Supun Full of Sixes Helps Wombats Go Down

by Evan Hitchman

Japan Cup Finals: League Match vs Tuskers

Having surprisingly qualified for the Japan Cup T20 Finals for the first time, the Wombats were out to cause more surprises and upsets in Sano. Ranked 12th out of 12 teams, the Wombats were given a dud hand early on by Dhugal who picked out top ranked, and last year’s champions Tuskers as our round 1 opponent.

Never a team to do things the easy ways, the Wombats also struggled to put together an XI, having only 10 guys available – but we’d turn up and give it our best shot. Well, one of those things was true…. we’d certainly give it our best shot!

At the toss we had 6 players present, with one guy on a train somewhere, and Ali the skipper for Saturday and Rexy in a car somewhere, stuck behind an old guy on a motorcycle who was blocking up all the traffic……who turned out to be young Mick!!

Winning the toss and batting….Evan decided if we could just hang around until the car and the late comers arrived, we’d be fine. We only needed to survive about 15-20 mins or so. Should be easy right? Openers, play no shots, just leave, occupy the crease, nothing stupid.

Evan and Bilal go in to open, and unfortunately the opening bowlers were in no generous mood, with big Bill yorked with an inswinger and the Wommies were 1/0 in the first over. Hassan strides to the crease is given the lecture by Ev – let’s stick around mate, we have to stay here till the car comes, just block, no stupid shots………………

“Yes”……says Hassan, as is his standard reply!

First ball, to one pitched up in the blockhole he tries to slog sweep it for 6 and is clean bowled! 2/0 off 3 balls….and looking down the barrel of being bowled out for single figures, with only 3 more wickets remaining…..unless the car turned up!

Robb arrived at the crease, and Ev used all the tricks up his short sleeve, with a meeting with the umpires to discuss possibly playing a 2 innings game?! And also asking for middle stump, and leg stump, and 2 offs please mate! After being given the hurry up, Ev and Robb survived a few overs, before Robb copped a very generous not-out after being hit plumb in front.

After that reprieve and a few overs of blocking and leaving, the car finally arrived! Rexy, Ali, Satyam and Mick and we finally had everyone there, albeit still only 10. With that relief, Robb promptly got out, on the end of a great caught and bowled effort. Ajaz came to the crease and put on a little partnership with Ev, getting the Wombats into the crucially and psychologically important double figures score! Runs on the board lads!

Ajaz was bowled shortly after, and at the halfway mark of 10 overs we were 4/40, a lot better than we thought we might be, but in need of some big runs with Ali, Rex and Mick to come, to get us to 100 or better and something to bowl at. Adam Birss joined Ev in the middle, for their first partnership since about 20 years ago in the Sutherland Shire C3 Pub League! Ads being the team man he is, made way quickly though for Ali, with a beautifully compiled and unlucky 1.

5 down, Ev was out for 30, holding the innings together at the top, but we had Ali and Rex, our established batters to come, and who we had all waited diligently for. They’d see us through!

Perhaps that long journey in the traffic had taken it out of them though as Ali and Rex went back to back for 6 and 1, and we were left with our junior player Mick Walker, soon to get his pension card to save the day! And save the day he did with some glorious sixes, putting on a last wicket partnership of 30 odd to get the Wombats to 9/89. Not the best, but could’ve been a lot worse! Something to bowl at, and as always, runs on the board! They need to make them lads!

And make them they did…..

Long time JCL stand-out batsman Supun, having scored bugger all in the recent national games, took out his frustrations on the Wombats bowlers, scoring 83 including 29 off one over. The Tuskers got the runs in 7.2 overs, with the Wombats smartly letting the Tuskers ease their way to victory in a lost cause, and allowing us to have a long lunch break, enjoying a Four N Twently meat pie and watching the end to good match between Wyverns and Tigers on SICG1.

Japan Cup Finals: Plate Semi Final vs Kyoto Super Lions

Having “strategically” lost our opening game, we were put into the bottom 4 teams to play it out for the more prestigious “Plate” title of the Japan Cup Finals.

