The last league match of any season can be a tricky affair. Relegation and promotion could be decided at the flick of a bat, the money at stake makes them oft breathtaking encounters. As it was, the 11th of September 2004 had absolutely nothing riding on it for the competitors at the Taverners Lodge. Huncote sitting pretty in 2nd with promotion dans le bag, safe from the nearest challengers below and too far behind the imperious WECCA men to make an impression on the title shake up. The Taverners were....in the middle somewhere and couldn't go up or down either. "What is the point?!!" I hear you cry. The point is thus: PRIDE.

Huncote travelled the relatively short distance to the Taverners Lodge in cars.

Once there the toss occurred, Tavs  won it and as a result HCC were to be first to brandish the willow in an aggressive manner at the offending leather.

There was a jovial and jaunty outlook to the HCC batting line up. The returning Swords, after a MoM performance for the 2nd's last week, and Driver were given the opening berths. A hard track throughout the week had been given a fair dousing of precipitation the night before which meant it was a bit lively and certainly not lacking in pace, although an undampened 22 yards would have made for an interesting proposition as the young, carefree and tigerish L Dyke came charging in from the top end.

Driver looked confident as he beasted his way to 6 before attempting a cannon ball drive to the extra cover boundary, catching the ball high on his sexy new bat and holing out in the ring. Dyke sent Driver on his way with some harsh words.

Haroon now joined Swords at the cricketing crease. Swords was easing his way back into 1st team action, playing a responsible knock and ticking the scoreboard over. Haroon, not unlike Swords, is not at his best early doors and apart from one rapier like cut to the point boundary he did not scale the heights of previous weeks and was bowled by the now rampant Dyke.

Peter D Kirby joined Swords now as HCC started to falter slightly. The introduction of the wiley K Day into the Tavs attack combined with the 2 early wickets meant the scoring rate slowed as the pair put on a mature looking partnership. Peter Kirby nudged his way to the double figure region before his old nemesis tempted him into a hoik which went directly towards the sky and unbelievably P Kirby was caught by P Kirby the Tavs keeper, despite the best efforts of an onrushing Tavs fielder to clean up the keep's as he clung on to the heaven searcher.

Without Kirby at the crease Swords looked like Bonnie minus Clyde. A cultured and chanceless (minus the first ball) innings of 33 was bought to an end as deadly D Jones swung one into Swords' pads which he attempted to put to the mid wicket boundary. Its destination was confirmed as it struck the bat but a cunning field placement meant a catch snared and Swords out. A fine return to 1st team action for this brilliant yet flawed willowsman.

With Tim Kirby and James Brewin at the crease the Taverners were visibly shaking with fear at 2 of HCC's leading run scorers. K Day was not fazed and continued to bowl tight lines in the face of hurricane Brewin and eventually toppled Brewin's bails with James reaching 10 runs.

At the other end, HCC transfer target L Dyke was bowling to long time friend and cricketing hero Tim Kirby and as Dyke speared a delivery into Kirby's pads from wide of the crease all of Leicester Taverners Lodge was drowned in a hysterical appeal. Before the "H" of "Howzat" had left the majority of the vocal chords, the umpire had raised the finger of death and Kirby huffed, puffed and sulked his way to the pavilion. You guessed it folks, it was missing leg stump.

Carl Sumner, desperately short on runs to back up his expert bowling discipline looked strangely confident at the wicket, sauntering to 12 runs in typical Sumner fashion before the elder Dyke tempted him into a Caribbean drive which unfortunately for Sumner fans everywhere only found the hands of B Peck, brother of Gregory, and Sumner trudged to the pavilion to be consoled by his team mates.

The skies were threatening rain. Would mother nature spoil HCC's big day out?

Swann donned the Vampire in his hands, crashed 2 runs with it then decided not to use it when someone bowled at his middle stump and as per the laws of cricket, he was ousted from the field of play, the finger of death not required for this type of dismissal, maybe the redness of embarrassment would have been more of an appropriate sending off? Still a fine effort from the young lad who will be the core of HCC 1st XI for many years to come.

With the usual top 3 of the batting line up taking possession of 9, 10, and 11 spots on this day of days, maybe HCC could still look towards a total of 200?

Schutz was certainly the man for the situation and he did not disappoint. Freed of the shackles and restraints of Position 3, Schutz enthralled the crowd with his natural ball striking and aerial attacks. Not out 24. More of this sil vous plait in seasons to come.

Crossley, grinning like a Cheshire cat at the prospect of not opening and spending all afternoon lapping and watching the neighbouring soccer action, was called into action for a dozen balls at the arse end of the innings and the skipper too showed he has many different strings to his bow adding 16 runs to his teams total.

It stood at 144 as the umpires called time on this innings.

Tea was marvellous, sandwich varieties flagged with their contents, pizza, freshly brewed tea and some artery clogging cakes were soon dismissed from the table they so lovingly adorned. So good where they that Brian Driver, remember him from earlier in the piece, managed to consume none of it. After his dismissal he sped back to the Spearing Waite Bowl to star for the HCC footballers before returning for innings no 2 missing out on the tea festivities. What an athlete.

HCC took to the field with the rain clouds a gathering. Spurred on by the arrival of Kirby Snr, Adcock Snr and Kirby Jnr Jnr, T Kirby and J Swann bowled with aggression and discipline. Well, T Kirby supplied the aggression and Swann the discipline.

Marvell did not perform marvellously as his name may suggest, he hung around for ages for hardly any before his stumps were demolished half way back to Huncote by the young Swann. An exciting prospect with the ball as well as the bat. All this and a full head of pubic hair!

As Aucott looked to oust Swords from the position of Match Top Scorer the clouds positioned themselves over the top of the ground and opened up wide, spraying a deluge of the wet stuff as far as the eye could see. Thunder and lightning accompanied the show which although brief was enough to halt proceedings for the day and a No Result was called.

Taverners ground getting soaked 2004.  Bugger.

A little bit of headers and volleys ensued, some champagne was drunk (although most ended up on the Tav's away dressing room floor) and everyone got a pat on the back. Which film was that from guys?

The Tav's guys retrieved the stray sightscreen from its new home at the other end of the field in a ditch and the ground emptied just as quickly as it had filled. The emptiness of the ground complementing the emptiness in the lives of cricketers nationwide, sad in the knowledge that no more league cricket would take place this calendar year in the UK.

Now, Mallorca, that's a different story.

Where is my factor 30?

Man of the Match- Max Swords

Copyright Huncote CC 2003 Designed by Loser Designworks