Baggy Blues Full Tossers won by 84 runs

A local brass-band paraded past the ground at the beginning and end of this match but they were certainly not heralding the number of players who showed up for the game. Nor were they celebrating a home win, as the BBFTs notched up their second win of the season in the three-times postponed final match against Dunabogdány.

The rain amazed us all by staying away and, despite neither side having a full 11, play was soon underway with fielders being lent to the opposition in both 25-over innings and some batsmen being allowed to bat twice. The game was played in great spirits, bewildered passers-by stopping to marvel at us before strolling off shaking their heads.

The Baggies won the toss and elected to bat. Their first four batsmen progressed well, picking off the bad ball here and there and taking advantage of the short boundaries, Hiran de Silva (26) showing good composure and Nick Palmer (23) hitting out judiciously after acclimatising to the pitch. The DCC bowlers didn’t bowl badly but, with gaps in the 8-man field, runs kept coming at around 9-per-over.

When wickets did fall they were evenly shared amongst the DCC bowlers, of whom perhaps the guesting Premnath Rao was the most dangerous, although it was Kevin Johnson who snaffled the vital wicket of Syed Ibrahim for 33. Steve Anthony also took two useful catches behind the stumps.

Skipper Chris Priest (17 n.o.) and Lucky Singh (44 n.o. second time around) then saw the innings out with a confident partnership of 54, including some lusty blows to leg by Lucky and so DCC were set a tough target of 211 to win off their 25 overs. Best home bowling figures went to skipper Kaushal Hoque (6-0-46-3) and Laci Kresz was accurate enough with 3-0-13-0.

Premnath and Kaushal opened in reply and showed some deft touches until both of them missed straight ones and, except for Steve Anthony’s gutsy 35 (almost all scored in boundaries), the home batsmen were guilty of throwing their wickets away. The FTs bowlers were more accurate than in previous matches and got better as the game progressed, Ram getting 1 for 38 off 6 in his last game for the club, Syed bowling with effective intent as ever and Nick Palmer flighting the ball well and having the rub of the green with 3 wickets for 14 off just 3 overs towards the end as the DCC score just crept over the hundred mark. Credit to Laci Kresz, whose three boundaries were well timed.

Hiran ended his season well with 2 for 12 and Lucky was unlucky not to get more wickets with his good line and length. The end came at 126 on the board with a brilliant run out, Laci Kresz just failing to make his ground as a pin-point rocketted throw from Syed at deep id-wicket made it easy keeping work for the jubilant away skipper.

The brass band mentioned earlier were actually part of a wedding procession, the bride looking good in her whites too, although she was the only Maiden on offer that day up in Dunabogdány…

Result: Baggy Blues Full Tossers 210 for 6 beat DCC 126 a/o by 84 runs

Man of the Match: Lucky Singh