BRISTOL ACADEMICALS V ST LAZARUS XI

 

The Annex, Coombe Dingle, Wed 8th August

 

Toss: Lost.  Inserted on a strange, bounce-free wicket.

Academicals 76 all out (19.2) Lazarus XI 77-5 (18.4)

 

Each time we arrive at Coombe Dingle something new seems to greet us. This time, it was a cricket field covered in birds. What did this symbolise? Sheer absurdism? The inherent conflict between notions of freedom and entrapment? A cricket field full of birds? Who knows.......

 

Anyway, ours was a full team with several faces from the past and a couple of players on the opposition who'd played for us on Sunday. Add the fact that several of my current colleagues in the Old Cathedralians were also playing for them and you'll understand that I wasn't quite sure whom I was captaining or representing. I don't even have any present links to Bristol University.  What am I doing here? Who am I?

 

So, on with the facts....an opening partnership of about 30 was quickly achieved but this was soon swept away to about 38-3 as I stepped to the wicket at an unusually high number 5. Now, Thomas Thomas is by his own confession a liberal man. I hadn't realised that his liberality/liberalness stretched to interpretations of the lbw laws to such an extent that I think the acronym now means 'Liberal Before Wicket'. I guess the chickens are coming home to roost. That's twice I've been given out LBW by team mates this season and once I've been run out. Still, a dose of realism is always a good thing. That's why I read novels by Balzac and Dickens (grotesque realism is perhaps the most apt genre for some decisions, I suppose....) Still we progressed to 76 and then it was time to instil optimism in the team.....

 

Now, one real success this season is how well the team has bowled and fielded under difficult circumstances. Ian Buss and Rob Massey bowled economically and took wickets. We were in with a shout. Dai Jessop, Derek Perry and Jono Astin continued to mount pressure and it looked like we might have a chance. However, Lazarus rose from the dead (sorry) and made it home with an over or so to spare.