Printer-friendly pageSunday, April 2, 2006
SRI LANKA ROTARIANS 228-7 (Rogers 7-2-12-2)
LONDON SAINTS 114 (Jones 27, Burrell 14)
The scene was set wonderfully for the second game on the 25th anniversary LSSC cricket team three match tour of Sri Lanka. The magnificent faded splendour of the former Test ground chimed with the history of the touring party – all had seen better days but were determined to put on a show. The team collectively thought it had died and gone to cricket Heaven.
The De Soysa stadium, just a few miles outside of the nation’s capital of Colombo boasts a strip that could stage the Subbuteo world cup finals (and a few days later is to stage the Cricket World Under 19 Cup warm-up games).
Its pavilion has plaid host to countless Test players, including current members of the England cricket team who had represented their country at the ground. Now unbelievably, the LSSC side, looking resplendent in their new shirts and badged caps, would play on the ground.
Even the sight of Big Dave, the team’s travelling umpire, ambling gently to the middle modelling a purple and gold sarong under his umpire’s coat and above his black socks failed to dim the teams’ bright expectations.
Sensibly the captains agreed the home team would bat first – with a number of former first class Sri Lankan players (including a fringe former Test member), albeit well past their sale by dates, the opposition were likely to be more than a match for the LSSC team.
Because of the enthusiasm and size of our touring party a 12-a-side game was decided upon with Little John, Reg and the recently arrived Mick Stanley making up the number of the home side.
With temperatures as high as made no matter Joe conducted the now standard team stretching. Phil paced out his run from the Colombo end, happy to be opening the bowling from the wicket where the experienced Sri Lankan Umpire Association registered official would give the decisions rather than Big Dave, who Phil hadn’t quite agreed with during the earlier game on the tour.
Phil steamed in inspired by the pain from his sunburn collected while snorkelling the previous day. Bowling with pace and swing he dismissed the opposition’s numbers two and three for just five runs and looked pretty much unplayable. Note to skipper – book Phil a half day session on a sun-bed prior to next important game.
From the start LSSC side looked a different team from the one that had been hammered so comprehensively a few days earlier. The fielders stopped doing impersonations of bad jugglers and held their catches, the bowlers aimed for a good length instead of their own feet and the side had a belief that they could put together what is known in the cliché school of football quotes as “a performance” even if they were unlikely to get a result.
As the midday approached the temperature rose and wickets fell. The skipper chipped in with two while Kumar, Ian Sheils and Gary Burrell added one each. Phil, who refused to be kept out of the spotlight (including his constant and un-requested advice to the skipper on fielding positions), took the catch of the match by diving two-handed to his left to dismiss Reg of off DT’s bowling.
The only LSSC member who failed to congratulate Phil was Pete Berkeley who was desperate to claim Reg’s coiffured scalp for himself! Arguably the highlight of the innings was Pete raising his two arms together to line himself up for a skied catch only to quickly rearrange the arms over his head and duck to protect his bald patch from the ball as it headed towards him out of the sun that was blinding him!
Mick Stanley was the last man standing for the opposition. It was 12 aside, we had taken seven wickets – bizarrely all falling at the same end – and the other four batsmen had retired upon reaching 35 runs as per the rules of our tour – and he proved the immovable object.
Even the opposition captain could not believe his eyes when Mick scored a cracking four “round the corner” and ordered his team to call it a day one over short of the allotted 36.
The magnificent but dilapidated scoreboard, still showing names of the last almost famous team to play at the De Soysa stadium, finally stopped clinking over with the home score showing 228 for seven – a huge improvement on our first game.
Lunch was served on the second floor of the pavilion, an open sided room that gave great views of the ground and palm trees swaying in the breeze. A selection of curries followed by a desert of local fruits in a salad was consumed with enjoyment but few words – everyone was too knackered to talk!
By the time Kumar and Andy Jones marched out purposely to start the LSSC fight back a small crowd of school children, delinquents and never-do-wells had gathered to watch in the pavilion stand – obviously the delights of daytime TV has not yet caught on in Sri Lanka.
Kumar scored five but was then unlucky to become the first victim on tour of Big Dave’s raised index finger. The opposition captain was as surprised as Kumar and invited him to bat again. Kumar tactfully passed on the kind offer.
Andy, AKA “The White Viv”, plundered the bowling but the running between the wickets took its toll. When his team-mates refused his repeated requests for a drink and demanded he wait until the end of the over his survival instincts cut in and he deliberately got himself out LBW rather than die of dehydration.
He had troubled the scorer for a total of 26 classy runs, the current highest score of the tour and one that Ladbrokes are quoting long odds on being beaten in the final game.
Neil was bowled after a useful 11 and Eric, reckless by name if not nature, turned back the clock to record a tidy six. John Quinn ran a suicidal single to clock up nine. To make matters worse the fielder who threw down the only stump he had to aim at was the same fielder who John had dropped earlier in the day!
Gary Burrell showed more than even his normal courage by batting with a suspected broken finger. Despite wincing at every shot Gary managed to hang around for a decent amount of time score an impressive 15 runs.
The same could not be said for the rest of the batting with Pete managing one to save his “pair” in successive games and Steve hitting a stylish four before going for five.
Gary Jones managed four, a good effort considering his twin distractions of keeping wicket all morning in the blistering heat and the expected arrival the following day of his partner Ling!
And then there was Phil.
The star of the show earlier, he had informed us on the bus to the ground that we were playing at the stadium where the Aussie star Mark Waugh had got a “pair” and therefore became the only recognised batsman to get two pairs in successive games. Talk about tempting fate!
Phil had failed to trouble the scorers during the first game with his batting efforts. He faced the pick of the opposition bowlers (whose final figures were 3.5 overs for 11 runs and three wickets) and received a ball that (he says) pitched, lifted and turned before removing his stumps from the ground.
Walking off Phil said he intended to phone Mr Waugh to say they had something in common but was advised the volatile Australian may not wish to be reminded of his ability not to score runs.
The final LSSC score of 114 was a creditable effort given their previous score, the nature of the opposition, the long session in the field and the inspired fielding of the players lent to the opposition – certainly in Reg’s case unequalled in the memories of his regular team-mates.
And most of our innings was played in front of a crowd that had swelled to a point where it became economically viable for a street hawker to appear and sell cut pineapple to the watching masses.
The game was played in a great spirit and we all thought the day really could not get much better. Then came the post match drinks.
This can be a bit of a sterile, perfunctory affair where platitudes are said and you get the feeling the home team can’t wait to escape to their homes and families.
Not this bunch of Sri Lankans, not this night.
Was it the bottle of Arrack that proved uncommonly popular with the opposition, was it the Scouse full-perm wig that appeared from nowhere and allowed Phil to do a genuinely funny impersonation of one of the most agreeable members of the opposition who had the misfortune who be a Doppelganger for Colonel Gadaffi.
Or was it Gilly, showing her good Scottish upbringing by turning down the offers of coke to dilute the drink and downing the large glass or Arrack in one, or was it the “SeeyouJimmy wig” that circulated?
Or was it the full-blooded singing of Sri Lankan and British songs accompanied by the beat of a local drum that again appeared out of the blue.
We will never know but it was an evening that will be long remembered by all those present.
Mick Stanley finished the evening off in style with a good few very well chosen words thanking our hosts and then leading us all in a second rendition of “Oh When The Saints” in a manner that only he can.
Now, does life get much better…
