Thursday, February 23, 2012

As the second half of the season got under way it was Helperby visiting Pierres Park and with a good forecast and a new dry deck Angry was hoping to win the toss and have a bat as the temperature started to rise. A right call from the visiting captain and strangely Blubbs were in to bat for the first half of the game.........More

Whirlwind Whacker Saves the Day

Torrential rain on Friday and a heavy shower on Saturday had the game in doubt as Blubbs travelled to Birstwith for this weeks fixture, after some consideration the umpires agreed a two thirty toss and a three o'clock start with thirty five over per side as Sherman and Heardie discussed barge trips around the countryside.........More

Ouseburn Overhaul

As the season reached the halfway point Angry found himself venturing across the countryside to take on table toppers Ouseburn for a tough match which Sherman was hoping would be rained off, and Crash Test Dummy wished Angry had never called him into the squad. Winning the toss Angry decided it might be best for Blubbs to field first and give Bubba time to shake off his whiplash, concussion, shock and sore finger after been thrown around Gazzas Gimp-mobile thirty minutes prior to arriving at the ground.........More

Wet Wicket Spoils Steam Rally Trip

Rain, rain and more rain meant the trip to Masham looked doubtful at nine o'clock on Saturday morning, by twelve Angry got the call from the hosts saying the game was off due to ducks swimming on the sqaure and Sherman looked forward to a day painting the bathroom..........More

Whirlwind Whacker Saves the Day

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As two thirty came around Angry knew this would be a good toss to win knowing the damp track would favour the side bowling first, heads was the call, heads was the result and Blubbs should have been bowling first but a strange decision from the captain found Bubba and Angry padding up to bat for the first half of the game and the umpires were scratching their heads wondering if Angry had been with the Chuckle Brothers at the Sun Inn earlier in the day.

Blubbs got off to a sticky start as ball spun and spat of the deck and the sun slowly dried out the mud, Bubba looked to take the attack to the Birstwith bowling but a miss hit cut found it's way straight to point and with only six on the board the Blubbs dangerman was back in the hut for five and Winton was on his way out to the middle after begging for the number three spot.

Another eight runs later had the hosts celebrating again as Winton chipped up a simple catch to mid-on and Angry's head was in his hands wondering why he'd let himself get talked into batting first as Winton made his way off the field for a long afternoons spectating.

Angry and Bertie managed to put on a stand of thirteen before Bertie was put to the sword nicking a catch behind and Blubbs were in trouble at twenty seven for three as Hoff made his return to the squad at five hoping the week off would bring him some much needed runs.

The Blubbs collapse continued five runs later when Angry nicked one to the keeper and the bubbling captain made his way off the field looking like a cooling tower at Ferrybridge as Gobby took to the field at six.

Thirty two for four was soon thirty eight for five when another catch went up, this time from Gobby and it was looking like an early finish to the game as Bungle staggered out to take guard.

Bungle managed to contribute one run to the total before edging one straight into the keepers mitts and Angry was wondering if Blubbs would even get to fifty and whether batting first was the right decision as Sherman assured him it wasn't.

As the good ship Angry continued to leak Vassey continued to swish wildy at the Birstwith attack much to the disgruntlement of the captain and it was only a matter of time before the next Blubbs wicket would fall, two runs later and the fat lady was starting to sing and Angry was starting to boil as Vassey became the next to fall chipping up another soft catch and Birstwith were into the tail as the visitors tottered on forty one for seven.

More anguish followed four runs later when Birstwith picked up the eighth Blubberhouses wicket when Hoff "the lobster" gifted his wicket to the hosts and Angry was seething as the brown stuff flew out of the fan with only Sherman and Festa left to visit the crease and still sixteen overs to play.

As Sherman made his way out to the middle Angry knew fifty wasn't enough to defend as the deck continued to dry out and what should have been a regulation victory was turning out to be a shock defeat as Heardie trundled in with four balls left to pick up a fivefer.

