WHEELS FALL OFF AS WEEKENDERS WILT BEFORE WAGGONERS WHIPPING

Ballinger Waggoners 210 a.o. (42.3 ov)
WCC 150 a.o. (42 ov)

Re-live it with PJ Harvey:

After Saturday's well-timed Heimlich manoeuvre from Douglas saved the
Weekenders from the biggest choke of the season spirits were buoyant for
Sunday’s final game in leafy Bucks.  The foreign legion arrived early doors
and proceeded to hit up in the nets provided, such enthusiasm for pre
pre-season training no doubt playing its own part in what was to come.  Not
having been forewarned by the oppo that "The Pheasant" was not the preferred
boozer, Skipper and entourage then proceeded to alienate the local yeoman in
another ominous sign that Saturday's heroics might not be repeated.

With humidity, low cloud and some unpredictable bounce the all-seam
Weekenders attack could not have asked for better conditions and Douglas
wasted no time as a Seaman-style save across the vacant gully goal-mouth by
Johnstone secured wicket number one.  At the other end Harvey Jnr proceeded
to bowl five overs of looseners in an effort to shake out the cobwebs in
time for season 2004/05.  Replaced by Dunne, the tyro could only marvel at a
masterclass in bowling, the opening 5 over spell of 1 for none has surely
never been bettered in the club's history.  As the two Senior Pros ran amok
Douglas levelled with his own personal best and things were looking gold for
the Weekenders. 

However, as rain began to fall so the runs began to flow as a trio of
Ballinger cubs proceeded to find holes in the flagging Weekenders offensive.
With the sight of the irrepressible Desmeules attacking everything within
reach, and much that was not, coupled with some choice catching saw wickets
fall at a steady clip with first Ray D'Inverno then Julian Lyons striking
back hard in combination with the inexhaustible "Atlas" Dunne still steaming
in from the EU end.  Brockis was typically tidy behind the timber and only
an "unsighted" umpire finding in favour of the accused deprived him of a
second well-earned stumping. 

In a skippering masterstroke d'Inverno M passed the baton to Julian.
Bringing all his local knowledge to bear on the situation, Squire Lyons
threatened to throw the pill to PJ who had been busily baking pies in
preparation.  The batsmen could not contain their impatience for the
impending run feast and duly imploded as Dunne bagged a 4-fer and Douglas
celebrated pushing his own 8 year old record up a couple of notches to 43
wickets for a season.

After a sumptuous tea the Weekenders opening pairing of Hogben and Harvey M
set off in pursuit of a gettable 210.  Hoggers set off a little quicker and
raced to 29 before Harvey M had pulled on his gloves but after spanking a
four in a bid to replicate his own PB of 9 fours in a row, Harvey M was the
first wicket to fall bringing new guy Andy "Brandy" Vickery to the crease.
Fresh from a sparkling debut the day before, the runs continued to flow
freely as Hogben and Brandy reeled in the Waggoner's score.  As has so often
happened before and quite against the run of play, tragedy struck.  No one
was quite sure what happened but once the dust had settled Hogben was on his
way for a fighting 39.  Undaunted and undeterred, Brockis and Brandy skipped
hand in hand into double figures but a double-play saw both the B's back in
the pavilion.  The middle order then came and went without troubling the
scorers, the spectators or even themselves terribly much and a quick call to
Ladbrokes revealed the Weekenders had slipped seamlessly from odds-on to
evens to rank outsiders before the rot could be stopped.

Dunne and Douglas dug in to rescue some dignity but when Derbyshire's finest
sportingly checked to make sure that partner Ray had made his ground before
crossing the white line himself was run-out for 23 it was all over and the
Weekenders were left to rue on what might of been. 

Thanks to the oppo for a top game and the feast laid on at the post-match
boozer.

Douglas 10.3-0-48-4, P.Harvey 5-0-35-0, Dunne 16-5-60-4, R.d'Inverno
5-2-36-1, Lyons 6-2-18-1
catches: Vickery, Johnstone, P.Harvey, Lyons, R.d'Inverno
stumping: Brockis

Hogben 39, M.Harvey 5, Vickery 18, Brockis 27, Johnstone 0, Lyons 8,
Desmeules 0, P.Harvey 2, Douglas 10, Dunne 23, R.d'Inverno 0*

M.d'Inverno dnb (12 man fielding rotation)

Miscellaneous:
Douglas 43 wkts in season, beating previous club record (Douglas 41 in 1995)

Golden moments:
Douglas having smashed club records then being put to work in the kitchen at
Chateau Lyons to whip up chilli con carne whilst the Lord of the Manor
acknowledged that he assumed there was an oven but didn't actually know
where it was.