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Sunday 19th July 2009 The Vice's First Grip on the Team Well, firstly, I must begin by stating that I am neither eating nor drinking at this current juncture, so nothing of interest to comment on there just yet. After endulging in several pints of Guinness on Friday night to celebrate the end of school/summer holidays starting I am not quite ready to put my body through any more alcohol-based punishment. Us teachers love a bit of merriment (right Harv?), but I definitely went a little overboard. Had a bit of a drinky poo in school during the afternoon - those Year 6s can drink a drop! - then headed to the Ruggers for more of the same. Belted out 'Tainted Love' by Soft Cell, 'Losing My Religion' by REM and S Club 7's all-time classic 'S Club Party' on the Oke Kokey, but the rest is a blur as the black stuff took a firm hold. Thus, Saturday morning was a little hazy to say the least. Rang their skipper half expecting (praying!) the game was off, but was informed the wicket was playable. Then had a text off the Gizzard to say that Bevan had been struck down by Pork Flu, so had to get on the blower to D to see who I could pinch from the 2s. My 'knight in shining armour' arrived in the form of David Niall Sheen - thank you, Big Guy. I appeared at the Railers at around 12.35pm reeking of booze, but thank goodness, greeted by everyone who was supposed to be there. Arrived at their ground with plenty of time to spare, although it was rather tricky to spot where they had cut the track. I am now well aware of the meaning of the phrase 'green top'! Called tails at the toss, won (100% record) and stuck the home team in. Due to my intoxicated state I thought about throwing the new ball to Matty Ross, but that would have been a poor statement on my part. No offence to Rossi, but I, as skipper, needed to lead from the front. Cue dropped catches galore and much sloppiness until my aforementioned hero, the Sheenster, plucked a one-handed fizzer out of the air at first slip which served as a massive wake-up call. Thanks again fella! We held them to 161 for 9 off their 45 overs, however, it could have been a lot less had their opener not been allowed to score 50 runs too many. The wickets were shared between myself with 3, Rossi 2, Baylo 2 and a little gem of a spell from the new master of the shuffle, Chisler Brookes (2 for 15 off 5). Now for the best bit... The tea. We left the field at the interval dodging a very heavy shower which I thought was going to curtail the afternoon's events. So we gave the food a real rollocking. A fine array of pate on rolls, boiled spuds, pork pies (sorry you missed them, Bev), coleslaw, mini savoury eggs and for afters, those dreamy scones with cream and strawberries. Luckily, the rain abated, but had juiced the pitch up a bit, giving the Pont bowlers a bit of confidence and making our job slightly more difficult. Their Springbok skipper, Franny Lodder, bowled two excellent spells to return figures of 2 for 12 off his 10 overs. I was batting during his second spell and he made me look like I had never held the willow stick before in my life. Fortunately, his back-up bowlers gave us enough balls to hit. Pooley and Giz looked good again, but I'm sure they will be disappointed with the manner of their dismissals. It was left to a bit of lusty hitting from 'Twinkle Toes' and a scratchy red-inker from myself to see us home with 2 overs to spare. We finished on 162 for 6 and pocketed 25 points for our efforts. Chis's rendition of the 'Love Boat' was the highlight of the shower experience. I wanted to join in but was still feeling slightly subdued - not a reflection on the performance, which was largely satisfying, but excess beer and running a few consecutive 2s are not my idea of heaven! Right, enough from me for the time-being. Thank you all for listening. Heads on now for the Biggy on Saturday. In the words of Bonnie the Jack - I'm holding out for a hero. Goodnight, God bless fellas x x x Saturday 18th July 2009 One Cos I'm Gonna Miss You All Actually I'm ripping a load of new cd's i've bought to transfer onto mp3 player to take on hols and as such have a bit of time on me hands, Mrs Faly has retired to her sleeping quarters and so am free to wax lyrical on this information highway. To catch up cricket wise since last blog and win against llanarth, following week's game against Caerleon was called off and thus we entertained Crumlin at home. Can't explain why but I felt nervous going into this one, in the main I think because we haven't got a good recent record against local sides (or many others for that matter! but I think you know what I mean). Can't remember the toss but in any case we batted first on a goodish wicket but then committed Hari Kari. JD not getting going, Gizzy getting a very dubious leg before decision, and before we knew it 4 wickets were down for not very much, Chis started a fight back before being run out, Rossi and Milo briging some resistance and eventually we were all out for 170 odd in the last over.