DLR

17th May 2016 - Alexandra Palace
Won by 9 wickets - NRR = 3.31

The new season begins.

Following the disappointment of last week’s rain cancellation, the team was finally able to put its meticulous pre-season fitness and skills training to the test on a coolish May evening.

Having been put in to bowl first, the skipper handed the new nut to David Gallagher and Chris Milton to open the proceedings. David Gallagher retaliated with fury to his first ball been punched to the cover boundary by summoning his inner Stuart Broad and removing their top and middle order backbone. His trademark booming inswingers yielded a devastating 6 wickets for 14 off 4 overs, including a quadruple wicket maiden (yes sir).

Eminent sports commentators have drawn comparisons between the start of the 2016 cricket season with the start of the 2016 Formula 1 season; like Nico Rosberg with his four straight wins at the start of season, David Gallagher now has a commanding lead on the 2016 wicket chase.

Chris Milton, Andy Spurr and Jon Bailey kept a lid on the run rate throughout the innings, with Chris and Andy finding decent line and length and Jon making use of the full pitch width. A sharp Andy Spurr /John Hull run out and the tidy bowling of Phil Scott and Stuart Lumsden accounted for the remaining wickets to leave us chasing 84 to win.

In response, the two openers Justin Wilson and Nick King got us off to a steady start. Having shown good touch with some deft punches through midwicket, Nick King was given out LBW on 16. Furious with so-called ‘teammate’ Andy Spurr’s umpiring decision, he returned to the pavillion and flung his bat through the dressing room window à la Matt Prior 2011 (so one on-looker says). Luckily, Chris Milton and John Hull had already got the pitchers in and Nick was soon back to normal.

With the platform set, the game was taken away from the opposition by the strokeplay of Justin Wilson and debutant Bruce Torrance. On 24, Justin Wilson imposingly flexed his guns for a majestic 6 over long on to retire on 30, nonchalantly ignoring the clamours from the roaring crowd to carry his bat. Incoming batter Mark Dean and Bruce Torrance were then tasked with taking the team over the line, with Bruce Torrance duly finishing the game off with a drive through the off-side for four, finishing on an impressive 25 not out.

Back in the pavilion, food was eaten, beer was drunk and dropped catches were (almost) forgiven to round off a successful and enjoyable start to the season.

Login to see and make comments