St Peters dad vs Carib Beer XI,

Battersea Park, Wednesday 9th June 2021

The very first game of the season 2021, Carib Beer XI vs St Peters Dad. While the outfield was filled with a relaxed sunbathing crowd for the start of summer, St Peters crew grabbed the cones and went round the boundary clearing the crowd and strategically placing the cones on the boundary for our game to begin. Our beloved Chairman, Captain quite unexpectedly prepared the batting line up on the ground just before the toss of the coin. A very rare and seldom seen act by our Captain occurred - we won the toss. The Dad Skipper made the call and failed to make the right one. Caribs won the toss and elected to field. Having said that, Our Captain wasn't happy with the attendance as it was 18:00 and only 6 Caribs were on the field. St Peters being smartly coordinated with their new patterned jerseys were already full strength and suggested that we bat first whilst we waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

As the players arrived the innings began with Carib Moss picking up a quick single, leaving Carib Archie on strike who had a good knock in a recent game he played. Well, oops! It might have jinxed the start for our 2021 recruit Carib Archie being called back with a duck as the Dads cover fielder took an easy catch. Carib Haigh was up next, picking up some singles and trying to understand the pitch and the bowler. On the other hand Carib Moss after several attempts picked up a quick double regaining some confidence to keep the score board moving. St Peters Dad's frontline bowler "Jamie" pulled another shocker picking up back-to-back wickets as Carib Moss followed by Carib Holmes from his very first ball. It was to Captain Haigh and Carib Tom to get the hold over the team. With a few singles in the 4th over we lost Captain Haigh for 2 (9)! What just happened, we were 8-4 in 4 overs, and still not all Caribs were in attendance by then.

Carib Rishi knocked a couple of boundaries encouraging Carib Tom at the other end to pick up some of his own. Both the Caribs were strategically coordinating the singles to increase the pressure on St Peters Dad. As these two started to put together a show we lost Carib Tom - bowled after struggling to face a few deliveries from the Dad bowler Mark. Up came our Ringer for the game Sid who attempted to get the Caribs a big total by swinging the bat - targeting straight over the bowler, but fails to connect and was Caught out leaving Carib Rishi thinking at the non-strikers end wondering if we were going to make it above 80. As Carib Bowen picked up a few singles, Rishi was to retire for 25 off 20 balls. Carib Bowen and Weaver added some more runs to the board before another chain of wickets was witnessed.

At 69 we lost Bowen and Weaver with Carib Nitin as the last man in the order on strike. Carib Nitin picked up a boundary and watched Carib Swanand depart with 3.3 overs left to the game. Carib were 74-9 as the retired Carib Rishi re-entered the fray. Rishi and Nitin managed to get some quick boundaries in the last 3 overs and scored 27 runs. This great striking by Carib Rishi (39) with a supporting role from Carib Nitin (13) gave Carib a chance in the game by posting 102 on the board.

So we took to the field with our Indian pace bowling attack. Carib Nitin opened the bowling and conceded just 2 off the first over by keeping the ball away from the wicket and making it difficult for Dad Stephan and Dad Philip to get anything meaningful on the ball. At the other end Carib Swanand (4-0-11-3) had a great start for Carib's season by picking the first wicket of Dad Stephen with a good length straight to middle stump knocking the stumps off its position (breaking the stump in the process!) and picked up two more in his second over leaving himself to grab a hattrick in his next over to come. Carib Nitin (4-1-11-2) managed to keep the top order under pressure to not find any scores on the board picked up one of his own the next over with a simple take by Carib Horn.

Carib Archie (4-0-20-1) and Captain Haigh (2.1-0-17-1) continued the next spell where the fall of wickets wouldn't stop.. Dad Chris managed to get some boundaries to keep up with the target. Ringer Sid (2-0-14-1) and Carib Moss (1-0-12-1) contributed with the ball with everyone picking up one of their targets to ensure the opposition collapsed, but there were a few anxious moments before Carib Horn and Carib Weaver picked out stunning catches during the last few overs. Absolute blinders from Horn and Weaver presenting top-notch levels of fielding rarely seen within Carib ranks. The target was still less than 3 per over when Carib Nitin was brought back into action to finish his remaining 2 along with Carib Archie. Carib Nitin broke the building partnership with a wicket-maiden to close his spell with Carib Weaver (Keeper) grabbing a blinder stuck to the corner of his right glove.

St Peter's Dad were left with one last wicket and 10 more runs needed in the last 3 overs. Captain Haigh had his front-line bowlers spell exhausted and picked up the responsibility to bowl the rest of his overs to get the last man out. Captain Haigh flourished and grabbed the first victory for Caribs and breaking the long consecutive losses against St Peters.

Carib Beer XI Win by 9 Runs

Scorecard