Rangers White Vs Lemmings
November 3rd & 10th
Premiership
REPORTS
PAGE
And it wasn�t too long before Bundy took the vital wicket of another bear like human in the form of Big Joe Parker who had plundered 65 runs including a rare single�. And 26 runs of a particular bowler who had run over his helmet the week before.
It was a deft little ploy as Bundy was getting some ferocious slow, real slow swing, and a reposition of 2nd slip to mid wicket had Joe playing for the vacant gap to only edge it to Rhys at first who took a great reflex catch.
Not long after, Varun, not to be outdone as the team�s premier bowler produced an over of pure genius to have Blizzard bowled for a well played 45. With 7 players in the cordon, Fitty was unlucky several times to gain a wicket as edges dropped short or wide, but after a several leg cutters, Fitty slipped in his trademark off cutter to reduce the Lemmings to 2-124.
No doubt the pivotal mark of the game was when Neil Parker uppishly drove at Bundy to a short mid off whilst still in single digits to have the catch spoiled. However the team rallied yet again and Bundy pulled a Homer to produce his 2nd of the day......
Running in.. sorry, lumbering in, Bundy hit the crease� I mean, merely tip toed over it when suddenly he freaked out and recoiled at something in his peripheral vision�that of the non-striker, whom Bundy must not have realised in his last 5 games, that�s where the runner usually stands. After regaining our composure, Bundy sprinted, uh, trundled in to produce a wicked inswinger to have their Captain bowled for 18 who no doubt was still troubled at the fact a bowler didn�t know the basics of cricket.
What made this wicket ever more special was that Bundy dropped him at mid wicket a few overs previous-off Fitty�s bowling. Some say that Bundy even left the earths atmosphere for that classic catch as he dove to his right. And to rub it in, the team was half upon him when, after juggling it, decided he wanted the glory in the his wicket column, to have it �accidentally� slip out of his fingers.
Not long after, Fitty was seriously contemplating pulling out his 45. Glock after Bundy slowly put another ball through a batsman�s defence to give him figures of 3-43. A few overs later later, fast man Rhys slammed one into off-peg, just so he could show us his Dwayne Bravo impersonation.
Amid all this Neil was playing a steady innings until he reached his fifty, and he suddenly turned into his brother and punished all newcomers to the crease with aggression, and then some.
However the boys were having a blast on the field. A new tradition had started and at the beginning of the game, a presentation was made-The Bundy Award, honourably awarded to those who perform acts of Bundy-like acts, like falling out of a tree (Ya, ya, drop bears�) or having a sock being placed in your bath. So out came the bright pink shirt, to be proudly worn by whoever stuffs up on the field. So by 15 overs, pretty much everyone on the team had slapped on the Bundy shirt, and even some a 2nd or 3rd time.
And amid the chaos of Neil bludgeoning 4s to all parts the ground, and balls being spilt to the ground, there was so much laughter, sledges and giggles that we didn�t even notice that the Lemmings had passed 250. Indeed the highlight of the day was Bundy running, or moon walking rather (just in reverse) to the fly slip boundary after a speeding ball, and to see him hurl his frame over the line after a ball which we all thought had crossed the boundary 4 years previously, to land spread eagled over the boundary which brought all the guys to their knees in pure delight and tears.
Finally after a 109 run partnership, M Colen was dismissed with another pearler from Fitty knocking back 2 of the pegs for an anchoring 31. A few overs later Fitty produced another wicket when the batsman nicked one behind to a daydreaming keeper who finally saw the ball when it his gloves, to only perform a hot potato juggle to give Fitty his 3rd.
And finally, after bringing up his century against us, Neil was gone upping the tempo, (as if it couldn�t get any higher) to be stumped off Gary for a graceful, yet sometimes murderous innings of 111. Shandy has now more stumpings than catches this season, none of them happen to be off a spinner either.
Another wicket to Gazza and another peg knocked out of the ground to Fitty, the Rangers walked off the ground, still grinning at the day they had in the field. When Clintoff starts sledging u know its been a great day.
Looking for another 140 odd runs to make the Lemmings bat again, the Rangers started off in true form with Michael out for 2. However the shock of the day was Fitty bowled for 3 from a cracker from Joe. The fact Fitty has only been bowled twice in Churches shows just how great a ball it was.. and considering it has been Joe Parker both times, Fitty is now someone�s bunny.
With Gazza back the pavilion soon after, it was the 2 south-paws who teamed up for an innings that provided just as much laughs off the field than on it. With calls of �There�s one in that� or �Drop the bat when u run� the guys were soon rubbing their sore cheeks from laughing too much. However it was most of us rubbing our sore egos as the Doc and Bundy graced themselves to a partnership of gap picking, aggressive stroke play and towering top edges as they established a 50 run partnership.
Doc was definitely showing us why he�s the team�s class batsman this season as he flayed the attack to all parts of the ground with thundering cover drives and hammering pull shots. Indeed so easy, watchful and carefree was his innings it would not be wrong to compare it to a Sam Batten 50 or a Gordo 30. It seemed Doc had all the time in the world for his shot selection and his timing was near perfect.
After a 71 run partnership, the Turbonator proved too heavey for the Bundy man as he departed for a well played 27, and soon after, Elliot for a very impressive 61, his 2nd fitty this season. Aaron and Ashely saw the team to time and the score to 5-112.
We got flogged but heck, it was a great time. Never have I enjoyed losing so much.
As corny as it sounds, cricket was indeed the real winner.
And a big thanks to the Lemmings for playing the game in the great spirit they posses.