Walkovers Rebels were under the captaincy of Simon Pugsley for the day as El Capitano Coyne was nursing a rather large hangover after watching his team get battered by Barca the night before. Young Pugsley noticed they only had 8 players, and after winning the toss decided to call upon the more senior players in his team to help him decide what to do. To a man they all said to bat first and pile on the pressure by getting a huge score to defend, so Simon put them into bat!

The Polish Express opened the bowling and initially struggled to find his length. Apparently he had forgotten that tonight he had dressed to the left but as Fosse had a quick fumble at deep third man he noticed it was to the left. Once this rather embarrassing episode had finished, Hansie bowled very well and picked up the wicket of Danny Bertram early. One down with only 8 men in total, young Pugsley turned to one of his most treasured bowlers, someone who could always be noticed as he had a bale of hair that Worzel Gummage would have been proud of. In came Spencer at full pace, his shorts flapping wildly against those muscular legs which had only been shaved the night before with go faster stripes down each side, and he let the ball go in one fluid motion. The batsmen though had a blinder and poor old Spencer took a little bit of damage in going for around 38 in his 3 overs. Young Pugsley rotated his bowlers round but the wickets just wouldn’t come. Steady scoring meant they ended up on 166 off their 15 overs, with the innings highlight being the stunning catch by Paul Fosse, who dived full length to his left to take what he described as the best catch of his young career to date. We simply had to point out though the following, 1. He dropped it 2. it cost him 50p 3. Fosse has never been young!

We needed a big start and that is exactly what we didn’t get! Vibs and Matt Cox opened up and Matt was looking good for a short while until one of their fielders took a blinding one handed catch high above his head in the outfield. As it wasn’t going for a 6 Matt knows he let himself down, the team down, his brother down, his family down and most of all Paul Michel down. This bought Elliott to the crease and he had been looking sharp and eager on the sidelines as he thrashed the ball about to all parts in practice. It’s not as easy in the middle is it! Elliott departed for a few runs and Steve McGuiness strode out next and batted only a few balls before Vibs was clean bowled trying to play the ball straight for a change! This bought in the often controversial Jake who had promised not to ‘do a Bouchard’ anymore as he was sick of carrying this albatross around his neck. Steve pushed the ball out into the covers for a beautiful 2, but as they crossed for the 2nd time Jake whispered that they should go for a 3. Steve pushed his little legs as hard as they could go, realising that Jake was not running to the danger end. With one last push and a despairing dive Steve stretched out his arm with the bat on his fingertips. Would he make it the crowd gasped…..no, he was run out by at least half the pitch as there was never a 3 in a month of Sundays. Jake had struck once again, and that brings his total this season to double figures. After watching this, there was no way that Hansie was going to put up with being run out by Jake. Jake perished for 11 and Dan Cox made an entertaining 15 before also losing his wicket. Olly came in next and was run out by some very entertaining running between him and Hansie. With the ball played straight to one of their fielders Hansie called him through, ala Jake/Bouchard and Olly was run out by an absolute mile. Fosse had a little go before losing his wicket which brought last man Paul Spence to the crease. Hansie and Spencer looked good in a partnership which blasted its way to around 7 runs, before the Jake/Bouchard effect took hold and Hansie claimed a 2nd victim for the innings. What a shambolic way to end an innings, and to make matters worse it is Hansie that doesn’t pay the 50p for the rest of the team being run out, sorry I mean all out.

We managed to reach around 90 in reply, losing by a hefty margin. On the plus side we all looked good in the new kit and our thoughts now turn to Cricket AM this Saturday morning where Vibs is going to get it out on tv!

Reporting for Walkovers Rebels media

Yogi Bear