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2006 Match Reports
WINTER WOMBATS PACIFIC CUP WINNERS
by Ian Gason
>>>Match Scorecard vs IECC
Taking Wombat cricket into new territory, a rusty display from the Wombats wrestled the Pacific Cup from Indian hands with a 4 wicket victory, made possible by local boy Regan Dawson's Spicy display of bowling.
This was our first December match and our first trek out to Ageo, Saitama. Rugged up and looking like Michelin Men, the lads de-trained at 0810 and by the time we left the station building one Dinosaur who shall remain nameless had racked up 3 dummy spits. Procrastinating like Kim Beazley after a few too many bong-hits, the boys stood around like oba-san discussing neighbourhood gossip, their legs not such much as painted on, more like imagined on
With Biju’s assistance and some taxis we ventured off down inaka-dori across the distinctive bridge to the green but slippery Ageo Cricket Ground. The gravtitational pull of the full moon was clearly affecting a couple of Wombats, and in between fraying tempers and discussing dish-washing liquid, the pitch was laid (layed?) the toss was lost and the 0930 game got under way right on flexitime at 1010.
In the absence of Chuck (no backbone) and Burkey (whip-lash) skippering was designated to Dr B Love. Shax and Gez took the new ball and attempted to re-Engineer the batting. Wombats were fielding in the latest hi-tech Grey Nicholls Teflon Gloves and many an Indian was given a life. The skip lead the pack with 3, followed by Gez (2) and lord knows who else. Some of the Wombats seemed to wearing banana peel shoes, over running and over-falling the ball all over the place.
It appears the dai-veteran, Paul Shax had read more than the Catching 101 section from Monty Panesar’s “Cricket My Way” and took a page out of the Monster’s book to get the 1st wicklet. Bowled of course. 1/24 from 8 overs straight. Killer Kelly fell on his Kybher first ball but regained his feet (figuratively at least) and had 1-16 after 7. After 8 he had the still respectable 1/27.
The bulk of the Indian runs came from Messrs Vimal (28), Sangan (29) and Chaman (31).
At the Distinctive Embankment End I sent down a distinctively shizzo spell. 4 overs cost me 6 runs. 4 more overs cost my ugly twin brother 35 runs. Enlivening an already lively display was umpire Courtney Bowden. An LB appeal was answered in the affirmative, not with a slow Koertzen, or a Bucknor nod, but with a 360degree wind-up and for good measure “Ooooh that is OUT!”.
C. Bowden didn’t do the “chugalug” signal for drinks (Indians 3/70 after 20), but he did add commentary to his signals “Yep, that’s four bits” or just in case you couldn’t see his out-stretched arms “That is SO wide.” Typical batsman.
Indians upped the tempo after drinks, but Reggie came into the equation too. The Saitama Express picked up 4 (all bowled) wickets including the Mother Of All Slower Balls, so paceless that the batsmen fell asleep waiting for it. Indians biffed and bashed their way to 161. Restricted chiefly by great displays from Oi Killer, Shaxxxie and Reggie, the score inflated by our 100% record for dropping catches!
Luckily for some the Presentation Night has been and gone. A fifth DS, described by umpire Bowden as ‘obnoxious’ was accompanied by a quote-worthy quote, “All I said was ‘Can you please pay attention.’” As Bill Lawry might say, “Can you believe it? I don’t believe it!”
Hard drinking, 110kg Big Roy, the first man to bring a pet rabbit to a cricket match, provided some communal oden for the team to tuck into as they sulked through lunch. Doc promoted me so far up the order I got a nose bleed (pun intended, manga readers?) and I went out with latest Wombat in fine, cotton whites, Gavin Beath to bring home the Pacific Cup.
My first ball was in the slot and allowed me to get off the mark with a boundary. Gavin was also soon getting amongst the runs, spifflacating the Indian attack. One shot was a hybrid pull-flick that landed in amongst the pictureques woods on the short square boundary. A cover drive to gate-ball corner for 6 was placed with such accuracy and care that in landed in between 4 parked cars and bounced into the rubber bumper of one.
Not even the sight of a fully padded Zulu running 500 metres through a nearby paddock could interrupt the flow of runs (but it did have us shaking our heads). Not long after a message had been relayed out from the young, upstart, who does he think he is, Stand-in captain about retiring the batsmen, Gav (46) went for one six too many, holing out down gateball corner, 1/92 putting the Wombats in a winning position. 2 balls later it was 1/93 as I top-edged down to the same place.
