We started with a scratchy win first up and then didn’t play well at all in a game two loss, to start the season 1-1 after two weeks. Our team was a combination of current cricketers, past cricketers and cricket watchers – so you figure it’ll take a few weeks before we all start firing as a unit. That is – if we were capable of firing at all.

Yet for the past seven weeks we have been firing on all cylinders. I know writing this before the semis is probably tempting fate but at the end of each game some members of our team (I won’t mention any names… Brett! Nic!) have been complaining about the lack of competition. A few of us ‘wiser’ campaigners have been applauding our own team’s efforts instead of bagging out our opposition… yet here we are entering the Finals with an 8-1 record. What is amazing about our performance is every other team started with a 6 game head start on us. But our seven match winning streak saw us sneak into 4th spot on run differential and a chance to win the comp from dead last 6 weeks into a 15 week season.

On Tuesday we beat ‘Inferno’ in an inferno of a night (check out the temp pictures at the end) who had to beat us to get into the Top 4 and after they won the toss they asked us to field.

Here is the scorecard – as best as I can recreate in a word document·

INFERNO Innings
First Pair – Overs 1-4
Over 1 – MCG Renkert 0/6 - including 2 dot balls & 1 No Ball. Inferno 0/6
Over 2 – PNG Dennis 0/13 – carted! Inferno 0/19
Over 3 – MCC Stone 1/5 – including 1 CATCH dismissal. Inferno 1/24
Over 4 – NYE Ryan 1/0 – including 1 CATCH dismissal, 1 dot ball. Inferno 2/24
Pair Score: 2/24 off 4 overs – including 2 CATCHES, 1 No Ball & 3 dot balls. Run Rate: 6.00 rpo.
Team Score: Inferno 2/24 off 4 overs @ 6.00 rpo.

Second Pair – Overs 5-8
Over 5 – MCC Stone 0/5 - including 1 RUN OUT dismissal & two wides. Inferno 3/29
Over 6 – PNG Dennis 0/13 – carted again! Including 1 dot ball, 1 four & 1 wide. Inferno 3/42
Over 7 – MCG Renkert 0/8 – solid. Inferno 3/50
Over 8 – NEC McInerney 0/14 – Smashed! Inferno 3/64
Pair Score: 1/40 off 4 overs – including 1 RUN OUT, 3 wide, 1 four & 1 dot ball. Run Rate: 10.0 rpo.
Team Score: Inferno 3/64 off 8 overs @ 8.0 rpo.

Third Pair – Overs 9-12.
Over 9 – NYE Ryan 2/0 – including 2 CATCH dismissals. Superb! Inferno 5/64
Over 10 – WIN Nicolson 0/10 – wayward! Including 2 dot balls, 1 wide & 1 no ball. Inferno 5/74
Over 11 – NEC McInerney 0/19 – BONUS OVER including 1 SIX, 1 dot ball & carnage! Inferno 5/93
Over 12 – WIN Nicolson 1/5 – BONUS OVER including 1 BOWLED dismissal & 1 wide. Inferno 6/98
Pair Score: 3/34 off 4 overs – including 2 Bonus Overs, 2 CATCHES, 1 BOWLED, 2 Wides, 1 No Ball, 2 dot balls. Run Rate: 8.5 rpo.
Team Score: Inferno 6/98 off 12 overs & 8.16 rpo.

Setting us a competitive total of 99 to win off 72 balls or 8.25 runs per over.

WE’RE ON A BOAT Innings
First Pair – Overs 1-4 – NYE Ryan & MCC Stone
Over 1 – 11 Runs: NYE Ryan 6 Runs from 3 balls (3x2s) & MCC Stone 5 Runs from 3 balls (2x2+1x1). We’re on a Boat 0/11
Over 2 – 2 Runs: NYE Ryan -3 Runs from 2 balls (1x2-1 RUN OUT) & MCC Stone 5 Runs from 4 balls (1x3+2x1 incl. 1 dot ball). We’re on a Boat 1/13
Over 3 – 3 Runs: NYE Ryan 6 Runs from 2 balls (1x4+1x2) & MCC Stone -3 Runs from 4 balls (1x2-1 CAUGHT incl. 2 dot balls). We’re on a Boat 2/16
Over 4 – 14 Runs: NYE Ryan 9 Runs from 3 balls (1x5+2x2) & MCC Stone 5 Runs from 3 balls (1x3+2x1). We’re on a Boat 2/30
Pair Score: 2/30 off 4 overs – including 1 RUN OUT, 1 CATCH, 1 Five, 1 Four, 0 Extras, 3 Dot balls. Run Rate: 7.5 rpo
Team Score: We’re on a Boat 2/30 off 4 overs @ 7.5 rpo.

