The Loons were looking for the 3rd T20 win against West Ashling this year. With 2 games to go in the season, the skipper was keen to win the toss and rack up a huge total.  The opposition skipper had incorrectly called tails. Incredibly the right finger muscles in the skippers thumb, created the correct velocity to spin a heads. (maybe I should put it down to the groundsman, who had spent 13 hours previously in the morning to get the pitch prepared and ensuring there was enough bounce on the pitch to land on a heads)

GAME ON

Steve Day and Chris Mac opened the account. Steve caressed the second ball to the boundary. A very promising start. Then disaster struck. The ball popped up, off the pitch, and he was caught spooning it up. Tragically, the loons were one down.  To ensure  the groundsman did not pass out due to physical exhaustion for the Herculean effort in pitch preparation, T-Rex was sent into bat. For a man who had worked more overtime than a worker ant in an ant colony, it seemed his energy levels were boundless. Will T swung at every ball, like it was the last ball of the world cup final, needing a 6 to win. At one point I heard the swish of the bat, whilst umpiring at square leg, almost 25 m away. Chris played the unfamiliar role of anchorman. Usually tagged as the boundary seeker. He masterfully manipulated the ball, hitting an array of singles and a few boundaries in between. A solid 2nd wicket partnership had the loons 59-1, off of 5 overs. Off to a flyer! After the short armed predator, retired not out on 30, Chris was bowled out for 17.  A double change of personnel. At numbers 4 and 5, came Martin Ford, and Little ‘Big pig’ Pigden. The Ashling side could sense a change and were accurate with their bowling. Keeping the twin towers pegged down a bit with some tight bowling. A bit of consolidation , singles, dots and twos were required so that the pair could become accustomed to the pitch. After this period, the long handle approach was unleashed, both hitting a combination of 8 boundaries and a maximum, to all parts of the park. It was a marvel to behold. At the half way stage, the loons were approximately 100 off 10 overs. Just a few weeks previous  in the burford cup final. This was the amount after the full innings.  There was talk of doubling the score, but that would involve (as the GOAT from WWE , never seen 17, John Cena would say ‘Ruthless Aggression’)

The Twin towers had fulfilled their role reaching a double retirement for 32 not out….. each. A freaky Friday exchange for two other loons at 6 and 7 (hand movements up and down) Both smaller in stature, but not at heart. Willy Mac and the overseas Jean Claude, strode out to the crease. A brutal 22 off 9 balls from Mac the knife, striking every ball straight over the fielders heads Tran hit 25 off 13 balls from his impromptu stay and they both continued to pile on the runs. Included in this partnership were 11 singles, a two, with only 3 dot balls. (A shout out to  Steve Day for including the dot balls and Willy Mac at the beginning of the innings, so this information was readily at hand for the overall match report)

Willy Mac was caught on the boundary by a stunner. Enter Muzza Murray at number 8 ,after fielding for the opposition, for the majority of the match. The Sunday opener Justin began his account with a single and 2 boundaries off 3 balls. The aggression continued. The magic 200 mark was steadily approaching. A seasons best for the T20 season, by a long way. Next in was Big Pig, with instructions to swing from the hip and have some fun. 8 runs off 5 balls. Justin ended on 17 not out off 9 balls. After accumulating a very imposing total of 203 runs, Lavant were feeling confident at the half time ‘hydration break’.

With a plethora of 11 bowlers to choose from, the skipper tried a new opening bowling pair. The bursar Burford opening from the River End and Robbo from the Pavillion. Dave was as miserly as ever from the favoured end. Two, dot , dot, bowled, single, dot. 1 -3 . The perfect start! Robbo, employing the long run up, bowled excellent lines and lengths,  bamboozling the Ashling top order. As his confidence grew, so did his run up. At one stage he was almost running in from the kitchen door of the pavilion. Bob Willis would have been so proud. After 7 overs the total was only 39-1.  Way under the asking rate of 10 RPO. A sensational, catch of the day, at point, by ‘go go gadget arms’ Steve day. Surprisingly this magnificent feat was not celebrated by the loons,  who were probably dumbfounded by how superb the catch really was! Or maybe they just couldn’t be bothered to walk around the pitch.  Dave ended on 16-2 off 4 overs. (Bowler of the day). A double change and ‘Big Pig’ Chris Pigden stepped up to the plate. Bowling in the middle overs is never an  easy task,  as the opposition were needing to up the ante. He held his nerve and bowled three overs for 23 runs. Still way under the asking rate. The skipper (feeling experimental and like a mad scientist) decided to use his gut and deploy his own ‘Will Jacks’ finger spinner. – Steve Day.  Just singles off his first over, then a clean bowled in his second over by the impressive off spinner. Footnote: this was his first bowl this season for Lavant.! Steve completed the outing with a solid 26-2 off the full compliment. 

Light was fading fast, shadows were being cast over the magnificent L’oval, with an orange hue, that resmbled a  classic Turner painting. An aggressive slip attack and the Max pulled out a speccy, 1st slip catch diving low to his right. A cheeky wicket to the skipper. 

VC Willy Mac was whispering ideas to the skipper to unleash Vileda -the mop- Murray. As usual, he did not disappoint, with the added feature of deploying some legspin bowling (sort of resembling Shane Warne) a skill where he was honing in the school playground, with ten year olds, on asphalt, with rubber incrediballs. 

A comment from our resident Leggie, Max Pigden, suggested he should  use more of his wrist to impart more spin. Even without much turn, he was able to dismiss two batsmen, one batsmen caught, whilst another caught and bowled. Finishing with 16-2 off 3 overs.  Ashling had fallen short by 84 runs. 

A convincing win for the motley crew by 84 runs. However, Cricket was the winner on the day: 

323 runs, 6 retired not outs from both teams. 10 wickets overall. 

A balmy 20 degree evening. Sensational catching from Max, Steve and Martin. High standards of fielding

Every member contributing to the team cause. 

But much more impressively, A gluten free cake made by the skippers opposition wife to be shared. 

Champagne moment of the day:

Robbo Bob Willis and the long run up from the Pavillion end, with 4 overs of class

Player of the day:

Retired not out

*A stand in keeper 

*Rugby tackled by a prop forward umpiring at square

*Boundary extraordinaire 

*Endless hours of pitch preparation 

The short armed predator -TRex

Without his dedication, there would be no game of this high calibre. All of Lavant, thank you with all of our hearts. 

The final game of the season is Chidham at Bosham , next Thursday. Do you want to be a part of the mid week team fun and frivolity? Remember to put your name in the Teamo App. Tune in for more….next week. 

Mic drop.