Zulu, who’d taken Gav’s wicket as a cue to take a nervous dump, scurried out of the port-a-dunny, into the middle, minus his hector. With bunny-loving Roy, farewell gamer Zulu showed so much of his unrealized potential in a 40 run partnership, full of crisp running, back-foot forcing shots and scintillating drives. The bunny-lover’s driving also undermined the Engineer’s bowling.
The usual mid-innings Collywobbles followed, losing 4 for 20 in 6 overs. In amongst that carnage was Gez Brady, also playing his last game before heading off to Scandinaviastan. Gez managed just 7, but like Zulu, showed that with a fairer roll of the dice, he too would have made far more runs this season.
In the fading light, temperatures starting to remind us why we don’t play cricket in winter, a 21 run partnership from Dr B and Grumps saw the Wombats home in 28th over. Wombats’ Hardys Man Of The Match went to Reggie Dawson, and Indians best on ground won by Sangan for his 29 runs and clean catching. The 3rd bottle, for that Classic Moment, went to that Classic bloke playing his last game, for providing us with 4 years of classic off-field shenanigans.
For the first time this year, Wombats descended upon an izakaya, and as usual it ended with mountains of empties and half empties and flying chopsticks and oshiboris. Chuck’s dodgy back kept him from performing any of his usual party tricks.
True to form, Gerard, whose 2 drops took his Wombat catching stats to none from 4, left Ageo showing that he REALLY couldn’t even catch a train. Pot-plants going walk about, bladders emptied on platforms, simulated man-love; just another day in the office really.
Wombat are grateful to Biju and the Indians for organizing the game and the ground, and also to Mumtaz for bringing the Flix down. We look forward to a few more games at Ageo next year.
WOMBATS SWITCH ON FOR PREMIERSHIP WIN
by Ian Gason
>>>Match Scorecard vs Ichihara Sharks
WOMBATS have claimed the inaugrual J1C Trophy with a powerful 174 run victory over the Ichihara Sharks Sunday at Fuji. A polished all round performance rode on the strength of another 100+ opening stand, and was backed up by a clinical bowling display.
The first casualty fell right in front of Harajuku station when Tim Whiskas put his big Kiwi jandal through the chilly bin. Next victim of the Wombats one-track destiny was a recalcitrant crow who took 120kph of Hi-ace right between the eyes and was last seen bouncing off the windscreen, bound for a sad and squishy end. And to make it 3/0 before the first ball, a brand new second-hand chair was no match for one of Killer's Chernobyl farts and ended up a stinking pile of kindling.
Weather Gods had tried their darnedest to ruin the big day. A big band of rain drifted along the Honshu coast Saturday arvo and dumped a decent amount of rain in the Fuji vicinity. The wicket area around Fuji II wasn't going to pass muster and the captains, the umpires, and the J-girls reached a deal with the Japan Ladies' Final. In return for keeping Zulu on the leash, they gracefully allowed the Men's Final to be played on Fuji I.
Chuck does his best tossing when the pressure is on, and today he called true, and chose to bat first. With the outfield still wet and the sun shining, it was a big toss to win. Sharks' opener Dhugal Beddingfield stuggled with a slippery run up and slippery ball. The Born Again opening combo of Shearer-Burke set about building the partnership on which the Grand Final would be won. An early Dino edge evaded the slips and a chance from Papa Burke was later put down, too. Critical misses for The Sharks, who on the whole had an off-day in the field.
With runs coming at a reasonable clip, Shark's skip Chris Thurgate took a gamble. One good thing about being a Wombat is you don't have to bowl to Steve Burke. Poor Richard Cosway. 5 years a Wombat, now playing a Grand Final for the Sharks, was given the un-enviable task of breaking the partnership. It didn't work, and Burkey took 10 from the over.
Zippy young Bangladeshi Apu reined in the runs with a good spell of pace from the Fuji II end. Still, our two lads had the momentum, and were placing the ball superbly. They picked off singles like one of them tall, white birds you see on Discovery Channel picking bugs off a hippo's back. As they settled and their confidence grew, their timing got better and better. Boundaries were stroked, nudged and pushed along the turf, oblivious to the damp turf. More known for his deadly pull shot, Burke was particularly effective with the sweep.
At the first break, Wombats were away to great start, none down after 20, 120 runs on the board. It was the setting for a big premiership total. Like the runs on the ground, on the 'hill' the beers was flowing freely in the 11-strong Wombat Supporter Contingent. Chief culprits Zulu and The Freak put in a performance as polished as Mr Sheen's noggin'.
