Cramer vs Venturers, Wednesday June 10th

Game abandoned, rain; Cramer: 90-4 off 16 overs; Venturers: 3-0 off 1 over

Given the dark clouds and intermittent showers during the day, there was always a suspicion that this game might fall victim to the British summer. However, both captains agreed to give it a go and as Crammer started their batting, the sun emerged and all was well in the world. Simon gave everyone a bowl, the tactic making it hard for batsmen to get into their rhythm. Most did a good job in their short stints and, as usual, Alex kept wicket beautifully. He is an unsung hero in our team, dealing with all sorts of dross thrown down the wicket every week without complaint. On this occasion, he saved a number of wides destined for fours down the leg side and had a perfectly good catch given not out.

Matthew bowled two solid overs and his wicket was a beauty, ripping the middle stump out of the ground with the savagery of Shoaib Akhtar. Alex bowled decently and not many runs came from his overs and then came Paul. Batsmen dread variety and this over had it all – a length ball, a wide ball, a full ball, a perfect Yorker, almost a bouncer, a leg glance, and, with the last ball, a wicket, caught at short mid wicket. Alistair bowled his second over the season, going for four and keeping Roger (a.k.a. Judas of Cramer) honest. The best bowler was Nigel – two overs, one maiden, one wicket for one run. His wicket, a nice catch by Paul at mid off, was the prized one of Harjeet, one of Cramer's best players. So with pretty solid bowling all round, good wicket keeping, and some keen fielding, the run rate was kept below 6 an over. 91 seemed very much achievable on a good wicket.

Tom and Chris marched out to face a Cramer team rather disheartened a the prospect of fielding n increasingly miserable conditions. Three came off the over - Chris noted his one was an elegant late cut dissecting the close fielders to the approval of all onlookers. However, to date, no one has come forward to corroborate his version of events! Then, as the over came to an end, the heavens opened and everyone ran.

Saurabh argued that in Mumbai this wouldn't really constitute rain. Tom, having gently caressed the ball around the park for his two not out agreed that it really was gutless and very un-British not to continue. However, a lack of grit and fortitude won out as the two captains agreed to call it off. Perhaps the most disappointed of all was Alistair. Having spent the whole day desperately seeking spots of blue sky, corralled everyone to get the game started in the first place, and convinced that, with a little patience, the sun would return, he went to the bar. Even the flat green bowlers braved the conditions! Sure enough, by 8 o'clock it was a lovely sunny evening and Simon had to admit that he was the biggest wimp on the planet for calling a halt to proceedings! Oh, the benefit of hindsight!

Fixtures & Results 2009