CHUCK RUNS AMOK: INTO THE FINALS WE SNUCK!

by Ian Gason

An upset win Saturday by Fuji Far East over KCL premiers Millenium proved just the spark for the Tokyo Wombats to truly click Sunday, as a captain-inspired performance delivered us a 160 run victory and a spot in the inuagrual JCA One Day Competition.

In what is becoming a disturbing trend in Wombat land, Luke Ray failed to make the Harajuku rendevous, and became the 2nd bullet-trainer for the year. A major blemish on an otherwise outstanding day, but not enough to piss in the Wombats’ milkshake. Reggie Dawson’s late withdrawl saw Killer come in to the team.

Chuck lost the toss and was asked to bat, an offer he grabbed with glee. With Mr Burke still pregnant, Pup was popped in up top, and accompanied the Dinosaur to the middle. He was soon walking solo back to the pavilion after a quick blast and 1 false shot, caught at mid wicket. An opportunity for a plunderous innings was lost. Enter the skip. Again. The two West Coast fans decided they’d better enjoy this weekend (cos the Bloods’ll ruin next Saturday for ’em). Both played cautiously, but when the opportunity presented, sent to pill to the rope and into the jungle. With Chris Thomson’s strict calling of wides, the partnership progressed smoothly, until Jarrad (28) was caught in the same spot as Pup.

Zulu was honoured the absent Whiskas’ #4 slot and soldiered on with his skip. At drinks the score was still only 2/79. Chuck must have had the extra strength Ribena at drinks, cos he transformed. He discarded the helmet, and for the first time I can recall, batted in a sun hat. His lack of respect for the bowling was soon evident in other ways, too. Routinely he would take 2, 3 steps down the track, dismantling any semblance of a game plan the bowlers had had. Their line and length was blown away and the show began.

Unfortunately, Zulu (14) was dismissed not long after the 50 partnership. Doctor B Love now had the best seat in the house from which to enjoy the Courtney Jones Rainmaker Show. The Skip unleashed some of the biggest sixes played on Fuji. Getting under the ball and pulling upwards to backward square, Chuck cleared the rope, and cleared the jungle. For those unfamiliar with Fuji, there is a wee hill back there, perhaps 6 foot, untop of which sits another 6 foot of weeds. If it had been Adelaide, it’d have cleared the Vic Richardson Gates.

No sooner than the lost ball had been replaced, Chuck repated the shot. Chuck depleted FFE’s stock of spares by at least 3, but still managed to be outdone for Shot of the Day by Dr B., who played an exquisite late cut at the carpark end, gliding the ball between slip and gully for four.Perhaps he was day-dreaming about that shot not long after. With the ball deep at the cover boundary, Doc got beaten by a once in a lifetime throw: a direct hit on middle from 45 degrees, from the rope! The happy go lucky Crow-eater only had himself to blame, saying “I could have made that. I was strolling.”

Chuck chuckled along on his merry way, advancing and dancing down the track. He enjoyed 2 lives, one of which made a mess of the mid wicket’s facial features as the ball slipped through his hands. At the other end, Wombats came and went with all the signifigance of 007’s Bond Girls. There was only one star, and while we might have hit a boundary or two, or thrown in some comic relief with 4 of us getting run out, the day belonged to Chuck. Despite, belting 5 6s and numerous 4s, he went to 3 figures with a mundane single. He added a further 14, before the innings ended on 260 (or so), 180 of those coming in the final 20 overs.

Meanwhile on Fuji II, The Sharks were powering away past Serendib, with the Lankans losing all their spare balls in the bush! Seems that Sharks would go through undefeated, but to prepare for any eventuality an preserve our Net Run Rate, we set a target of 100 to dismiss Fuji.

We gave it a shake. From the Tin Shed End, Pup, completely ignoring the skips urgings (hold back the pace, accuracy first) tried to bowl as fast as he could, and did a pretty darn good job of it. He removed the opener Saito for 2, with the score on 12 and then first drop Saito for a duck, LBW. Gez Brady was charging in form the Carpark End and slipped a few wides in amongst a shit load of dot balls.

Wombats- uncharacteristicall y- took this as an opportunity to chirp up. Dunno, if “mental disintergration” has ever been translated into Japanese, but we enjoyed a prime example of it Sunday.Opener Takahashi had reacted to a few bits of minor sredging in Japanese, even barking back at Zulu, “You should go and learn some more Japanese.” That’s how we like ’em. When Chuck brought me on for Gez, I knew Taka’d have a go at me (possibly didn’t like my Japanese either….) and sure enough tried to pull one off off stump and was cleaned up.

A switch to around the wicket soon brought me me 3rd, and at 5/61 Fuji had a problem on their hands. What followed was their best partnership of the day, 29 runs from Kawashima and Tainaka, who resisted for 10 overs til Gez B blew them away quicker than an Italian forward falling in the penalty box. Dino held a blinder in front of slip to get rid of Kawashima. Tomita spent more time walking out than he did staying in, bowled first ball. Matsumura got an edge on the hat-trick ball and it bounced within an inch of the stumps. Still, next ball it was c. Dino b. Brady again and Gez won the Hardys Beaut Play of The Day award for 3 wickets in 4 balls.

Doc B lurv did the rest, with a little bit of assitance from Pup at cover, taking possibly the best catch this year for the Club. 1 part Dyson, 1 part Johnty, the young show pony dived wide and high, throwing out his left hand and held on to a rip-snorter.The lad whose face Chuck had so savagely disfigured reckoned he’d had enough fun for one day and hence the innings was closed on 106.

Although only a few names pop up in the report, the whole team was on song in the field. Killer’s wicketless spell unlucky. The Freak and Rhino saving runs, everyone backing up, not one overthrow conceeded. The Human Teapot backstage, 3 catches, no drops and no byes.

Chuck added to his (wife’s) Hardys supply, making it 2 from 2. Fuji Far East’s Best on Ground went to Tainaka-san. He not only top-scored, but conceeded just 1-24 from his 8, in an innings that ran at 6 an over.

Such was the Wombats day, that over on Fuji II, Wombat turned Shark and new-daddy Chunky took a 3fa to wrap up the Sharks win and put the final piece in the J1C jigsaw in place. October 22nd Sharks will meet Wyverns, and Wombats will meet Embassy for a spot on the biggest stage of the year.