Specials dodge the rain to rout Lionels

Lionel Length and Sundown Specials go back a long way. There's a lot of mixed genes and shared dreams between these two clubs and talk in the previous weeks wondered whether such Sundown stalwarts as Andy V, Ringo or even Mick McGowan might turn out Lionels - as they have often in the past.

But no, not a Sundown regular was seen in the Lionels line up, which contained occasional Sundowners Sean Stroud, Dave Sambrook (jet lagged and skippering straight from Sydney) and fellow Aussie Andy Farrell.

This was no grudge match, but both teams were desperate to win, and it was fair to say Sundowners had the greater expectation of victory.

We lost the toss and we were inserted - which suited our team's strategy of late. Andy V opened up with a rampantly in-form Smiler - averaging 94 so far this season. V dispatched the fourth ball of the innings sweetly for four. The next ball bowled him. He was not happy.

A maiden at the next end and one thought this could be difficult. But Tony Medlock started to unpick the gently paced bowling. He and Smiler compiled 70 in the next 10 overs before Sean caught Meds at point when he was on 53 and looking likely to get a ton before 4pm.

B Cosgrove strode eagerly to the wicket. He trudged back one ball later having had his stumps rearranged by the artful bowling of Andy Farrell. Oh dear.

Still, 74 for 3 was OK. Next up the new boys Alex Heathcote and Luke Vassey combined with Smiler to take the score on to 143, despite a couple of rain breaks. A brief cameo for Boggia preceded a fine seventh wicket stand of 32 between Smiler and Jani.

Jani has been struggling to get into single figures this season, let alone his primary target of 30. A couple of lusty blows saw him reach his highest score for the Specials in his short career, but his success got to him and he was bowled by a 12 year old for 14.

So Specials set a competitive 185 (for 7) and we slurped our tea hoping the rain would stay, at the very least, just fine and drizzly.

James and Sean Stroud opened the innings for Lionels and the thus-far devastating attack of Pilgrim (your correspondent) and Tailor failed to make a breakthrough. The openers negotiated what few dangerous balls there were and serenely moved on to 69.

Luke Vassey twirled some of his rusty leg-spin, replacing Tailor from the Bathard end and tempted Stroud to pull one right down square leg's throat, where I held on to a regulation catch moving to my left. Sean was annoyed, but his 37 put Lionels in with a real chance of pulling this one off.

Holland came to the crease and looked the part, and Lionels raced to 96 before Luke got his second wicket tempting James out of his crease for a jammy stumping, the ball ricocheting off Mike's gloves and back onto the stumps.

At 117 for 2, and over 20 overs left to get the remaining 69 for victory, skipper Herlihy faced his first big decision of the 2003 campaign. And I can say that I approved of his decision. He brought me back on down the hill with instructions to, well, bowl a lot better than I had in my first spell.

117 for 2 soon became 145 for 8. I clean bowled Cronin for 11, skipper Sambrook for 2, danger man Holland for 35 (he'd just hit me for a glorious four) and Anderson next ball. A Kid came in next (a 12-year-old called Tye) and - on a hat trick - there was no way I was slowing down.

As a new dad myself, if I don't think they can cope in the middle, I don't send them out. End of argument. Anyway, he was better than most of the adults so the glaring from the umpire as my first ball to him flew past him at chest height was unnecessary in my opinion. Anyway, I failed to get him out and paid the penalty.

Alex Heathcote replaced me and got his first wicket for the club, another stumping for Mick. Medlock snaffled Andy Farrell, and we eventually ran the Kid out to end the Lionel's innings on 149.

At times it looked close, but Lionels ran out of steam in the misty drizzle.

Winners
Jani: for his best knock for Sundowners so far

Smiler: takes his average to 125.5 with 63n.o.

Me: for bowling quickly at a kid.

Losers
B Cosgrove: we expected much more than a goldie

M McGowan: Chose not to bat. How many times would you see him at No 10 on a scorecard with DNB next to it...??

© Dominic Pilgrim 2003