Sherman put up the shutters and the Birstwith players "oohed" and "aahhed" as the ball passed by the edge of the bat, a tactical chat from Whacker at the end of the over and Whacker started to open the throttle, picking up boundaries as Sherman blocked out the other end.

The Blubbs nine and ten scrabbled forty four runs, most of them to Whacker before Sherman finally succumbed to a straight one from Neale and Blubbs were eighty nine for nine as Festa made his way out to the middle.

Whacker continued to pummel the Birstwith attack smashing the ball out of the ground quickly passing fifty and Blubbs were back in the game as the score passed one twenty.

Fester got in on the act as Neale tried to bounce him out, an edge through slips brought four more quickly followed by a spinning pirouette netting a six and Blubbs had twelve balls to bat out for the point.

The batting point didn't figure in Whackers plans as the hosts continued to fetch the ball from three fields away, six balls to play and Blubbs had one forty nine on the board, a bye from the first ball and Whacker was back on strike, an almighty swing from the Blubbs number nine and it was innings over as Whacker top edged the delivery straight to third man and Birstwith were looking at one fifty for victory.

After the break Winton and Whacker got the second half underway and with a modest total to defend quick wickets were a must if Blubbs were to stand any chance of gaining any points from the days play.

Six on the board and Winton got the early breakthrough Angry was looking for when Legget missed a straight one and off stump bounced down the ground.

Next over and the batting hero took care of Millward, edging one to Vassey who this week looked like a keeper, diving left and holding on to a difficult catch behind the sticks.

Two runs later and Winton had two in the bag as Croston backed across the stumps and missed with the bat and Mr Tan was chomping at the bit as the Birstwith number five took guard early in the innings.

With Hardisty and Riley at the crease the hosts started to pick off the runs, Riley was given a life, lobbing a simple catch to Hoff who was still thinking of hotter weather and running along the beach in hot pants and the dangerman was looking to finish the game fast.

Controversy struck as Winton got Riley, edging to Vassey's gloves and as the batsman walked and Blubbs celebrated, the umpire stopped the batsman. As Angry debated and claimed the catch, John Wayne kept his shooters firmly in his pocket, bringing the batsman back and the game continued.

Bertie took over from Winton and Sherman took over from Whacker but the deck had died a death and the runs continued to leak, seventy three needed for victory and seven wickets in the bag had Birstwith odds on favourites to mop up the full six points from the game, Angry introduced Gobby into the attack and ten runs later Riley top edged the Jolly Joiner to Whacker at third man and the hosts were four down but still in command of the game.

Three runs later and the game swayed back to fifty fifty, Winton brought back into the attack for Sherman immediately taking care of Hardisty with a simple caught and bowled, and as the celebrations continued Hardisty turned and had a few choices words to Winton as the team sent him on his way and with five wickets to take Angry was getting excited.

Half asleep Hoff finally woke up as Birstwith reached one hundred and ten, Armitage flashing at one too many picking out the cherry coloured lifeguard at mid-wicket and the hosts still needed forty for victory as Whacker replaced Winton and Winton replaced Gobby in a double change by Angry.

The change worked straight away, Whacker cleaning up Hirst and as the score got closer and the wickets kept tumbling it was still anyones game for the taking. Elmer Fudd sniffed at a chance with only three wickets to get, Heard edging a wide one straight to Vassey and the Teflon salesman held onto a simple catch.

It wasn't long before wicket nine fell as the rabbit hunter cleaned up Neale who was given his marching orders only to turn around and started mouthing off whilst the umpire tried to find where his bails had gone. With one wicket remaining and twenty runs to win, the game was tense.

Whacker charged in from the car park end but Heptinstall managed to keep him out, jumping around, near misses but Fudd got the final wicket, Wain unmoved as the off stump cartwheeled and Blubbs had five points in the bag.

Points: Birstwith 1, Blubberhouses 5

Fielding Points: Whacker (x2)

Fact of the day: Hard dry wickets usually yield high scores with the bat, soggy wet wickets don't!

Champagne Moment: Fester getting chin music and smashing the ball out the park, Viv Richards style.