Round 14 - Mrs Cricket's Rag

It was the night of the "Ring - in". Slem, Rob, Jake and Simon. Names that will go down in history as victors. Sure, they may have worn mis-matched shirts but they were united , alongside us regular Slaps, in goal. They were handed the task of upholding the Slap tradition- Whinging whenever possible, appealing whenever possible and winning whenever possible. Not only did they uphold this tradition, they raised it.

First notch up went to Slem and &Keano. &Keano showing once again how beneficial a two week stint in a South Coast Rehab clinic can be. A polished performance saw the pair gain Slap Honours with 47, pipping the previous record by two runs. News of this has reportedly sent Bolly into a two week rehab stint as well. Team selectors admitting his recall back into the side is now 'uncertain'.

Simon and Jake were next off the blocks and cruised to a hard fought -3. As with most new partnerships they suffered from confusion between wickets. Some classy strokes were played and runs were coming but a total of 8 wickets was always going to take its toll. A double play in a bowling power over crushing any hope of a huge total.

Next in saw Rob and myself take the helm. Sitting on 39 runs after 3 overs we were looking comfortable but a silly run-out(my bad) in the 4th saw us finish on 37. A handy knock bringing the team total to 81. Rob hitting his stride early in the 2nd over with a massive six . With no Masterclass to carry this time round Rob's form was looking shit hot.

For two weeks running now gLOVE and K6 have been presented with a reasonable total to build upon. Last weeks effort was magnificent. It had stucture and patience. This week did not. A disappointing innings of 10 saw K6 stumped, dancing down the pitch on three occasions, gLOVE with a tad less boogying, twice. Too much Toto! Selectors are not overly concerned with the mild slump suggesting the pair are firmly cemented in Pitchslap. 'These two have no fears" said a selector," it's the Kiwi's that will have to fight their way back into the squad". This statement reigniting the 'Tasman Sea Scandal' of last season where it was rumoured that certain selectors and players wanted the Baggins' off the team. Management had hoped this issue had gone to bed but it seems loyalties will be tested again.

It was our bowling/fielding where we really shone. Standout moments include -

Jake's first ball wicket with the power over. It was a gem of a ball destined to meet the three orange men at the end of the pitch. Multiple run-outs rewarding some superb leg-side fielding

Simon's attempted catch with his neck. Fucken Ouch! The ball was hit with such force I was more worried about any clots that may have dislodged than anything else. Great commitment mate and next time you're driving past a G.P, drop in.

Once again Slem was dangerous with the ball, taking 7 wickets for -22. Not a Slap Honour but the closest yet. I was sweating. A truly devastating spell deserving of Match Slapper but denied by technicalities. (all due respect to &Keano whose effort was likewise great and deserving).

gLOVE backed up some glorious keeping with extra pacey deliveries, taking vital wickets when needed.

With only four minor premiership games left we cannot afford to lose. The gap between 3rd and 6th is only 26 points or one bad loss. We come up against old foes "the Regulators" in what promises to be a tight contest. Last time we only beat them by 20 odd. Let's do it again.