Half Mast All Round!

My apologies for the delay in reporting the matches of the weekend of the 17th June but I have been in mourning!

Never before have I managed to watch three games in a weekend and all of them end in defeat. What's more the England team were even worse against their West Indian opposition. Perhaps we'll do better in the next Test, especially since we have four Yorkshire men in the side. The fact that England have one young Matthew Hoggard playing made me try to recall games from a few years ago.

Thankfully, with my memory not what it was, I was able to dig out the old scorebooks.

The 2nd May 1992 was the first time we came up against the then 15 year old who came in at number 10 for Pudsey Congs 3rd Xl and scored an unmemorable 4 not out, but his bowling spell of 7-2-13-0 did raise a few eyebrows. He must have upset his skipper though because he was never brought back on! The Tong team on that day consisted of: Peel(42), Parker(55), Cross(0), Rule(0), S Holmes(21), Fairbrother(0), McCutcheon(32), Taylor(7), Turner(1), J Fradley(3) and Button(0). The result, Tong losing by 39 runs.

The following year we came up against young Hoggard on two occasions and though he failed to get a wicket against us again on the second of these (15-7-29-0), on the first of these he was definitely a match winner. On that 1st May we were chasing a Congs total of 156 but were skittled out for a mere 26 runs! Hoggard ending up with figures of 7-1-14-4. Of the Tong team only five current members were playing: Parker(1), Rule(0), S Holmes(0), McCutcheon(13) and Taylor(0). By the way, I'm sure that Ruley did score some runs against Congs at some stage - I'll keep looking and let you know!

Saturday 17th June 1st Xl v Caribbean at home.

Half Mast - Part 1

Arriving at half time from the Tongan game the report of the 1st Xl batting went somewhat as follows:

"We got off to quite a good start, Reg and Lacky taking the score to 44 in the 14th over before the latter went for 27. Reg was attempting to secure his end (not sure what was meant by this - Ed!) and had accumulated a meagre 8. Skippy then went two overs later for the addition of only a further single."

"Daz and Butts then put on a further 25 runs, thanks mainly to a flurry of byes before Mr. Wattley captured both of them and fat Boy - all LBW!! By this stage we had collapsed to 71 for 5 in the 24th over."

"Horners and Stocky both decided to get the legs out the way of Mr Wattley, and were consequently bowled!"

"Thankfully our Zimbabwean import - Dave (Heath) Gregory gathered a few runs at the end of the innings, whilst McCutch and Hammy both failed to impress. The innings concluding on 107 with eight overs left."

There was some good news though at the ground. Apparently Reg had had his purse (left in a taxi with his mobile a previous Saturday morning) returned to him. Obviously this had been the result of an excess of something, but it did lead to much wit and repartee at Highbury, especially when Reg announced that he used to have a purse with a string tie that he could secure around his wrist! Biggest laugh at Highbury was when the Leeds League skipper asked if Reg had a contact number so that he could confirm the next days inter-league fixture!

Anyway, back to Tong.

As suspected, the Caribbean openers were not going to hang around and both Smiler and Elton took some stick in the opening six overs. The first wicket falling to Piggsy in the 12th over with the score at 63 - Bob (plus glasses) holding the ball at long-(at Tong?)-on.

In a hunt for wickets Skippy turned to 'Heath Streak' Gregory, with immediate effect. Off a deceptively short run-up, Heath knocked over the stumps twice and ended up with figures of 5-2-12-2, an excellent performance on top of his batting.

Continuing the search for a breakthrough, Reg brought himself on! A message quickly went out from the Tong crowd to the Caribbean batters - "For heaven's sake don't get yourself out!". Unfortunately, a certain Mr. J. Walker will not be able to hold his head up at Tong again as he was not only out to Reg's bowling but was also bowled!

For the benefit of Tong members we are having a forehead stamp made which says "You've told me Reg!"

The game was quickly folded up by the Caribbean team without further loss (thankfully!) and it was followed by the news that England had lost to the Windies by an innings - it's a good job that we beat Germany in the soccer otherwise it would have been a really black Saturday.