Visit of the Battersea Badgers

Friday scorecard 
As the storm clouds gathered overhead on a humid Friday lunchtime the visiting Batteresea Badgers gathered on the outfield of Carlos Perez waiting for their hosts BICC to arrive. Like all visiting teams they were keen to inspect the pitch and warm up in the late autumn sunshine. 

The toss was won/decided and BICC chose to bowl first, new skipper Mishmash taking the first over from the football ground end, was slapped for a couple of fours to set the tone for the Badgers. Second bowler was none other than the crocophile man himself, to bowl some accurate poison darts as if he was back in the Zambian jungle once more. Simon got the first wicket and ended with the nice figures of 2/14 off 4 overs. Mishmash meanwhile found his line and length finishing with the tidy figures of 0/15 from 3 overs. 

New boy Kunal entered the fray with an expensive first over but like his captain made up for it with the next couple of overs ending up with 0/19 from 3 overs. Suraj came on for an over and bagged a wicket with 1/10, removing Badgers opener C.Knight who looked in good form, with a great caught and bowled. While all this was going on the BICC fielding was looking sharp, Ed aka golden arm/ the Somerset sniper waded into the action with a run out with only one stump to aim at that would have Ponting creaming his pants. As if that's not enough for one man, Ed comes onto bowl and takes a screamer of a caught and bowled as casually as a man who's just been handed an ice cream. Golden arm finished with 2/12 from 3 overs.The badgers run rate was under control now, so who better to bring on than Caspar "are nets still on this week" to bowl a couple of more controlled overs, finishing with 0/17. Next new player Will bagged his first BICC wicket first over and got 1/16 from his 2 overs. Club legend Wild Bill turned his arm over for 2 overs, 0/12.

Battersea Badgers 118/7

Opening the innings for BICC was Umer and Suraj, both looking assured the first few overs with Suraj pulling a couple of his sixes like he was swotting a pesky fly out the way. Looking to dispatch a full toss into plaza España, Suraj missed and was out LBW for unlucky 13 to a ball that was "dipping" on him. Next up was Shano, walking out with confidence, playing a full blooded drive with confidence and walking back a minute later as the ball sailed off the outside edge in slow motion and fly slip gobbled it up. Cue panic in the ranks, fear gripped the BICC dug out, pads and gloves everywhere. Kunal went out and smashed a quick 3, golden arm Ed played all round a straight one and was out for a duck three balls later. You can imagine the mayhem and panic had set in now, surely skipper Mishansh could calm things down? Well, no. Two balls later he's on his back for a duck trio with Ed and Shane. Next Simon steadied the ship, playing a solid forward defense like it was a timeless test match. A couple of runs later Simon was the second LBW victim of the day. Umer was finally caught on 33 runs, the long wait for the century continues. The next three batsmen managed one run each, Bill, Will and Caspar. Caspar barely had time to enjoy his empanada before he was padding up!  Last man in Wills, looking to improve the average, smashed a couple of runs and finished not out. Badgers skipper Sam Allwood finished up with 4/14 from 4 over, nice work sir. 

BICC 81/10

Monday scorecard
After a weekend of torrential rain the sky finally gave hope on Monday lunchtime that some cricket could finally be played. Plans of a forty overs game were abandoned with a late start twelve overs per innings was agreed.

BICC won the toss and opted to bat first, Shane and Issac (on loan from Badgers) opened the innings. Shano, a nervous wreck from the golden duck, was relieved to push an early single safely to leg side and avoid the dreaded pair. Issac meanwhile was enjoying a few big shots until he cut a lovely shot straight into the hands of gully for 10. Out strode Anton to the middle, always a joy to watch but unfortunately a nice shot off his pads flew straight into the hands of Badgers skipper Sam at deep mid wicket for 2. Next in Aussie James, the Brisbane express to join the fray, pulling and cutting like he had never been away. With a damp outfield and long boundaries both James and Shano had to run a lot of singles and two's that would have been fours another day. Martin of Badgers bowled a consistent and nagging length outside off stump and deserved a wicket. After ten overs golden arm Ed was spotted padded up and raring to go like a greyhound in a trap on the edge of the BICC dugout. Shane retired for 18 and in came Ed for final two overs finishing on 6 not out and James 16 not out.

BICC 2/74

On loan Issac opened the bowling for BICC, a tight line and length that kept the opening Badgers at bay. Next up and steaming in from the football ground end was the Brisbane express, always in the wickets James found the inside edge and the middle stump was knocked back. As the runs dried up for the Badgers they were pinching singles with one single being pushed to old golden arm himself, who casually threw at the stumps with only one to aim for, the batter well short of his ground. As if another run out wasn't enough Ed came onto bowl, picking up a wicket in his two overs. Behind the stumps Supun had been keeping things tidy as possible, off came the pads and gloves for a tidy over, tying up the badgers with some well flighted deliveries. Ravi took over the keeping duties and talking of well flighted deliveries, our Dave came on to give the ball such good flight that Qantas would have been proud. Bowling three tight overs Dave made sure the Badgers fell short of the target.

Battersea Badgers 3/72

Shane Lightley