Water, hats and sun lotion at the ready, it’s cricket time again with the temperature set to rise to 34 centigrade. Not as hot as ‘76 apparently. Cricketers were tougher back then though, they used to use rapeseed oil as sunscreen and drink sand to keep them hydrated. But did they moan? Did they heck.
First XI
The ones travel to Romsey for a game that means not much. This after the fat lady finally burst into full song last last week. Any lingering hope of promotion has been extinguished so it’s all about playing for pride. There are so many changes I can’t bring myself to look them up but it will be an opportunity for Josh to chase down the league’s highest run scorer and Harry ‘H’ Tucknott to gain more First XI experience.
OTT are basically relegated so it will be interesting what kind of enthusiasm they can muster in what looks like another energy sapping afternoon. Not much you’d imagine, but cricket is a strange game and The Oaks are capable of losing to anyone on their day.
I’m going for an Oaks win in a game neutral supporters would do well to avoid.
Third XI
There is no second team game but the 3rds do travel to a great track at promotion chasing Ramsdell. The Rams are outsiders after losing out on valuable points when being cancelled last week, which seems unfortunate.
Charismatic leader, Kris Tucknott, is back in action and once again he has an eclectic looking team on a pitch that sits firmly in the dreams of flat track bullies. Kris made an accusation that this was why chairman, and vintage pie chucker, Bob Lethaby, made himself unavailable.
I’d like to put the record straight by stating that Kris is right. I would also like to state that there is an old saying that events ‘come in three’s’. With Gordon and Steve’s 2022 heart-attacks safely in the bag, I have come to the conclusion that a 54 year old man getting pumped all over a Ramsdell dust bowl in 34 degrees of heat has got ‘get the fucking defibrillator’ written all over it. With that in mind, as the Dragons would say, “I’m out”.
So, the 3’s will be up against it but there are runs to be had at Ramsdell and I predict a couple of fifties, maybe even a ton. The Rams are hot (literally in this case) favourites but I predict The Oaks to run them close. They may even provide an “ooh, there’s a shock” moment for tonight’s play-cricket observers with sad and empty lives caused by a cricket related divorce and a slow descent into calorie laden microwave meals and alcohol addiction.
Teams and Water
I haven’t had time to do team sheets but if you are picked you know who you are. Go well folks and on a serious note, don’t take the weather lightly. 34 degrees is hard going and needs to be treated with respect. Water, water and more water is the order of the day in this long hot summer of 2022. Hot weather like this is not to be messed with.
Up the Oaks!