Bank of England Allstars - 14th June 2007 - Regent Park

The first of our two outings against a motley collection of work colleagues from the Bank of England again lived up to the billing of being one of the most enjoyable fixtures of the season. Our opposition was led by the husband and wife combination of Mr and Mrs Hall and included a number of new faces, as well as a few stalwarts from previous seasons. Our own ranks were again without Mr Weaver, who has promised that he'll turn up one day, Mr Gooch and New Member Turner, but bolstered by the presence of our Aussie Ringer, Greg Rowlands, last week's top scorer. The Category II status of the game meant that our journey to the ground was delayed by a queue at the off licence, and under heavy clouds with the threat of rain, with beer in hand, the toss was taken and the Carib Beer XI were asked to field first, ensuring that our run chase was likely to be conducted in the dark.

Finally, when enough people had turned up, we took to the field and the Bank began their innings. Nick Moore, who has scored over 50 runs against us without being dismissed in two previous encounters, opened the batting, along with Rob Bailey, who had purchased a set of whites and a floppy hat specifically for the match. Alas, this was to be wasted, as Rob White soon rattled Boe Bailey's stumps to claim an early wicket, bringing Boe Tahir to the wicket. From there the Boe innings progressed solidly as Nick Moore again helped himself to some indifferent Carib bowling. Ringer Ajay was brought on as a potential partnership breaker and sent down several of his unique toe crushers. Unfortunately, however, the toes at risk were his own, and he was not asked to repeat the exercise.

It was eventually Ringer Cordey and his village blacksmith twirlers that made the breakthrough, removing useful Boe batsman Tahir for 21, soon followed back into the hutch by Boe Jarod for 1, who must surely now be regretting turning up in whites with all his own kit and bat. This brought all round sports freak James Lamyman to the crease, and along with "I can't bat to save my life" Nick Moore, proceeded to build a solid 40 run partnership before both were passed the 25 mark and forced to retire. Two sharp run outs later to see the back of Captain Hall and occasional Carib Ringer Tanner (apparently stopping mid-run to pick up a dropped packet of Camels), and a Cordey dropped catch on account of his 'bouncy' glasses, we were into the female section of the batting line up and our Chairman and Captain Martin Haigh decided to bring himself on, perhaps hoping to bowl himself back into form (after his shocker last week) by snapping up the wickets of two girls who've never played before in their lives. Nevertheless, Martin ensured that neither of them where to trouble the scorers and Not Out batsman Moore returned to finish what he'd started and took his score to a personal best of 33 not out to ensure that the Boe Allstars were comfortably past the 100 mark at the end of their 20 overs.

Rich Harris, who had previously scored a total of 3 runs in Carib colours, opened the batting for the Carib Beer XI with Vice Captain Bazza, himself anxious not to repeat his first ball duck from last week. Boe's Lamyman and Tanner opened the bowling for the Allstars. Initially, progress was slow, with Boe Lamyman again proving his all round sportiness by bowling quickly and accurately from one end, claiming Vice Captain Barry for a meagre 5 in his second over. Next man in was our very own Aussie Ringer Greg Rowlands and the team hoped with some justification that he could begin to push the score along against the part time bowling of Boe Tanner. Unfortunately, on this occasion, Boe Tanner was on fire (perhaps due to an unextinguished cigarette) and second ball, he turned to find his stumps disturbed for an uncharacteristic duck, and the Carib batting card in some disarray.

With the Caribs now reeling, a captain's innings was called for, and next man in, our Captain and Chairman Martin Haigh, didn't disappoint. Although he started circumspectly, his surprise dismissal for five last week obviously fresh in his mind, he began to find form and before long, those trademark cover drives were being taken out of the locker, and even with Boe Harris mercilessly dead batting from the other end, our progress towards the target began in earnest. After what seemed an eternity, Boe Harris's long vigil was eventually brought to an end for a career defining 11 and our Leader and Master Batsman Martin Haigh passed 25 and was forced to retire, leaving Boe's Rogerson and Cordey at the crease. Both, perhaps sensing that there wasn't much to follow, played with some caution. Phil Cordey even played a text book soft handed defensive stroke on one occasion that would have made Boycott himself glow with pride, although to be fair, this was greeted with hoots of derision by the assembled fielders, prompting Cordey back into his old ways, departing not long after for a 14 ball 11. Boe Rogerson didn't last much longer and with the Caribs still 30 runs short of our target, Boe Berry strode out to bat, as the other members of the team began to pack away the kit and finish off the last of the beer, in preparation for an imminent departure to the pub.

However, before long, we were to be brought back to our senses by what was probably the fifth best innings of the match as Carib Berry, ably supported by Carib White, began to carve up the now lacklustre Boe bowling with some gutsy hitting with Floppy Hatted Boe Bailey's tossed hand grenades being given some particularly rough treatment. At one point Rob even tried tossing the ball to the wicketkeeper directly, bypassing the batsman completely. But Unfortunately, with overs running out, the Boe's 116 proved a dozen runs too many and we were forced to concede defeat to what had on this occassion proved to be tougher than expected opponents and head to the pub for the post match pint after what everyone had agreed had been a very enjoyable evening. The match tally between these two closely matched opponents now stands at 2 victories to 1 for the Boe Allstars and the return match, scheduled for July, is likely to be a hotly contested encounter.