Pirates of the St Lawrence versus South Shore Royals
Saturday 13 September 2025
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Result: Royals won by 77 runs
by Phil Me-In

We’ve had our fair share of secret weapons (usually they are called Mo), so it seems only fair that the opposition should get one once in a while too. Bit unfortunate, however, that after the XXX-rated loss in our first game against the South Shore Royals, it was our skipper himself who delivered their secret weapon for this week’s return fixture. Welcoming back an old time Pirate in the form of Parag Patel seemed an excellent idea on Friday, and an even better one on Saturday morning when his mate Uday showed up and was kind enough to make up the numbers for the Royals.

We approached drinks with the opposition struggling at 30-6. It was at this point that Angus decided that “buffet bowling” would make this game competitive, and thus inadvertently helped the opposition skipper Aman and Parag’s opposition ringer Uday bed in. Ten overs later, with the score approaching 200 and both batsmen well set, memories of Thiery’s brilliant running catch in the deep to confirm once again that “shit gets wickets” began to fade. And whether anyone can remember the venom with which Connor bowled off his long run-up, or the comedy running between wickets that allowed Roger to fire an accurate throw into Surya for a run-out is anybody’s guess. Kazi’s catch of Parag’s bowling? Rodger’s “bold” removal of the #6 bat?

Angus got tonked for a maximum and dropped a return catch (blink and you’ve missed the second one), before finally removing Uday courtesy of sharp glovework behind the stumps for a quite sparkling 80. Connor combined with Thiery for his 3rd wicket to remove Aman (52) a short while later, but by this time the damage was well and truly done. To rub salt into the Pirate wounds, the #11 bat joined in the fun, smiting 4 sixes on his way to a quick fire 44*.

We’d been set 266 for victory, and even the most delectable egg curry this side of my ex-mum-in-law’s kitchen didn’t make that sound lip-smackingly tasty. Undeterred, Danny and Kazi strode purposefully to the crease, looking to put pressure on the bowlers by punishing anything short of a length and running hard between the wickets. When good intentions are not married to flawless execution, comedy run-outs often aren’t far away. And so it proved as Danny tried to convince the umpire he wasn’t out LBW by haring down the wicket while his batting partner was discussing the merits of the appeal with the said umpire. Kazi carried on unperturbed towards a well made half century that gave us a half chance alongside a pair of 34s… hard earned by Connor, and fluently destructive by Angus. The obligatory mini collapse out of the way, Abid (17*) and Philipp (14*) bedded in for an unbroken 8th wicket partnership. Between the two of them, they enjoyed themselves. Philipp pulling a succession of full tosses straight to the leg side field, and Abid deploying SKY’s handbook to good effect to score behind square via a series of scoops, reverse-somethings, and tumble-over-deflections that this correspondent cannot name.

We ended the chase not “all out” on 189 – the draw once again secured on the sly, as the opposition thought victory was theirs to celebrate. Post match equals braai when Arlindo is on the scoresheet. And post beer equals drunken cricket in sandals and the fading light. Up the Pirates!