Irish Eyes Are Smiling over St John's Wood

Kimmy reports on a historic day in the CB40 dispite being peppered with cricket balls being hit for six!

Well my journey didn't start well as I left my travel pass at home, not realising till I was at the station and 5 minutes till train time!

It was either buy one (at reduced price thanks to Spillage's rail card) or go home get it and wait half hourfor the next train!

Needless to say a ticket was swiftly bought and we were on our way for a 12 o'clock meet for lunch with some of the others...

I had a text from Beefy to say he'd been woken by KenPr so was on his way... The next text was from Diamond to say Kenpr was already at the pub! It didn't open foranother half hour

Spillage and I walked to the pub and no Kenpr.... Who'd wisely gone elsewhere!!

Still..... We all got together and hada surprise visitor in Graham! (which was nice at the time!!, tell ya later!!)

So full up from a lovely lunch Spillage, Diamond, Beefy, Kenpr, Graham, Seaxe man and myself caught the bus the short distance to the ground....

Here's the Lanky team turning up in their bus

Various people went to various places including the loo and the shop (No!! We didn't get muddled!!)

But all met in the Middx room to grab a drink and head to the Lower Tavern stand to watch the game... It was there that I saw that Graham having got his fill of us had gone back to his 'other' friends! As you can imagine heckles were made! (but all in good fun, as we are one big happy family!!) 

So onto the game..... We lost the toss.....yet  again... and were put into bat.... We used the same wicket as the county game were we scored a bundle of runs... Bundle the right word??? Anyway... 

Our openers are JD and AC..... Looking good to start with, LP says the Ump should have called a wide, but as usual I didn't see it...... The oh no! AC out for 12! Caught......

And in comes Stirlo.... Hard hat time me thinks! 

And funnily enough it was JD who whacked the ball to the top tier of the pavilion!! Woke some of them up I think!!? Definitely need a hard hat!!

LP met up with one of relations he didn't even know he had!

The 100 comes in the 13th over... And Stirlo gets his 50 in 43 balls.... Bit slow maybe for him, however he is still there, I think he's been practising, timing the shots ….Whatever we know he can hit the ball... he just needs to stay.... 

And the 100 partnership is up in 87balls..... That's better!! We seem to be knocking them about a bit, but at LP says, 'never judge a wicket till both teams have batted and bowled!' Quite right sir!!

Oh heck! Just as I'm writing Stirlo hits a ball for 6 right over my head!! Dangerous stuff this reporting I tell ya!! 

JD'd 50 is up off 48 balls, well done that man! There is definitely too much to write with all the excitement on the pitch... The ball is being hit everywhere!!

150 partnership is next up in 12 8balls.... These boys are on fire!!!

Oh no!!! JD then hits the ball straight to Prince and is out for 58! Well done JD... a GREAT innings!

And in comes Moggy The ball is going to go EVERYWHERE!!! C'mon Moggy..... all those people who has mugged youoff... show them they're wrong!!

His first ball goes for 4.... Along the ground ….

Dunno what Lanky are doing, they are taking ages to bowl an over... we time it and the takes 7 minutes!!!! Shouts are given to the umps to check the times......

Stirlo's on 95 and I really need the loo... however you know that when the vermin go to the loo we usually take a wicket.... I REALLY DON'T want this to happen so I'll just have to hold on.... till he gets his ton.... However Moggy is knocking them about for 'even' numbers so the poor boy doesn't get the strike, and I have to sit and wait... (with legs crossed!! Who said watching cricket is fun!?)

It's definitely the Morgan show at the moment... He's just hit a corkin 6!! Ooops maybe it was too much as Moggy asks for a new bat!!

The Phil (Power) Taylor takes a call (naughty!!) and tells the caller he's just watching the Middle smash LanKy all over the park' nice...

At last Stirlo gets his ton... well 103 off 83 balls..... And off I trot to the loo....Shh!

There were mini bets and sweep stakes going on... would Stirlo get his 100 before Moggy got his 50, how many would we actually get.... All in the name of breakthrough Breast Cancer.... needles to say all the winners money went in the pot! 

250 arrives in 186 balls and then Moggy gets his 50 with a 6 and then another!! Beefy tries to help Prince by pointing where the ball went... The death stare was given by Prince!! It was funny... I don't think he thought so...

Are you Lower Pav in Disguise?

 And then the 100 partnership, in  56 balls..... Beefy again tried to make friends with Prince asking if he'd like to join our sweepstake..... Prince politely declined.... orsomething like that!!!

I suppose all go things have to end and Stirlo is finally out for 119 off 99 balls... What a GREAT effort and very entertaining.... Well done that man!!

Bergy came in for a short (but sweet cameo) second ball went for 6.... and then he's stumped.... Missed it as I writing.... 

We're now on 301 for 4..... 

Another Moggy 6 and he's on 93....C'mon Moggy.... we know you can do it..... Dexy comes and goes and in comes Rogers..... He's not going to hang about either!! 

People start muttering about ourhighest one day score... 337 apparently.. Ssssh....

Moggy gets his ton, 103 off 49balls!!!! I have no idea how many 6's loads, then he goes and hits one straight over the score box!! 

Someone goes to retrieve it and sees a pedal bike in the middle of the road!! Oh no! Moggy hit someone...Nope it's ok... the bike was put down to chase the ball rolling merrily down the road!!!

Moggy is finally out for 116 in 54 balls... with 11 sixes and 6 fours.... Take a bow that man... I would say a stirling effort, but I can't!! 

Our final score is 350...... Fippin heck, what a game! FANTASTIC!!!! Records broken and all that!! 

Now for Lanky

Well they weren't very good....

By this time I was exhausted.... And to be honest not very interested in what they did!! They had a huge mountain to climb and by the 4th over they were 19 for two.... It didn't look good.... 

It just got worse and worse for them.... When the Vera reached 203 we sang a little song the the Lanky fans who tried to rally but failed.... 

The last thing I wrote was Lanky were 134 for 7 after 24.3 overs.... Vera was 271 and required rate 14.00

You are nowhere near the Vera

Lanky didn't give up tho.. but were finally all out for 183........ They tried...

 What a performance by the mighty Middle though..... Special mention goes to Tom Smith for his 3 wickets Steve Crook for his 3 wickets and a run out (Bergy, just because!) Stirlo for his incredible 119 but I think MOM has to go to Eion Morgan for his 116.... Might not have been the highest score, but the way he hashandled his return for me has be just incredible....

But just what a fantastic day!!!