Tantrums by both skippers as Dads Army cruise home

Ivan Naisbitt who was a late call up to the team on Saturday evening, announced what we all thinking as he arrived in the changing room; "this is the worst team I have ever played in".

Cruel words, but when you consider everyone in the team except Jani made their debut in 1986 or before, you can see youth was not on our side.

Black Rose elected to bat.

The "Cat" opened the bowling from the "Bathard end", knowing he was in for a number of overs.

After some consultation the new ball at the downhill end was thrown to emerging (39 year old) all-rounder Paul Ferdenzi.

Cat was particularly miserly and started to chip away at the wickets. His first victim was well held by stumper Mick McGowan. This was quickly followed by the clean bowling of Gunter.

I nipped out the other opener, Lathey, having replaced PF down the hill.

All this brought Andre Mishra to the wicket, who has been our bogey man of late. He had worked his way to 22 with the usual array of powerful thwacks, but hadn't counted on Cats mastery of the Southover "Ridge". A bouncing grenade shot off the top edge of his bat and fell kindly to PF waiting in the gully.

The only person not happy with this was poor old Mark Naisbitt who had been banished from the gully the previous ball to stand on the cow corner boundary, and missed out on another catch.

A couple of stumpings by "lightning" McGowan could have changed the whole complexion of the game. Both were given not out when all our close fielders swore blind the batsmen's feet were raised.

Thomas, one of the beneficiaries, did not cause Cat to much trouble. With the aid of a truly remarkable left-handed catch at first slip by PF, he was on his way next over.

Shah however cashed in on his luck, and carried the rest of the Black Rose innings to end up on 91 not out. I van's one over for 20 being a casualty.

PF was called back into the attack to mop up the tail end which he did in a similar fashion to Jacques Kallis's demolition of England at Headingly.

OK you want the real story; a wide (nicked to "lightning"), long hop (caught and bowled), two bounces (bowled).

Black Rose were all out for 191. Smiler was not happy we hadn't bowled them out for less. His anger had been brought to boiling point during the Black Rose innings, when Gareth "Jonty" Williams, had hurled the stumps down resulting in an overthrow. Some choice language from the skipper was answered by the young upstart at point with the immortal line "stop swearing Smiler there are children about….you prick".

The tea was up to its usual high standard, so much so we now have our own vultures.

Smiler and "yours truly" were the opening pair for "Dads Army" in the absence of the holidaying V.

We got the innings off to a good start, before I holed out to midwicket for 14, much to Smiler's displeasure.

I was replaced by the gritty lad Cosgrove from the hard knocks of life streets of Gipton, Leeds. Baz as he is more affectionately known decided to take his fight to the Black Rose attack.

Baz's technique, as he will freely admit, is not up there with the greats of his youth, Hobbs, Sutcliffe etc. He does however possess a fine sporting eye for a ball. Three fours and some characteristic scurrying raced him to 18 before he fell to the accurate Shah.

Jani opened his account with a fine back foot shot through point for four. 4 runs later though he forgot to come forward on the Southover track and lost his off stump.

Steve Golding having arrested himself from his afternoon slumber joined Mick McGowan with the total on 76.

All apart from the overly confident Naisbitt junior (Ivan) felt this was our last chance of winning the match.

Slowly the pair began to build a partnership, and as the runs began to mount we could sense the frustration grow in the Black Rose fielders and bowlers.

Andre rotated his bowlers well but the breakthrough was not coming. Steve did give him a couple of chances. Twice in two balls we saw the ball go into and out of the skipper's hands at mid-off.

We could not believe our luck, and the rest of the Black Rose team kept quiet as they could see their skipper reaching explosion point.

Mick cruised past 50 with two fours in one over, and our total was nudging ever closer to the 192 target.

With the overs and the light dwindling, both batsmen stepped up the pace. One slog drive from Mick into the gardens was a nail to many in the Black Rose coffin.

We cruised home with 2.1 overs to spare. Golds tried to complete his 50 with a six, but sadly the ball fell short of the boundary and he raced through for the two needed.

Mick 77 not out and Steve 46 not out had completed a 116 unbroken stand and guided the old duffers to unlikely victory. It just goes to show; maybe Dads Army all those years ago wasn't such a bad idea!

As a footnote; Smiler was happy again.

On to the days winners and losers;

The Winners:
Dave "Cat" Cattell - Carried our bowling attack finishing with the excellent figures of 18-4-47-5

PF - 3 wickets and two catches, is there anything beyond this mans cricketing talent?

Mick McGowan - 77 not out, two catches (two stumpings?)

Steve "Golds" Golding - 46 not out and a good kip

The Losers:
Who wants to mention losers with such a glorious victory

Next week we travel to Calthorpe, another league side who will fancy their chances against little "ole" Sundown Specials.