by Mike Savage.

Thursday 29 April: The Mighty Saints v St Pierre.
Venue: The salubrious KGV.

A cold, dark and misty evening to kick off the new season. Brocky is strutting around like a big cock (of the feathered variety) having just pulled off a first for the A team in recent years. That being 12 A Team members fit and available for selection – RV graciously stepping aside. However methinks RV being a wise old soul saw the weather forecast !

We welcome new signings Lee ‘the fridge’ Gallienne, Dave ‘monkey’, ‘mini me’, ‘mini DJ’ etc etc Jones and Pete ‘nickname to follow’ Burroughs to the club. We also welcome back Goody and welcome Doddy and Brocky with a well deserved and overdue promotion to the A’s.

Scrappy calls heads – it’s a tail. Saints are invited to bat. DJ and the Ox first up. 12 on the board and not a legitimate ball bowled yet. The tempo is maintained through DJ’s delicate array of hoikes, pulls, nurdles and slaps. Ox watches on worrying that the new ball might hurt his new bat. The Ox departs for 9 – bat in tact. In comes Knosher. Looking pretty as usual but soon succumbs to the slowness of some rank bowling (18). No nickname Pete next. After facing the accurate bowling of Scrappy and Brocky in the nets, he struggles a touch with the box of liquorice (allsorts) being thrown down. But he is soon into his stride and stroking the ball around comfortably. DJ – 50 – well played that man. Out soon after for a brisk 55. Goody next. Goody puts on a show like only Goody can with a mix of sublime hits through the ‘V’, which no man wants to try and stop on a cold evening at KGV, and some mighty wielding of the bat with no connection.

I must mention the penultimate ball – I’m not sure I’ve seen a ball hit harder and was surprised the sightscreen was still intact. Goody out off the last ball missing it on his first pirouette, being caught LBW during the second. Goody 25. Pete no nickname yet not out on 13. Mighty Saints 148 for 4 off 16 overs. We’ll take that although 180 was looking good at one stage.

Saints take to the field. Doddy and the Fridge open up. That new ball eh ! It’s a bugger to hold and swings a mile. Well I gather that is the reason for the smattering of wides early doors. But despite this the required run rate is on the up straight away. The Fridge takes first scalp – pouched by Pete who by now should really have a nickname. Monkey, mini me etc is introduced to the action. Straight away there is a rubbing of the bald head whilst uttering the words ‘that’s just a hoike’ ! Monkey gets his man confident call and catch by DJ – personally thought Goody might have got there but think he was still feeling a little tender in the groin area after all that dancing earlier. Monkey is rubbing that bald head again ‘he just took that from outside off’. Personally thought Spenny should have covered more ground on the deep mid wicket boundary. Sandy out there Spen ?

Next ball Monkey strikes again. Bowls Kimber – the one guy in their ranks who could turn the game. The game then begins to dawdle. The odd boundary to keep the crowd interested and the odd two to the young Mr Tapp much to the frustration of Spenny (who was heard to utter that lad needs a good haircut). With all the bowlers keeping it fairly tight the rate is soon beyond 2 a ball. Spenny and Doddy both pick up well deserved wickets. Scrappy invites the Brockback to bowl the last but being a specialist fielder he has his spikes on. Scrappy takes the ball and despite a wicket bowls a fairly rank last over. St Pierre 109 for 6 after 16 Overs.

2 points to the mighty Saints ……………. next.

The new season is under way. There have been a few changes to the structure of the league. Saint Saviours have teams in Division 1, Division 2 and Division 5.

Saints Annual Dinner on Friday 2nd October at Cafe D’Escalier in Le Gouffre, from 1845.

Dinner at 1930 to include 5 courses. £20 a head.

If you want to attend, please let George know ASAP.

by Matt Thornton

Saints A continued the stop-start season with a fine win over lower table neighbours Grant Thornton. With 2nd skipper Spencer Noyon running late as usual 3rd skipper DJ, stepped in for the toss, skillfully lost it, letting them play right into our hands by informing us we would be fielding. Perfect.