Taking the drive down to Sano, we were amazed when everyone turned up, and at the toss we had 10 players! We were also amazed to see a giant scaffold, 5 massive tv cameras, and a desk with tv monitors, radars, computers and about a dozen staff from the opposition side! They were taking this 9th vs 10th playoff seriously! Apparently it was for a “special project”….

This special project involved having a bloke on a walkie talkie directly next to the scorers table, calling in the result of every bet ball, but also involved the opposition squad of around 20 odd, not actually having anybody who knew how to score! Not suspicious at all!

Anyway, after getting our bets pads on, Ali decided to open up with the form batsmen of the first game and it was Mick and Ev, combined age of almost 100 who strode out to the crease. They put on a patient but strong opening partnership of 50 off about 7 overs, and the Wommies were in a good position to beat the over/unders set a large total for Kyoto to chase. Rex came in and went quickly, leading to his regular riposte of “I hate cricket!”.

Hassan also came and went quickly, unfortunately picking out the only Kyoto bloke who could actually field, who took a sharp catch on the boundary to one that looked like it was going for 6. Ali joined Mick in the middle, and the two of them took to the Kyoto bowling, with some great shots and huge boundaries into the bushes. At the end of the innings we had 155/5, and even with one short (and Ev) in the field, that probably should be enough if we bowled well.

Some good hitting early on from the Kyoto openers though, had us checking our betting slips  scorecard regularly as they were 0/40 into the 5th over, wondering if this game might finish early too! Some good bowling by Ali, Bill and Robb saw some wickets fall, and the scoring dried up – with a great catch by Robb, and then a surprising catch from Ev the stand-in midget WK who couldn’t believe when he looked in his gloves that the ball was still there, and who then proceeded to throw off his gloves and run around like a lunatic, in the most ridiculous celebration for a standard, simple edge and routine caught behind that you’ve ever seen!

The Wombats kept up the pressure on the bookies opposition, with some confident catching by Rex and Mick in the deep helping secure the winnings victory with 3 overs to spare, by 30 odd runs. The Wombats strode off, glorious, victorious and lined up to shake hands with the opposition, who were firmly stuck in their chairs, not bothering to even stand up! Probably still annoyed they lost against the spread against 10 players.

With that the Wombats were into the Plate Final of the Japan Cup!

Japan Cup Finals: Plate Final vs Osaka Lions

Catches

• Robb, great diving (or falling….) effort at backward point for a crucial catch.
• Rex – in the deep with a tough one.
• Mick – solid, never in doubt
• Ajaz! – what a show off – on the boundary, with a scorcher, taps it up to himself and calmly walks back over the rope and takes it nonchalantly!

Dropped Catches

• Rex – forgot how to catch, dropping a few skiers in the deep

Quotes

• Ali – “I don’t need a family name, Muhammad Ali speaks for itself!”
• Rex – “I hate cricket!”
• Rex – “I love cricket again!”
• Ev – “Middle stump please….ah sorry, leg please…..ah 2 offs please…” trying to waste time while we only had 6 players vs Tuskers!
• Ev – “Hope you got that on camera!” to any Kyoto players, or audience that may be watching after another big Wombats 6!
• Ev – “I thought it was 7:30!” – only to be told that it was last orders and 11pm!

Great Moments in Sport

• The car arriving and Wombats having more than 6 players!
• 60 beers!
• Micks’ 77 vs Kyoto (not his age, his runs!)

Dummy Spits

• Rex – I hate cricket….
• Ev – “you can appeal once, not 2, 3, 4 times mate!” – getting fired up at Rasika from the opposition with some loooooooong appeals

Golden Thong Nominations

• Everybody who pulled out late and didn’t play! You know who you are! (that doesn’t apply to all those Wommies who have recently had kids, or who are about to have one – you guys never pull out!)
• Ev – had one too many beers excitedly on the Saturday night, and was in all sorts on the Sunday.