Carib Beer XI vs IBM,

Greenwich Park, Tuesday 16th June 2026

CARIB KANT (IS LATE FOR) STEALS THE SHOW

Win, lose, win, lose, win, ___. Sometimes Cricket writes its own headlines, and in this match it was no different. The Caribs, gathered together on a well-loved Greenwich Park Cricket Pitch, were faced with breaking free from an age-old streak, one where honours are even, and IBM are due a win to balance the scales. It didn’t come easy for them though, with star moments from Caribs littered through the whole game. After some expert negotiations from Carib captain Haigh, it was the Caribs who would field first.

The game began quietly, much like the atmosphere around our venue. It felt as though both teams were enjoying some peace after a busy working day, but it didn’t take long for something to wake us up. A poor throw partnered with a miscommunication led to Carib Weaver smacking his hand against the ball. Ouch, that looked like it hurt.

Soon into the seventh over, and the Caribs are reeling back IBM’s momentum. A heavenly evening light suddenly breaks through the audience of swaying trees and calm-Kunal and soon-to-be-game-changing Carib Kant charged on to the pitch. Little did IBM know (and maybe Kant too) what they were about to face.

The M25 may have slowed down the fierce bowling pair from arriving anywhere near on time, but nothing could have stopped what their bowls were about to do to the IBM batters. Carib Kunal took a few bowls to coordinate himself, but it wasn’t long before he was causing the opposition batsmen trouble.

Carib Kant took first blood. His superb deliveries were too much for this poor batsmen, and the wicket collapsing erupted a hooting of support for the bowler. But he wasn’t finished. Around came Carib Kant’s second over, to the dismay of the opposition, and immediately the pressure was on. It wasn’t long before the wicket fell again, thanks to precision, power, and purpose from the elite sportsman. But would you believe me if I said ‘the next wicket wasn’t to be far away’. Of course you would, but no one expected what really happened. The opposition loaded up another batsmen to face Carib Kant, but it was to no avail. A smooth run up, and a moment of silence whilst the ball whistled through the summer air, and it was a double. The wickets fell, and back to the tables went the poor fella, bringing a duck with him. All the while, the Caribs rejoiced with their man of the moment. Carib Kant was late? Sure he was. Carib Kant was a show-stopper? That’s what people will remember. Sadly, there was no triple. But by gosh, he came close.

Now that our team was at full capacity, we were 11 vs 8, and our new joiner/ringer, Amit, was the volunteer to join the opposition. A promise was made in this moment, a promise which seemed more dubious as the game went on. Supposedly, Amit, a strong-standing man in full cricket whites, with ‘Surrey Cricket’ printed proudly on his shirt on top of where his heart is positioned, claimed to have never played cricket before. His outfit was from his ‘son’s closet’, and just so happened to fit him perfectly.

Amit strolled up to the wickets, rolling his bat between his fingers the way a veteran smoker has their 10th of the day. Front foot drive - no problem. Calling to run, it was second nature. And to top it all off, he was ambidextrous with the bat. Baffled, we had serious words with the mysterious cricketer at the end of the game. Sources close to Amit claim to deny that he’d ever said he never played before. But the curtain had closed, and IBM had gained a not-so-green-greenie today.

The Caribs showed never-failing sportsmanship, clapping new batsmen onto their pitch and applauding their own for superb fielding moments, including strong stops from newbie Paul, forever reliable on the short boundary. What was especially remarkable was heart-felt enthusiasm for moments that needed a boost. Carib Tom Horn was particularly vocal in his support, cheering on Gus in his bowling cameo. The unsung hero was our wicket-keeper, Carib Bowen, who calmly collected wayward bowls (of which there were a few, at least). A show of passion could be heard at the end of the innings, when an accidental drop led to an emotionally damming cry from the keeper, giving evidence that this is a Cricketer who’s playing for the team. Notwithstanding Carib’s tactical changes of positioning fielders, IBM finished their innings with an impressive 144 runs from 20 overs.

Carib Holmes had a quiet first innings in field, but, as opening batsman, he was the source of plenty of drama. Not long into the first over, an awkward bounce had a ball hit Carib Homes in between his leg and thigh pads. A strong show of character, and Carib Holmes recovered to face a slew of fierce bowls. An LBW call harshly was denied, so Carib Holmes turned to the square leg, which, after no time at all, had his name written all over it as he found plenty of success down there.

The second innings were well underway when Gus was called into play. Trundling into the green, with his non-white cricket outfit, he looked like a loose cannon, and looks don’t deceive. He palmed away a strong set of bowls, but his patience was waning. Eventually, the perfect bowl came towards him, and he took a strong step forward and slapped the ball far into the air. A few here-here’s and clapping, but Gus wasn’t satisfied. Another ball came shortly after, and Gus, with some new found confidence that was almost rude, swung back and forward, and the red sphere ricocheted towards the boundary. A smack reverberated through the pitch, and it brought around whistles and cheers. Blushing, Gus showed his appreciation with a glove in the air. However, the loose cannon did not have the reserve to stay for long. Perhaps it was greed, maybe it was a another great bowl, but a big swing and miss sent Gus back to the tables, but not without a story to tell.

As the game wore on, the temperature started to drop, so did too our hopes on chasing IBM’s strong score. Knowing we needed some moments of magic, Carib Cordey went for glory with a big swing, but it wasn’t to be as an IBM fielder caught his sky-high shot. The game finished with the Caribs scoring a respectable 128. A few handshakes, good games, and well played, and the night closed in on yet another entertaining evening in the Greenwich summer sun.

Carib Beer XI Lose by 16 Runs

Scorecard