Phil Dodd opened up from the top end with some good wheels, but one or two short and wide ones were quickly dispatched to the boundary as Grant Thornton came out all guns blazing. The barrage continued from the other end as Spencer Noyon (finally arrived) bowled a good line and length, but still managed to get carted around, until he managed to surprised former Island and Cobo’s Mark Renouf, himself, and pretty much everyone on the pitch with a much, much slower ball which quite possibly slipped out of his hand like a greased piglet. The surprise continued when Spencer managed to catch the easiest of easy chances. No bowler was exempted from some very determined batting, though, that really was more edge and swipe than fluent cricket strokes. The first 9 overs all went for 10 an over, and by halfway it was felt a total of 190+ was on the cards.

Continue reading Report: Saints A vs Grant Thornton CC

Match abandoned after 4 overs. Still gave Olly Tapp enough time to get in… and out. Fortunately his average was protected by some very determined drizzle.

Unclear yet if it’ll be a draw or rescheduled.

By Ross Kneller

Thursday Evening the 4th June 2009 is an evening that Saints A best forget. The 11 men that graced KGV field came off knowing that with a little more application they would certainly have been victorious. I say 11 but arguably a certain Mr Kneller could always question his presence (as his performance would suggest).

Continue reading Report: Saints A vs Optimists Rovers

by Matt Thornton, without the benefit of a scorecard

Saints A opened their account with an easy victory over Grant Thornton CC. Surprised to be playing a game that by rights never looked like getting under way due to previous days’ torrential rain, it was a surprisingly mild and pleasant evening at the KGV, even if captain Scrapp decided to wear even more sweaters and padding than usual.

Batting first on the freshly laid and still uncertain astro surface, junior Tapp and senior Spenny got the Saints under way with some solid thwacks and swipes. Each scored solid twenties before falling, leaving it to Glenn ‘New PC’ Mourant, Ben Driver and Ross Kneller to see Saints up to a defendable total of 130 odd for 3.

Promoted from the B side, Martin ‘Wee Man’ Baxter opened his A team bowling figures from the top end, charging in (well as much as a man that size can actually charge) with some real vigour. A couple of wayward ones had the batsmen royally confused, and all was required was a couple of straight ones, with a clean bowled and a simple caught behind, and all of a sudden the oppo were 2 down with less than 10 on the board in only the 2nd over. Spenny did his best to gift them runs, but they were surprisingly reluctant to take them and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Cobus Louw got in on the act with his trademark inswinging yorker, making a mess of the stumps on a couple of occasions.

Ross Kneller hammered in the final nails with 4 wickets to see Grant Thornton bowled out in the 70s.

I think.

by Adam Farish

After a game best forgotten, Saints B took to the MFN in bullish mood. The side had a different look with TV the talisman returning to take the helm, old before his time Fish half returning as a fielding/batsman, Saints’ overseas player Cobus bringing a calm assurance and Steve ‘nugget’ Ward finally returning from his jollys…er…work in the far east. Notable absentees were Gerv with a knee that just won’t do as it’s told and Brocky who had chipped a nail and was heard saying ‘no manicure, no play’.

We either won the toss or the oppo played straight into our hands by letting us bowl. To all bowlers’ delight, TV took the gloves again as Cavalier Stenners had to stay in to wash his hair.

Continue reading Report: Saint Saviours B vs Corinthians C

No comment.

Oh dear! I suppose that it had to happen. Got put in to bat and struggled to score 84 for 6 off 16 overs. Thanks to Tim MacNab’s 51 not out, retired hurt. Despite Tim’s nasty eye injury and possible broken nose, which needed a visit to hospital, it’s good news to report that he’s made a full recovery. Well done Tim who’ll be wearing a helmet in future. Being down to 9 men in the field, Chris Hurley having provided hospital transport, Cranford’s strolled to a 5 wicket victory in the 14th over, not before excellent bowling from Cobus Louw, 2 for 19 off 4 overs and Graham Garland’s flighted tweekers 2 for 13 off 3 overs.