2nd June 2011 Home To Blackpool

Well June has arrived but there's been prevcious little sign of summer as gale force winds continue to batter the Fylde coast. But then suprisigly the clouds part and out comes Mr Sun sporting with a nice new trilby.

So on with the game as we host Blackpool in our fourth home game of the season. Once again Dave manages to win the toss and after a short discussion we decide to bat. But we get off to the worst possible start as both Will and Dave are caught so with less than two overs on the board we're already two wickets down. But with our innings having the makings of a traditional Jollys collapse in came Jol and Ogs who steadied the ship with a couple of splendid innings. Not only did both of them retire but they managed to take the sting out of the Blackpool attack. Sadly though the only other Jolly who managed to get into double figures was Stu Holloway who got a creditable 13 and not even Jol and Ogs could bat through as they returned to the fray to end with 33 and 25 respectively.

So at the end of our 20 overs we'd managed to achieve a total of 96 all out which, if last years performance was anything to go by, we were expecting Blackpool to comfirtably beat. But our bowlers must have had their "dreaded wheat" (tm) this morning as instead of comfortably racing along the batsmen found themselves pinned down and unable to hit the usual flurry of boundaries. However they were still progressing nicely until we made our second change of bowling and along came the Stuey & Stu show. Soon the wicket resounded to the Jollys cheers as the wickets started positively tumbling down - it seemed like every third delivery of "Cockney" Stu's was lofted straight into the waiting hands of the ever reliable Stu Holloway !

So now Blackpool were falling behind and they had to try to pull out all the stops to get back in contention. But wickets continued to fall and it ended up with Blackpool's retired batsmans returning to the crease with them needing 8 to win off the last over. So having been given the nod by Dave your humble scribe sent in the first delivery which went for a single. In went the second ball which the batsman hit slightly to my left and I dived down for it. Thinking I'd missed it the batsmen set off for what would have been the winning run. However thanks to the magic of beer my stomach had expanded sufficiently to stop the ball and, with both batsmen stranded, I managed to clamber back to the wicket and broke the bails with both batsmen stranded.

So for the third week running the game goes right down to the wire but this week the Jollys win by a whisker !

Unfortunately Tony was unable to be with us again this week so you'll have to make do with phots of the book for the first and second innings.



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Well the wind has died down slightly, there's not a cloud in the sky and Dave manages to in the toss again. Dave (Stoddard) is looking anxious though as he fears Dave may break wind whilst he's down there.

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So we're off as Will and Dave prepare to open the batting and Frosty once again takes the vital umpiring role. The conspiracy theorists amongst you may also like to take note of the U.F.O. in the middle of the pictures (i's a bird you twit -ed.).

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Botheration. The innings has hardly started and Will mishits one straight into the arms of a waiting fielder.

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Double botheration. In the very next over Dave edges one to the alert keeper and we're two down with only a single on the board.

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Back at base camp we're now afeared that this might be the start of a traditional Jollys collapse...

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But cometh the hour, cometh the burger as Ogs gets off to a cracking start.

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And Jol is not going to be outdone ! Between them they soon steady the wavering S.S. Jolly and a couple of overs later and it looks like we're right back in the game.

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And it's not just Ogs & Jol who are having a good knock as a young lesser spotted woodpecker gets in on the action. Sadly though they thought we were R.S.P.B. paparazzi so declined to be filmed.

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Well Ogs has retired on 25 so in comes Powelly who manages to add a quick fire 6 before getting bowled by a corker.

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Luckily for Powelly I was late pressing the button so he's spared seeing himself in the frame but the Blackpool players are delighted to get their third wicket.

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Which means it's Stu Holloway at the crease who goes on to post a well deserved 13.

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Despite being missing for the start of the innings Tom has finally made it to the ground (good job we were batting first really - ed.) but after starting well he gets a nasty top edge and is caught on 9.

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So whilst we're still scoring it's not quite at the rate we'd like so we're going to have to play some attacking shots. WHich is just what "Cockney" Stu does as he adds a quick 5 before being bowled.

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Well we're into the tail now which means it's the start of the Stoddard show as Dave looks to get into the bowling. Sadly it was not to be though as he too is bowled following a quick 3.

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Poor old Baz has a nightmare as he joins the this years early contenders for the Pedro trophy. Still us regulars can feel better about ourselves at the moment as even the likes of Will are on the Pedro board and once again we were in the position where we had to go for it (end of the innings fast approaching, two good batsmen able to return - ed.).

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Speaking of which here's another of the regular candidates for the dreaded Pedro. And with that stance it's no wonder !

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Well our innings has ended on 96 but we've got some good fielding pictures this week ! So let's start with "Portrait of a professional". Having returned and made more runs Jol was eventually out for a top scoring 33 so despite this being an early fielding picture it's too good not to include.

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Having been given a very acheivable target the Blackpool batsmen are brimming with confidence but we're not going to roll over and some tight bowling, plus good work in the field (especially from the Stus) means it's all to play for.

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Hooray ! Our official team mascot, young Dexter, is at base camp. But strangley he's not got his eye on the action ?

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Aha. His staff have brought a treat with them. Let's just hope the Jollys don't take this as an omen and make a complete pigs ear of the game !

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We needn't have worried as we secure the win in a nail biting finish. So once again it's all back to the Old Town Hall where we're once again grateful to receive our after match butties ! And "Cockney" Stu and Shannon are most pleased of all as they think this tray is all for them !

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Meanwhile Ogs is showing off what he claims are cricketing injuries. (Quite frankly though we think they're love bites -ed.)

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And the fun doesn't stop there as "Yum, yum, yum... it's Kirsty's bum" ! Having heard rumours that H.M.S. Inskip were in town she'd taken the night off but having been spotted sashaying towards the Church she toasts the news of our success with a quick victory jig ! (this reminds me I must remember to purchase a punnet of peaches this afternoon - ed.)


biting_midge_small.gif Midge Report: Bah, Once again the gusts of wind men we're unable to get at those drunken oafs. Bzzzt. At this rate we'll suck 'em dry when we finally do get to them. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Mark my words our time will come ! Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

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