Gents

Good availability enabled the Tak to send out a solid team with plenty of options both with the bat and ball. The first task was to make sure everyone turned up on time and surprisingly everyone turned up early for this eagerly anticipated clash, everyone except Scott Parker. Where was he?. Getting very close to start time and still nothing from him, all mobile communication being unsuccessful. The skipper was getting close to losing it as the impact of only 10 players in a 20 / 20 format can be particularly punishing. No contact at game time, the Tak having won the toss and deciding to bat first, and so a replacement was called, the big man Dirk Grobler who informed me that he would be about half an hour, great.

So the Tak sent out Doubleday and the returning James Barrington, not seen since the first league game against Lamma back in September. The first over was not an indication of what was to come, only 2 runs being scored. The second however was a different story with Doubleday immediately setting the pace which was to continue throughout the innings. He smashed 18 off the over which achieved 2 things, first obviously runs on the board and second took all of the pressure off Barrington allowing him to settle in for a few balls. The term ' form is temporary, class is permanent' has been bounded about and today was no exception, Barrington beginning the assault of the day with superb shots all around the ground. In only 8 deliveries he had dispatched 6 of them to the boundary. The partnership continued to the 7th over when Doubleday was caught and bowled for 27 off 14 balls. The score a massive 75 runs on the board. Campbell strode out at 3 but sadly was caught on the boundary scoring 18 off only 5 balls including one massive six. All the while Barrington was doing his thing and it was no different with the skipper managing singles and the odd boundary. Barrington eventually fell for a fantastic 90 runs off just 46 deliveries, a quite superb effort which had placed us in the box seat. He was heard saying as he reached the pavilion ' don't know why you boys bothered to turn up, you only need me!! '.

Haskett mustered 8 runs before Dave Ellis returned to form with a great knock partnering Patidar, the latter falling for 33 runs off 21 balls. Ellis pulling anything short managed to race the score along eventually falling stumped for 32 runs off 17 balls and that left Bester a couple off balls to smack a six first ball and a single off the last to take the Tak up to a hefty 225 for 5.

So the Tak took the field with 10 players, the bowling lineup had to be changed with our resident model Chris Williams taking the new ball with Dave Belcastro. Both bowled well and 14 runs being hit in Belcastro's first over was the highest score the opposition could muster throughout thier innings. They were never in it, bowling and fielding was excellent with Belcastro picking up 1 wicket, and Williams 3 in a devastating spell going for only 9 runs off 3 overs. Neil Keating and Haskett bowled beautifully in tandem picking up 2 and 3 wickets respectively. Campbell had an opportunity of a wicket with a simple caught and bowled which he completely messed up, that being the only blemish in a solid performance by the Tak. Andy Bester was given the ball to see what this ex opening bowler could do, and everyone expected him to come off 3 paces and tweak the ball. Well Andy was having none of that and in a bid to impress, measured out his runup which took him him perilously close to the boundary. He bounded in letting go of the ball slightly slower than a medium medium pacer and hit the right areas to be rewarded with a wicket his third ball, 0.3 overs 1 wicket for 0 runs. Centaurs were cleaned up for 70 runs, the Tak winning by 155 runs.

In all there were 9 excellent catches taken, 3 behind the stumps by a rejuvinated Doubleday, 3 by Haskett including a caught and bowled which really pissed Campbell off, 1 each to Keating, Ellis and our blood stained Dirk Grobbler, who had gone above and beyond the call of duty, dumping his bike and running to the ground, trousers ripped from the accident. Thanks Dirk it's much appreciated.

After the game I called the Parker household and our man of the moment answered. His explanation was somewhat baffling, he had got in his car, taken a wrong turn, got caught up in horrendous traffic in Kowloon, took another wrong turn, was running out of gas, no gas station for miles and then took another wrong turn ending up on Clearwater Bay Road........then went home... who does that?

We all went back to Staunton's afterwards for a post match drink and banter. The funniest moment coming when Doubleday calls Linda to say that he's just finished and will be home soon. Dinner guests were already at his house. Linda immediately replies' well that's funny, one of the guys you played against lives in the building and he says you finished an hour ago!!'