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| Absence makes the heart grow fonder | July 16, 2007, 10:02 am GMT |
| Or something like that. It was nice to see my absence was keenly felt on Thursday, as the remaining troops notched up our seventh (and eassiest, by all accounts!) victory of the season. It looked like Ed led well from the front with Bat and in the field and unanimously won man of the match for his first game as the HOBs skipper. Hopefully we can repeat the dosage tonight on a Fishpons side with dubious skills in addition. Our one tied match this season, a neve-racking belter at the Stapleton ground, was not tied at all. Fishponds scorers gave their side and extra 10 runs or so, so we wound up chasing more than we actually needed. We'll have to keep a careful eye on that tonight.
It was odd missing my first game of the season for the Old Boys, but its pretty difficult to committ to all the games. In fact, with a couple of absences between Stu Adams and Ed this season, we're left with only one 100% (played in every game, of every season) Hobbber - Ashley. So hats off to him. We will be missing Jon and Phil for the game tonight, so will need a couple of people to step up to the plate with the bat in their absence. I hope to be opne of those as I'm in shocking form at the moment - following up my 53 a few games ago with scores of 0, 4 and 0!! Hopefully tonight will be a chance to put that right; I'm going back to my old beast of a bat in an effort to hit my way out of my rut! S J Smith | |
| Finally Defeated | July 11, 2007, 1:05 pm GMT |
| Well i suppose our streak of 5 victories had to come to an end at some point, and last night it did with a slightly disappointing defeat to MCC. The absence of Ed and Phil left a bit of a hole in our batting and the rest of the (so called!!) premier(ish) batsmen, myself, Jon, Stu and Ash failed to step up to the plate. Although we lost, there were a number of positives to take out of the game:
Matt, Jon and ashford got us off to a really good and solid start, going along at 5 an over for the first 7 or so. After an awful collapse which left us at 42 for 7 off about 12 overs, Anth and Tom recovered superbly to put on a record for 8th wicket. We then made an excellent job of defending 93, which in truth was about 30 runs short. What impressed me most was the intensity we maintained in the field, despite MCC getting off to a flier. and taking it down to the 18th over was a good effort. They had a beast of a player playing for them who was again the difference between the two teams. Had he not come in when the 5th wicket fell, I would have fancied our chances with MCC still needing 24 off the last 4 overs. But there we go, the freak won out in the end. My sincere apologies to Ashford for stitching him up to bowl what proved to be last over at the "Freak of Mechanicals", he'd have tonked anyone for 17 off four deliveries I reckon mate! We'll need to bounce back on Thursday against the unknown quantity of Venturers, and under a new captain for the day too as Ed takes over the reigns. I can't make it despite trying my luck with every conceivable ploy to get out of Kanan's birthday. Alas upon threat of an unexpectedly soon re-entry into the domain of singledom, speed-dating and the like, I've been forced to relent - and pass it all off as an elaborate joke, claiming to have been fully intending on being there for her special day from the outset. Anyway, I'm sure Ed will make an excellent skipper for the day, and hope that you boys can set us out on a new winning streak. Good luck, I'll be ringing Ash for updates no doubt! S J Smith | |
| Octopus tamed | July 9, 2007, 13:10 pm GMT |
| Well we won in the end yesterday. I have to say it wasn't our finest allround performance although as has been the case this season, we held our nerve when it mattered. We were indebted to outstanding innings from Ed, Stu and Ashley who accelerated just at the right time and gave us some momentum as we took the field. I think there may have been a cake too many consumed though, as we were mostly elsewhere for the first 20 overs of the eight tentacled reply. I have to mention how well goose arm bowled though, he certainly got me with the best ball I've had for a long time! That's five wins on the bounce now, and we owe MCC one for our one run defeat earlier in the season. Our only defeat of the season in fact.
having beaten the Octopus, although again their team contaiend a number of HOB "ringers" - all of whom performed exceptionally well for them I might add - we need to now break the duck of beating them away from home. We might need to cut back on the saturday nigth frivolities for this years' tour.... although there may be more chance of England winning and ODI at the moment! S J Smith | |
| Dust Biting | July 5, 2007, 3:49 pm GMT |
| Shit. Another game meets its maker. Or something like that. This is getting ridiculous. This summer will be forever known throughout the history of HOBs as the most miserable on record, I'm convinced. A bit like the Thatcher years, or the Great American Depression. It's a shame too given the excellent record we have this season in the games we have actually managed to play. Still, thanks to the stirling efforts of our erstwhile fixture secretary we still have 12 games left - the same number of games, incidentally, that we played in he whole of our inagural season.
I've had a few further thoughts about our game against the Octopodes. It's going to be a tricky call as we have played so little in recent weeks, and nearly everyone is in need of a bat - although we really want to reclaim the trophy which is rightfully ours! I think it will have to be a bit of a mix, unless anyone unusual fancies turning their arm over of course - and let's face it this is hardly a crack line-up we're playig against. They only have 7 apparently, and most of them are old men. Their biggest threats with the ball are actually likely to be three ex/current hobbers: Stuart "the goose arm" Ogilvie, Andy "raging bull" Hough, and Leigh Caller, who performed very well on his HOB debut at Winford earlier in the season. I'm hoping not to get out to Syd the pie chucker as I did in the last challenge match. S J Smith | |
| First Entry | July 5, 2007, 13:17 am GMT |
| It's early on Thursday Morning, the morn of our game against Putts Puffers to be exact, and I can't help but think we're in for another teasing day of sunshine first up, then further wetness just as the optimism starts to spread amongst our ranks. I've little doubt that we're in for our ninth cancellation of the season - which is horribly depressing.
It will be a shame to miss our first home game against the Puffers; we enjoyed playing them last season with their quirkly rules where almost everyone gets a bowl and a bat - it was one of the highlights of last season. On the positive side the weather is looking brighter for the weekend and our upcoming attempt to reclaim the HOBs vs Octopus Challenge Trophy. However at this stage, according to a recent email from Stu, we may find an opponent containing more Hobbers that Octopi! Anway, I hope the weather proves me wrong, and we get a game in tonight - I'm looking forward to Ashley bowling and me breaking my thumb again behind the stumps. something I've managed to achieve ont he previous two occasions I've taken the gloves in recent memory. S J Smith | |
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