All good things must come to end, and after a bit of a poor call from scorers Doc and Killer (calling Dino's 50 1 run too early) the Big Sandgroper was bowled. Despite a 120 partnership, the animated president used his large feet to be doubly sure that the bails had indeed been removed.
With Whiskas, Pup and Doc still to come, Cap'n Chuckie was going to go from the word go. He blessed the WSC with one of his calypso 6s, and went at bettter than a run a ball. Turning for a third though, he was beaten by a top throw from the boundary by Dhugal.
Out came Tim Whiskas, who had the night before let one go through to the keeper. Today though, he was on the board immediately as his put away the first one he was offered. He should have been prematurely ejected, after a pull into the deep, but it turns out Miss Roppongi wasn't the only one who failed to seal the deal with Whiskas' big balls. It was coming straight down the fielder's throat, but an absolute sitter went down. The cheeky Kiwi even manage to double it up. Let's hope he can repeat that in the 'pong soon.
By now Wombats were heading for a big 200+ score, putting pressure on a capable Sharks batting line-up. The final 10 overs would be crucial in determining just how much pressure that would be. An uncharacteristically ugly head lifted hoik undid Burkey, 10 runs short of his tonne. Whiskas was playing a typical Whiskas innings, effortlessly MRF-ing the ball to all parts of the ground.
That young punk from Adelaide, Pup Ainslie joined in the merriment. With his quick wrists and his meaty Kahuna, he maintained the quick clip that had been set. A couple of huge 6s helped things along. When 3-McHappy Meals Levi was brought back, Pup was brutal, lashing 14 from his first three balls. Pup did enjoy a couple of lives, one at cow corner and another top edge where keeper Thurgate slipped as he turned.
Not long after cantering past 50 Whiskas was bowled, and Dr B' went out for some running practise. "Tickets" Ainlsie kept his fellow crow-eater at the non-strikers end. Despite a couple of fresh air shots and a dubious not out call for a stumping, Pup's big blade bumped the Wombats' total up to 4/268.Just like the mountain of beer on WSC hill, the job was but half-done. The bats had set us up, now the bowlers had to bring us home. If we ever needed any more motivation, we got it now. Smoker was on the phone. His horse Arbitration had bolted home at Sale, winning by 3 lengths.
Pup's opening over went for 10, but that was the extent of Ichihara's joy. From the F1 end, I opened with a 1-run over, and Pup was in no mood to play second fiddle to an ageing Victorian. He answered in kind, and we were quickly on top of the Sharks' openers. One was taking swings not seen since the Crows and Port met in a Henley Beach car-park. Have to say though, I think George Michael's had more hits in the Kandahar Top Ten than this fellow had yesterday.
WSC hill got right behind us, and fired us on. I was dragged by that ruthless skip, for a return of 4 overs for 4 runs. Pup got the first wicket by distressing their more circumspect opener's woodwork. He too got no thanks from the skip, dragged.
Chuckie's hunches can't be beaten. Dougal Beds' was the Sharks key. Leading run-scorer in the comp', 3-figure average. The skip's gut feeling was Killer. And he was right. Killer started with some good "L and L" bowling, and then showed why it's better to be a big-hearted Pea-brain than a Pea-heart. To a highly respected bat, he has ripped in the short ball, and collected to top edge. In one of those premiership moments, Tim Whiskas ran from square leg, dived low to his right and came up holding the J1C trophy catch. Wombats had a couple of dangerous sub-continental lads to deal with next. Apu's helmet-less head fired on Gez Brady, who was soon dispensing the perfume. Apu's glove saved him from a broken nose, and Gez's follow through was classic. No need for words, he finished a few feet from Apu and tapped his head with two fingers to say "get the lid, kid."
Luckily he did, cos it wasn't long before our Bich had smacked him on the grill, necessitating some field medicine. Apu is no peaheart. He batted on bravely and continued to take the fight to the Wombats. Routinely he gave Gez the charge. He plundered a number of boundaries on the way to being Sharks top scorer and Hardys Best on Ground winner.
At the car-park end, Reggie Dawson had a "see you in November" moment. At mid on he dropped a dead-set, 99 times out of 100, catch 'em in your sleep kinda catch, off the 2nd ball of Killer's hat-trick-to-be.Meanwhile, the WSC had The Wave going and when Bubbles Dawson was asked to make amends, the hill rocked to a Zulu-esque version of the conga, The Shinjuku Express Boogie.