Second Pair: Overs 5-8 – PNG Dennis & WIN Nicolson
Over 5 – 15 Runs: PNG Dennis 2 Runs from 2 balls (2x1) & WIN Nicolson 10 Runs from 4 balls (1x5+1x4+1x1+1 wide faced) + 3 runs from 1 wide. We’re on a Boat 2/45
Over 6 – 13 Runs: PNG Dennis 7 Runs from 3 balls (1x3+2x2) & WIN Nicolson 6 Runs from 3 balls (3x2). We’re on a Boat 2/58
Over 7 – 17 Runs: PNG Dennis 5 Runs from 4 balls (2x2+1x1+2 No Balls faced+1 Wide faced*ran a single on that wide) & WIN Nicolson 3 Runs from 2 balls (1x2+1x1) + 9 Runs from 2 No Balls and 1 wide. We’re on a Boat 2/75
Over 8 – 10 Runs: PNG Dennis 4 Runs from 3 balls (1x2+2x1) & WIN Nicolson 6 Runs from 3 balls (1x3+1x2+1x1). We’re on a Boat 2/85
Pair Score: 0/55 Runs off 4 overs – including 2 No Balls, 2 Wides, 1 Five, 1 Four, 0 Dot balls. Run Rate: 13.75 rpo
Team Score: 2/85 off 8 overs @ 10.63 rpo.

Third Pair: Overs 9-12 – NEC McInerney & MCG Renkert
Over 9 – 11 Runs: NEC McInerney 6 Runs from 3 balls (1x4+1x2+1 wide faced) & MCG Renkert 2 Runs from 3 balls (1x2+2 dot balls) + 3 from 1 wide. We’re on a Boat 2/96
Over 10 – 19 Runs: BONUS OVER- NEC McInerney 13 Runs from 4 balls (1x7+1x5+1x1+1 dot ball) & MCG Renkert 6 Runs from 2 Balls (2x3). We’re on a Boat 2/115
Over 11 – 8 Runs: NEC McInerney -1 Runs from 3 balls (1x4-1 Run Out+1 wide faced) & MCG Renkert 3 Runs from 3 balls (1x2+1x1+1 No Ball faced) + 6 Runs from 1 Wide & 1 No ball. We’re on a Boat 3/123
Over 12 – 26 Runs: BONUS OVER- NEC McInerney 15 Runs from 3 Balls (1x9+2x3) & MCG Renkert 11 Runs from 3 balls (1x5+2x3). We’re on a Boat 3/149
Pair Score: 1/64 from 4 overs – including 1 Run Out, 1 Nine, 1 Seven, 2 Fives, 2 Fours, 2 Wides, 1 No Ball, 3 Dot Balls. Run Rate: 16.00 rpo
Team Score: 3/149 from 12 overs @ 12.42 rpo.

Result: We're on a Boat won by 51 runs - taking 4 points for the win and 3 bonus points for each batting skin (more runs per 4 over block).

Man that took way too long to write out – but once you’re halfway through you figure you might as well finish it.

And we didn’t even have Turpintine!

I believe we’ll play the Match Fixers in the 1 v 4 Semi Final next Tuesday lads after getting through on run differential from two other teams also on 58 points.

Congrats fellow sailors but let’s not stop here – we play the game for one reason = to win.

Man it was hot on Tuesday... took a couple of shots to give you an indication of why we were sweating up a storm at indoor.

And here's the mandatory sunset picture...

Warrick