(not got the scorebooks so can't be precise with figures ) We had a good go at them bowling wise and the story of the season so far in as much as soon as we've got past the first three or four there isn't much to back opposition batting up. JD's quote of the day "superstar my arse, there's only one Pringle" after sending successive balls past the outside edge of their bright young thing. To date all our other results have shown that we shouldn't be in this league but the displays against Llantwit & Crumlin kinda show why we have ended up here. Havng a glass of wine but too early in the unit count for drunken ramblings, had a great chinese earlier in the night from the Hong Kong in Llan. The thai special cow mein is awesome. Try it and watch out the following morning though. Quite simply the game against Brynmawr was one of the nuttiest i've ever played in. They scored 280 plus. Their one opener had umpteen chances, was not given out plumb lbw, and I mean plumb, Goughie wasn't too sure at the time!!!!!! " Well well that's the worst I've seen in thirty years" (that's the clean version of that quotaton). Meanwhile their other opener batted with a great deal more certainty but when on around 40odd was stumped superbly by Bevan twice and not given. The first one wasn't even close, his foot up in the air. To have to chase the ball around that field for 45 overs, to put up with not only umpteen edges and cross bat swipes and have two very clear cut decisions not given rubbed shedloads of salt somewhat into a very deep and open wound. Thankfully I had lost the toss and so they had chosen to bat, although it has to be said I probably would have bowled anyway (a cold shiver crawls over me as I recall a sunny day down Cardiff, a home game against Pencoed to name but two well intentioned but ultimately catastrophically flawed decisions by Faly) We went to tea full of our customary gallows humour but not without a combined will to fight it out with the bat. What followed was an epic stand between JD and Giz of around 170 for the opening wicket. Gizzy determined not to get a bloody ton this year. And despite skipper Faly giving the 'Mawr a little hope with his wicket, Wes supported the One and Only Pringle to see us with a couple of overs to spare. JD finishing unbeaten on 146. Simply awesome, simply ruthless. To go from one of the longest 45 overs I've ever experienced to watching JD ad Giz do what they did so effortlessly was surreal. Slight get of jail despite my claims of injustice because we didn't bowl well enough either. Moving on to the week after it kind of threw my early season plans to bat first right out of the window. I viewed batting first as a statement of positive intent but now I think we just say you go first, see what you get and no matter what it is we'll get it. No doubt the voices in my head will tell me something different before the sason's out. The next two games against firstly Blaengarw home and then Penarth away were both examples of that. We had an inkling that we could get bot sides out relatively cheaply if we got the top three out and so it proved on both occasions. Trappy getting lucky with a couple against the Garw (they should still be looking for the one he got Struthers with! Spawny spawny). Once again JD carried his bat against the Garw to lead us home, Wes and then AB providing the supporting roles. To Penarth where after being 145 for 1 in a game reduced to 40 overs we bowled them out for 181. A good all round bowling effort, young gun Dan Gaille taking three wickets and four sparkling catches. Point of interest, all wickets were catches, and some mighty fine ones too, Chis the epitome of casualness in his two skiers. The runs were chalked off in 30 overs, FAC Poole absolutely magnificent in destroying their attack to get his maiden ton and unbeaten to boot. Other highlight Dickie Clark sprinting around the adjacent pitch to come into bat, class, and of course welcoming the legend Greenaway into our fold, he can and he did, do a job. Pooley, make it bigger, regular and more importantly you know what. And a rather splendid night was had by all to celebrate the The Spawn Kings birthday. Tomorrow's or todays game I should say looks very doubtful, Big Wes is leading te side for the next three weeks as Faly heads off to sunnier climbs in the Balearic Isle of Menorca. Hope to come back slightly less blue, fully refreshed and to a 100% record. Probably get ousted a la Hussain/Vaughan. Damn you Mr Price ;-). Time to wrap this up, putting the last of the cd's in. Disc 2 of an Echo & The Bunnymen greatest hits compilation. The others were Kasabian - Empire, and the first three Kings of Leon albums. Don't know why I think I will be listening to any of them on holiday, will get overruled by Mrs & Miss Faly in favour of Abba. I will obviously pretend not to be enjoying it. Probably have one more glass of vino before sliding off up the wooden hill, strangely don't feel hungry, not a feeling i'm too familiar with, must be the excitement of going away. Llantwit Major and Llanarth coming up, win those two and we've got one foot in Div 2 methinks. We owe Llantwit a performance but conversely Llanarth will be gunning for revenge also. In the words of Bonnie, I'm holding out for a hero, so don't let me down guys, when i trot down to the t'internet cafe and chuck my cents into the slot let me read good news. I kissed her lips slowly as I undid her dress My hand reached down to gently caress But there's something there that I didn't expect... Let me come home to the dream Older log >> |