Brian Mollet
Sunday’s Nick Shand cricket series stoush between the red-necked Left Bankers and the disciples of St Seymour, the Geckos, was played under some heavy mental clouds with both squads in a state of sleep-deprived delirium owing to the world cup.
Lomath Oval was gleaming harder than Malcolm Turnbull’s diamond tie pin after rain before play as on-field leader James of the Geckos won the toss and asked the Bankers to bat.
With netball in full swing on the adjacent courts it was agreed that play would take place from the southern end to avoid a potentially tragic clash of sporting cultures.
Geckos stalwart Greg-O opened the bowling with tearaway James and delivered more well-placed curlers than a hairdresser on a wedding day, and was rewarded with an early scalp.
Aaron (32 n/o) and Gazza chanced their arms as the outfield was about as generous as a Joe Hockey budget; both were dropped more often than a bimbo’s boyfriend but the runs kept coming.
Simon (29 n/o) and Blake (30 n/o) took advantage of the good start and only tidy spells from the plucky Christian (1–5) and St Seymour (1–4) held the rampant Bankers to a well-fleshed 148.
The Geckos’ reply faltered early as cricketing relic Gazza (1–5) showed some of the old shine with the ball and Eli’s throw to the bowler’s end was too fast even for the world’s oldest teenager Adeha.
Christian’s 30 was as well compiled as an excuse for not turning up to work and kept the Geckos in with a show but the chances of victory dived like an Argentinian striker when James chopped one on from Aaron (2–4). Mick (21) kept the crowd entertained with some late hitting but wickets to the lively Rob, Matt and Brian tidied things up for the Bankers to leave them undefeated from two outings.
Next week Main Arm’s 11 disagreeing captains argue with the laidback surf dudes of Suffolk, the Swingers.
