“Gonzo’s Last Stand”

As everyone knows – the first rule about six-a-side cricket tournies is that no-one talks about six-a-side cricket tournies. So I will be brief.

Contrary to popular belief, May Day Madness did nothing to quell the desire for a game of cricket, and a MAD team of perhaps too many gathered at the Appleton grounds at the unaccustomed cricketing hour of 10:00 a.m. Resembling a support group for recovering alcoholics they looked upon what suddenly dawned on them to be a long day of cricket.

Or rather a long day with not much cricket.

A long day of sitting about, eating, and moving your arse on the chair.

This report is to be brief, rather like all three MAD batting innings of the day.

It has to be said we are probably not suited for this format of the game, not quite realizing that 31 off five overs wasn’t really a demanding total until Cumnor Youth and exuberance knocked that score off in about 12 balls.

Our second batting total 3 hours later was only slightly better, 38 runs which provided Paddy with pretty much the only brag of the day of batting all the way through the innings. It wasn’t quite enough to reach the required total however, falling ‘erm 38 short.

This is how Gonzo sees the cricket ball most the time….

Another 3 hour wait for our next game consisted of not much chatter about whether or not we could still actually qualify for the semi-final and thanks to Cumnor winning all three of their games indeed this feat was still possible. All we had to do was beat Wootton and Boars Hill to enter a bowl off.

A sad day indeed when the high point of excitement was reached by a side bet on what the Asians would score in their game against Appleton – with Paddy learning the hard way about not taking on the betting might of the PMA JMO.

The scene after the air crash in Appleton….

During the long wait for the final match an interview with Moo led to some interesting insights into the mind of a MAD skipper.

In a traditional pre-match interview the Captain stated: “I think the key to winning our last game and entering the bowl-off is quality pie. The team have done well to keep us in it up to this point, despite some teams scoring double in one innings than we have in one, it is all about momentum. The open top bus is on hold, and the trophy has been checked out”

With these words ringing in their ears the MAD six went out to strike fear into Wootton. Five minutes later The MAD six returned being the only team to be bowled out in the day… or in Gonzo’s case the only player to be run out by a non-existent player in the history of the game.

Enough said, the May Day Madness was over, and we retreated wearily, longing for a proper game of cricket.

The Greatest Cup this club has never won (or likely to for that matter).

‘Stan’