It was a lovely sunny day as the B3 team representing the Manly Breakers arrived at the Passmore fields to engage in cricketing combat with the B3 side from Seaforth. As captain Ian North prepared himself for the rigours of captaincy, there was gentle banter between the players. Some photographs from the previous couple of rounds taken by Roger Moore greatly amused players such as Rob Herne, Lloyd Walker and Richard Smith. Chris Sweet and Dylan Calder decided to venture out to the middle of the field to inspect the pitch and to bowl a few gentle deliveries by means of a warm up.

Jeff Monin and a few of the players started to change into their whites. Douglas Alley proved to be wearing a particularly gleaming outfit which he attributed to the wonders of Napisan. It contrasted strongly with the less regularly laundered playing gear of Rob Lavery. Chris Sweet made passing comment that, although the pitch was not particularly wide, it seemed to be quite conducive to spin. A few fellow players listened but overall they were more interested in their own affairs.

Ian North slowly sauntered over to exchange pleasantries with his opposite number in the Seaforth lineup. After a few perfunctory comments, they flicked a coin skyward. Whilst it was airborne, tumbling over and over again, they attempted to guess whether it would fall with the insignia of the queen on the upper side or whether that particular emblem would land on the lower side of the coin. Unfortunately for Ian, the coin fell in favour of the man at the helm of Seaforth and he elected to bat, as such, choosing what seemed to be the most beneficial option for his collection of individuals.

Ian mosied back towards the gentlemen with whom he most regularly plays the sport of cricket. Once he arrived at their general location, he announced that they were to bowl and that himself and Rob Lavery were to be the ones who would use the ball initially. His statement was met with varied reactions. Some expressed regret that they would not get to bat first, others seemed quite enthusiastic about the prospect of bowling and others were single-mindedly examining their navels. Gradually, all the players were dressed in their cricketing attire and the fielding warm up commenced.

Dylan Calder took control of the warm up. He positioned the catchers in an arc around himself and intermittently hit catches to each man with a bat. Once again, banter was exchanged between the players. Some was funny, some was silly, some was both funny and silly. Once the team grew tired of catching the ball at varying intervals, they decided it would be best if they made there way out to commence the game.

On the walk out, Ian mentioned to Rob Lavery that he would be delivering the first over. Rob found this an agreeable situation. Al Lemarchand arrived later than the scheduled time of commencement and in doing so ensured two eventualities:
1. He would have to retrieve the cones which operated as boundary markers at the cessation of the day’s play
2. Roger Moore would act as twelfth man

Once in the centre of the field, the various individuals wandered to their pre-determined fielding positions. James Johnston assumed his regular position, bent over awaiting instruction. The two batsmen who were to commence the innings for Seaforth walked to the centre of Passmore 2, accompanied by 2 of Seaforth’s other players who were to act as umpires initially. One of the Seaforth batsmen resembled Harry Potter, the young wizard who acts as the primary protagonist in the series of books penned by J. K. Rowling.

Rob Lavery walked eight paces to mark his run up. Seeing the indentation in which the pitch was situated, he extended his run up by one pace, bringing it’s total length to nine paces. More banter was entered into by the Manly Beakers, some of it relating to the late arrival of Al Lemarchand. Collectively, they prepared for the first delivery to be delivered.

The first delivery proved to be an anti-climax as it passed the batsman without a shot being offered. This set the tone for the initial exchanges between bat and ball as a general state of malaise set in. The third ball provoked a greater emotional response from the combatants as it was bowled half a foot wide of the pitch and was accordingly deemed to be a no-ball by the umpire at the bowlers end. The over ended without further event and the players set off to their corresponding fielding positions at the opposite end whilst Ian North prepared to bowl.

Ian’s over proved as event-free as the initial over. There was again banter from the fielders however a good over ensured there was little action from the two batsmen. Ian looked quite fetching in his headband as he strived to effect the initial breakthrough. Some consider Ian to be a genial fellow with whom a fermented yeast and hop based drink can be consumed quite pleasantly. This over did little to alter their convictions on this front.

The third over provided slightly higher levels of excitement to the fielding team as it produced a significant event. Rob ran in from slightly beyond his run up marker nine paces behind the stumps and let the slightly scuffed, red cricket ball go whilst his shoulder ensured it’s propulsion toward the batsman who resembled a character from a series of popular children’s books. The aforementioned batsman swung gingerly at the ball and succeeded only in bunting it as far as Chris Sweet who was slowly moving forward at the fielding position of mid-off. Once Chris’ hands closed over the slightly scuffed projectile and succeeded in not releasing it prematurely, the eleven Breakers on the field and one on the sideline celebrated because the batsman was obligated to walk off the field and participate in the game as a batman no longer. Banter ensued.

Once the gathering of Breakers dispersed, the over was completed and applause was performed in acknowledgement of the wicket’s occurrence. This signalled the commencement of another over by Ian North. This over proved to contain more excitement as the batsmen attempted to hit the deliveries beyond the fieldsmen to register runs. One such attempt resulted in the delivery passing the batsman without the intervention of his bat. Unfortunately, the stumps also obstinately refused to intervene and groans were omitted from the assorted players representing the Manly Breakers. Ian looked mildly bemused and the over continued on its merry way.

In the fifth over of the innings, the unexpected occurred. Rain commenced it’s descent towards Passmore 2 from it’s previous abode in the upper atmosphere and offended the two batsmen from Seaforth. This resulted in them requesting to leave the field, a request which was upheld by Breaker’s captain, Ian North. In accordance with this event, the rest of the fieldsmen also left the field, some faster than others. What ensued was mild confusion.

The rain began to fall in greater volume, forcing the players to contemplate the fact that cricket would not resume at that ground, on that day. The heavy rain turned briefly to hail as assorted cricketers dashed to place their belongings in their own, and others, automobiles. At the risk of not fully recording the details of this event, the upshot of the whole rain incident was that play was suspended for the day and the match was declared a draw. Players ventured out into the rain to commence packing up and contemplate their next moves.

Finally, it was decided that the Manly Breakers should make their way to the Brookvale Hotel to consume fermented beverages and discuss whatever happened to cross their minds whilst there.

I’d tell you what transpired at the Brookvale Hotel, but that is another story…