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The London Saints lads with the Golden Duck
Friday, March 24, 2006
SRI LANKA ROTARIANS 213 (Wathan 3-6, Thomas 2-14)
LONDON SAINTS 148 (Keenan 33, Burrell 20no, Shiels 18, Quinn 18no)
In the final game of the tour, London Saints again came up against a strong mix of youth and experience - but with the the team acclimatising to the conditions (another bloody perfect, windless day of 35c) we narrowed the margin of defeat to just 65 runs. Another three games and we'd have had 'em.
The venue was Kumar's old college and it was the first time he's been back since 1966. But things haven't changed - the current college First XI have four boys in the Sri Lanka U19s, and another old boy is current fast bowler Vaas.
The college cricket coach wasn't too happy with the pitch being used, as Zimbabwe U19s were due to play a warm-up the next day. Still, their game couldn't have been as entertaining as ours.
Johnny Quinn and Little John opened the bowling - LJ being the 22-year-old son of Reggie drinking stalwart Where's John. And with his fourth over, LJ produced a beauty to take the bails off the opener. It was lovely stuff. But progress was slow: for us. Not so for the opposition.
Keenan was the fly in the ointment
Two batsmen retired at 35no, including four sixes off Lord Lucan. After 14 overs, they had rattled up 112 runs - scoring, as usual, an average eight an over. But then among 10 bowlers, DT chipped in with two wickets (including his 350th for London Saints) and Wath decimated the lower middle order, with two in two balls - and a hat trick ball missing the stumps by a whisker. He had to retire after three wickets, the only LSSC member to do so all tour.
The Councillor, despite a gashed mouth sustained in a brave fielding manouevre, also claimed his first wicket on tour with a fine leg break, Lucan got a C&B and Speedtwin took his 50th catch off fine bowling by Ian Shiels (who later revealed in the bar that he is the son of a copper born in Portsmouth: didn't DT run checks on our new boys?). We restricted the opposition to 213 - compared with targets of 280 and 219 in the previous matches.
Our batting started well, with new boy Ian Shiels and Kumar putting on 41 without loss - until Kumar was again given out LBW by a London Saint umpire. This time he reckons he was plumb. Then Ian was bowled and, predictably, the collapse followed - Joe Ramdial, The Councillor (0) and Wath all out with the score at 49-5.
Another three games and we'd have had em
Late hitting by Lucan, with his highest ever LSSC score (aided by terrible fielding and three lives), Johnny Quinn and Garry Burrell improved things considerably, the lower order putting on nearly 100 runs. It was our best performance in the field, commented DT.
Other highlights? With Pete Berkeley not getting a bat this time, Reggie was celebrating his 2-1 run victory on tour. Then there was the diving competition in the college pool after the game - Wath's Christine won it for style, Gary (Pyscho)Burrell for bravery off the top board and Speedtwin for the biggest impact.
And of course the camaraderie in the college bar later, with rounds of Arrack (local firewater) for the three records set, singing and Lion beers.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Wath. He finished joint leading wicket taker on tour with DT - four - and bowled three of his victims, while being an ace away from a hat trick.
CHAMPAGNE MOMENT: DT, after climbing to the top board in the pool, climbed all the way back down. Then back up again, didn't look, and jumped.
