Match Report :: Anza Champs vs Colonial CC at CSC on 24th April, 2010

There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again.

Just what were we thinking? Playing cross batted shots on a pitch where, the term seamer had more relevance to a coal seam - more mineralogical than aeronautical. Yet four of us, to the same bowler, played the pull shot or went back on the crease to balls which had more chance of striking oil than lifting off from Heathrow.

After missing the ANZAC Day fixture last year, the Champs were back to represent the Club in the traditional annual match up. Unfortunately it was a 2 Up battle where our "Come in Spinner" did the business but it was the batsmen's turn this week to fail to go on with it after solid starts. Disappointing to say the least and there will be a few of top and middle order batsman mentally re-playing the correct shot for some time to come.

After the skip won the toss (pause) we had the joy of watching the Wild Colonial Boy opener take 12 runs off the first three balls he faced. "Hey ho" I thought. "This could be an interesting day."

And it was. In fact, it had all the makings of a great war movie. Blitzkrieged early to put us back on the beaches. A great rearguard fight back from then on. Friendly fire to take out two of our players. An offer by one of our key men to take the commander out the back to settle it one on one. And finally, almost a triumphant victory by two unsung heroes.

It had it all. Plot and sub-plots galore. A match more representative of a curious mixture of boys-own Guns of Navarone penetration but spliced with an undercurrent of the military genius of F Troop's Corporal Agarn.

0-64 was pulled back to 6 for 91 in just 5 overs as Lord Gibby (2-33), Boom Boom Munib (3-33), Disco (2-10) and Benny Yo Yo Yeoh (1-25) all stopping them in their tracks as well as taking regular wickets. It really was a very good effort by the bowlers this week and they got us back in the game.

Unfortunately some wayward deliveries and intelligent batting as well as a couple of dropped catches saw the late order bottom 4 wickets more than double the score from that point and this despite Younger taking 2 in 2 balls to finish off the innings. Skip, he's on a hat trick next time he has the pill so in true Champs style you should retire Younger from the bowling crease.

Oh, and we halved our wides/no balls to a "mere" 22. A rounding error in Champs-speak.

We let them get away at the end but a chase of 189 at Ceylon was well within our abilities if we played sensibly and built our partnerships. well, that was the plan...

Feroze and debutant Tony opened up and open up they did. 47 runs in less than 5 overs. Feroze (33) played the angry man role and smacked them up, over and through. However both then fell in quick succession and Homi was given a tough call to see us go from 0-47 to 3-56 in two overs. "Hey ho" I had thought as I went out to bat. "This could be interesting".

A partnership of 30 consolidated things a bit before I tried to pull a ten pin bowling ball delivery. Poor effort.

Jimmy Packer Chiro did a Tiger and came and went to earn kit packing duties.

Skip and Younger then began building a partnership which looked like it was going to get us home. However Munib (22) must have been in the loo and missed Tony and my removals. Younger (13), Disco and Ben left fairly rapidly after that and like the Melbourne Storm, we were looking gone for all money.

No, not really and not quite. Cometh the hour, cometh the men. Klaus (34no) and Lord Gibb weren't going to give this caper up and worked the ball and occasionally smoked the ball to get us oh so close. It was an Ashes Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz Champs style. A partnership of 32 was only brought to an end when what looked like a sure 6 was caught by a leaping Colonial.

Not quite enough but valiant nonetheless. Ben Dunn't do the Kit Anymore was good enough to come down and cheer us on and lead a worthwhile post mortem.

Five partnerships below 10 really did us in.

A win is coming. It can't be far away.

And so to the stats.

A new cap was handed to Tony Waters who becomes the 47th Champ player. Well done Tony who also chimed in with 2 good outfield catches.

On the bowlers, Disco returns to the number one position with his 2 wickets. He now has 58 dismissals to the 57 of the absent Rev. With the paucity of wides from his bowling stats since moving from speed of light to light of speed, Disco has brought his economy rate below 6. Must have something to with his new found control and  calmness.

Munib's 3-33 means he is now just one behind Disco's number of three wickets hauls.

Younger's 2 wickets moves him into 8th position, his highest ever ranking.

Munib also advances on the batting side with his good start to the season seeing him overtake Skip Slimbrick in number 3 position, his highest ever ranking.

Klaus' fine knock means he breaks back into the top 10 again and a not out boosts the average as well.

With his rapid fire 33, Feroze becomes the 9th Champ to score more than 300 runs for the team. More to come there.

There is some symmetry in writing this review on ANZAC Day. Not quite there with a victory but enough élan in a gallant defeat to bring us hope of a better campaign on other fields of endeavour.