Pirates of the St Lawrence versus West Island Whackers
Saturday 21 August 2010

At the fourth attempt, the West Island Whackers obtained their long-hungered victory over a damp and bedraggled Pirates party.

Amid the nauseating aroma of freshly sprayed manure, conditions started brightly, with some clouds in the distance during warm up. But as the game commenced, the unrelenting drizzle began and continued for the duration.

Captain Bell, a pig in clover in the pseudo-Scottish conditions, played himself in steadily for a careful opening partnership of 35 with Barker, who, after a positive start, was surprisingly given out caught behind on 13 without hitting the ball.

As Bell continued to accumulate, he was joined first by Horne and then Milot, as both fell cheaply for 8 and 3 respectively. Horne was unlucky to be caught glancing down the leg side. Milot was bamboozled by a Gorpal bunsen burner. He could only watch, mouth agape, as it disappeared through the gate.

Bell found a more durable partner in Roche. Together they smote 113 for the fourth wicket – only the second hundred partnership of the season – with Bell accelerating the scoring rapidly as he passed fifty, and Roche, looking ever the measure of concentration.

Just four runs short of his second century for the Pirates, Bell was unlucky to be bowled around his legs by paceman Manesh. The ball pitched a foot outside leg stump and clipped the leg bail. After 11 fours, 3 sixes, and 99 balls, it was a cruel denouement.

Roche and St-Jean shared a quick-fire partnership of 29, taking the score to 221, before Roche was caught near the boundary after reaching his second fifty of the season. Granville and St-Jean tried manfully to push the score up to 250. Granville was then deceived by a Vicki turner in the penultimate over.

The spectators were left to admire a manic last over, which resulted in two Chowdhury-St-Jean run outs and an additional bungled attempt. At 245 for 8, the Pirates had creamed their highest score of 2010 amid trying conditions.

In the field, the Pirates began positively. Wisden found good movement with the new ball from the Terminal End, bowling five overs for only 16 runs, including two maidens, and taking the wicket of Pali, caught by Milot at point after being beaten several times.

Unfortunately, Barker could not match him at the Woodland End, as he conceded 25 runs from two overs, spraying the ball either side of the mat. Granville, having shed his spin ambitions for Flintoff-like pace, bowled an excellent spell of five overs for 19.

As Granville wandered out to long-on to reflect on his maiden, so the shine (and any grip) left the ball. After striking with his fourth delivery, Ali’s figures took a turn for the worse, as his next eight balls were hammered into the woods for 28. Chowdhury also struggled with the bar of soap, conceding 19 in three overs.

At 119 for 2 in 20 overs, with Manesh and Rajan starting to club sixes at will, the Pirate ship was perilously close to the rocks. After some stern words from skipper Bell, Roche attempted to drop anchor, bowling five overs for 10 runs, before the bough broke and the mast came crashing down.

Ignoring his tidy opening spell, Manesh and Rajan demolished Wisden’s final over, clubbing three sixes over the square leg boundary. Bell, bowling seam up, was caned for 30 in two overs. The batsmen added 110 in 11 overs, before Milot found a way through with a juicy full toss. Manesh, enjoying his day off from premier-grade duties, had battered 82, including 7 sixes and 6 fours.

Rajan took over where Manesh left off. Finally, Rockwell was brought on to complete the rites, conceding 23 runs from 1.5 overs and releasing both teams from their sodden state. The victorious Whackers had more than seven overs to spare.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus West Island Whackers
Saturday 21 August 2010
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: 40 overs per side
Weather conditions: Drizzlin’
Toss won by: Pirates of the St Lawrence
Result: West Island Whackers won by 7 wickets

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Angus Bell (c) b Manesh 96 (11×4, 3×6, 99 balls)
Daniel Barker ct Mann b Naresh 13 (2×4, 24 balls)
Richard Horne (wk) ct Mann b Gorpal 8 (14 balls)
Thiery Milot b Gorpal 3 (14 balls)
Phil Roche ct Naresh b Vicki 62 (6×4, 65 balls)
Hugue St-Jean run out (Vicki) 18 (1×4, 17 balls)
Andrew Granville b Vicki 9 (15 balls)
Erfan Chowdhury run out (Vicki) 3 (3 balls)
William Rockwell DNB
Mohammad Ali DNB
Tom Wisden DNB

Extras 33 (Byes 11, Leg Byes 6, No Balls 3, Wides 13)
Total 245 for 8 in 40 overs

Fow (1-35, 2-60, 3-79, 4-192, 5-221, 6-238, 7-244, 8-245)

Bowling

Manesh 8 overs, 1 maiden, 1 wicket, 44 runs
Naresh 8 overs, 1 wicket, 48 runs
TJ 6 overs, 0 wickets, 32 runs
Pali 4 overs, 0 wickets, 23 runs
Gorpal 6 overs, 2 wickets, 25 runs
Vicki 6 overs, 2 wickets, 30 runs
Rajan 2 overs, 0 wickets, 31 runs

West Island Whackers Innings

Vicki (c) ct Milot b Ali 25 (5×4)
Pali ct Milot b Wisden 14 (2×4)
Rajan not out 62 (6×4, 3×6)
Manesh b Milot 82 (6×4, 7×6)
Mann (wk) not out 13 (2×4)
Gorpal DNB
TJ DNB

Extras 50 (Byes 5, Leg Byes 4, No Balls 1, Wides 40)
Total 246 for 3 in 32.5 overs

FoW (1-39, 2-80, 3-190)

Bowling

Tom Wisden 8 overs, 2 maidens, 1 wicket, 48 runs
Daniel Barker 2 overs, 0 wickets, 25 runs
Andrew Granville 5 overs, 1 maiden, 0 wickets, 19 runs
Erfan Chowdhury 3 overs, 0 wickets, 19 runs
Mohammad Ali 2 overs, 1 wicket, 32 runs
Phil Roche 5 overs, 1 maiden, 0 wickets, 20 runs
Thiery Milot 2 overs, 1 wicket, 20 runs
Angus Bell 2 overs, 0 wickets, 30 runs
Hugue St-Jean 2 overs, 0 wickets, 12 runs
William Rockwell 1.5 overs, 0 wickets, 23 runs