 runs.
But the highlights were not yet over.
Having missed a game with his name not drawn, Wrighty
was seen practicing with his son Andrew after the match.
God must have been watching and full well knowing the
Barnie rules about practice (well he knows everything
doesn’t he!), he made Wrighty misjudge a return
from Andrew which smacked into his gob and split his
lip open.
Congratualtions Andrew, the best way to stop him from
whinging.
