Langley - Sunday, 4th August 2002
After hearing all week the dulcet tones of Land of Hope and Glory during the
Commonwealth Games it was about time some hope and glory was to be lauded onto
LNZCC vs. Langley CC.
Pitch inspection by Tony Penman at 10.15am. TP concluded OK to play as long as
no more rain. Top stuff were off to Liverpool Street station to meet Richard
Holden, George and Henry Holden and Andy Swann for the 12.19 train to Newport.
Oops - TP there is no 12.19 on a Sunday. Therefore caught the 12.30 express to
Bishops Stortford. The Holden lads were kept busy with a 10 page maths
assignment - with Richard advising only 100% correct result will do. George no
problem, Henry only two mistakes. He will make draughtsmen out of them yet. Me,
try to content myself with the business pages (fat chance) and Swanny admires
the view and ponders whether to keep wicket with a suspected chipped bone in his
ankle.
Arrive Bishops Stortford in beautiful sunshine and TP in gumboots waiting in
car. Make quick trip to Penman residence to change (not TP) and meet Terry
Dunleavy who produces one of his own winery's Cabernet Merlot from Waiheke
Island. Put in safe place for Swanny to sample later that evening.
Arrive Langley to find all other LNZCC players in attendance in whites and doing
fielding practice (what is happening!!). Langley have three players on hand. TP
does toss in gumboots in pavilion. We lost toss and they elected to bat.
Slightly after 2.30pm TP opens the bowling with dark skies all around. After two
balls, received light appeal from fine leg. Turned down. First over fine. Bartle
opens my end. First ball, opener nicks cleanly down leg side for Swanny to take
difficult great catch. Spilled.
Fourth over many rumblings of thunder but no rain.
TP has batsman scoring off the edge in the air through the slips - well past
Vance by time he saw it. (and wide as well). Start of sixth over rain drops
start coming a bit thick, third ball - lets run for it. Umpire sends Bartle back
to get his (mine) bowlers marker. Bowling figures: Penman 3/1/12/0 Bartle
2.2/1/2/0.
Within ten minutes BIG puddles on block and field. Lunch is served - fresh
sandwiches. Match abandoned. Three pm arrives match abandoned. Langley player
Harold should have his pub closed but decides to open it and we settle down to
some IPA, Guinness and lager. TV turned on and NZ playing Aussie in Gold medal
Netball final. Many discussions ensue as to what are the rules? You can't do
that, can you? We lost. Now onto the Hockey - yawn - men's team now playing
Aussie again the Gold medal final. Can we salvage any win against the Aussies
this w/end.
Now to the "Aquaaaatic Centre" no kiwis in sight but plenty of "Advaaaance
Australia Fair". TV gets turned off. Club secretary presents engraved plaque to
captain of Langley.
Decide to de-camp to Penman household for more beers (or that Dunleavy bottle of
red) and BBQ.
We all attend - Langley boys come along later.
Much noise as TP's BBQ in back porch sets off smoke alarm and visiting Albanian
orphan annoys the crap out of Gordon Harcourt with the piercing sound of toy
metal detector.
Meanwhile messrs Holden (senior), Thompson and Penman are in the loft performing
feasibility study of loft conversion. It's a goer. Messrs Harcourt and Swann
demolish Dunleavy Cabernet Merlot.
With all beers drunk, and all meat eaten time for John McMullan to load up the
blue (ex Finlay ex JTS) beast (now with all panels straight) and head off for
home. Terry drops the Holdens and Swanny back at Bishops Stortford. Yours truly
decides to stay the night.
More ra ra and pats on the back for Manchester as they hold their closing
ceremony in torrential rain.
Time for bed and look forward to the new week.
8.19 am catch 15 minutes late train from Stanstead Mountfitchet to Liverpool
Street. TP falls asleep. Yours truly reads the Times sports pages to find
columnist slagging off Rugby 7's - which was the only good news we received the
whole w/end. They say must be more global and not predictable. England had hoped
a gold or silver - ended up with a fifth.
Arrive 9.40. Give me South west trains anytime.
7pm Monday - finish match report and put out onto the wires.
Scoreboard Langley 14-0
Batting
Runs Catches
Tony Penman DNB
Philip Bartle DNB
John McMullan DNB
Jason Hanley DNB
Richard Holden DNB
Andrew Swann DNB
Vance Thompson DNB
Gordon Harcourt DNB
Terry Dunleavy DNB
Chris Shaw DNB
Bowling
O M R W
Tony
Penman
3 1 12 0
Philip
Bartle
2.2 1 2 0