The veteran, Paul Shax was brought on and weaved a magical web of wickets. Apu did loft him into the car-park, the dull thud off leather-on-metal a first for the Wombats. It wasn't enough to piss in Shaxxie's milk-shake though. Shax removed the Sharks captain Chris. He picked up another when Killer made a McHappy Meal of a rather simple catch. Three grabs at the cherry and finally held it when he landed flat on his back.
The prize scalp was Apu. Out in cow-corner lurked one C Jones. When the gutsy lad from Dhaka tried to deposit Shaxxxie in the Hi-ace again, jeers from the Sharks tent were music to the skip's ears. No mistakes, safe as houses, Chuckie held the ball aloft for all to see.
Another Chuckie hunch-and-drag trick at the FII end. He brought on the midas-man, Whiskas, for one over. 1-1-2-0, as he clean bowled Chunky Cosway and Levi.
Nine wickets down, Pup was brought on, and I'm sure I wasn't the only Wombat hoping the Premiership catch was coming their way. Pup wasn't having a bar of it. A couple of 2-pronged Lillee-style appealls were declined. As we know too well, Pup's not shy about doing it himself, and before long he had knocked the top off, middle and off, and wrapped up the match.
Whiskas, Killer and Shaxxxie were all contenders for Hardys Man Of The Match, but the match winning innings of Mr Equipoise, Steve Burke was the winner. Whiskas and his catch got the Best Moment award. But we were all winners this great day.
The celebrations started soon and lingered long. Chuck bukkake-ed the team with champagne. The WSC joined in for some highlights before we loaded the cars, hit the booze-stop before frightening those incompetent souls at McDonalds.
The return journey was largely free of on-board violence this time, as we just sank piss and mulled over a wonderful win and a wonderful season. The contribution of our new lads, Pup, Doc and Gez was singled out. The only let down was the traffic held us up and we weren't able to catch up with Smoker.Thanks to Neil for another great umpiring job. Chris and all the Sharks, thanks for taking the time to join us for a drink after the game. Best of luck for next season.
To the sponsors, Craig and everyone at Hardys, to all the World-Wide-Wombats, to the supporters, mates, wives, girls, to Nippon Rentacar, our appreciation is hard to express truely. Thanks.
DINO TONNE EDGES OUT EMBASSY
by Ian Gason
>>>Match Scorecard vs British Embassy
In one of the closest games Wombats have ever played, El Prezi-dino Jarrad Shearer piloted the Wombats home with his maiden century in Sunday's J1C semi-final at Fuji. Embassy posted a formidable target of 215 to win, and on the back of the big man, Wommies got there with just 10 balls to spare.
Chuck sent the Poms in to bat, and Anton and Paul rose to the challenge, keeping the bowlers at bay. Fortune favoured the brave, as Anton took some chance swipes and got away with more than the odd aerial shot. Equally though, he played some of the straightest and best cricket shots we have seen from the Embassy heavyweight. Paul Shax was particularly unlucky as numerous edges evaded fielders in the deep. Pup and myself also bowled without success.
The game was tense, but the Wombats kept chirping away, always feeling that a wicket was just around the corner. Dr B Love almost had a run-out with an under-arm, but Jarrad didn't take it cleanly. The keeper's disappointment manifested itself in the shape of a ninja-esque glove flick, and the leg-umpire was lucky not to be decapitated by the deadly weapon.
In the Wombats favour though was Paul's inability to get the ball away. His scorecard looked like a set of dominoes, as he took 75 balls to make 25. Embassy went to drinks none-fa, with 90 up, no doubt hoping to up the tempo. It was late inclusion Reggie Dawson who got the breakthrough, getting Anton (60+) caught, juggled at square leg by Dr B'. Reggie and Killer's mid-innings spells were crucial, restricting the poms to around 2 an over. Killer soon bowled Paul and celebrated with a Double Lleyton (the 2-handed fisty-pump).
Embassy stalwart Brent K looked in fine touch, and with runs on the board and wickets in the shed, started upping the ante. His driving was superb, and he was unlucky to get bowled by yours truly with an inside edge that popped, bobbed and trickled into the off stump.
Wombats' bowlers got the ugly stick treatment in the death, from Big Lad Benson. He was picking the balls early and backed himself for the big shot. Some almighty shots rained down on Fuji II, and other more mortal shots simply rocketed through the field. A couple of wickets from Pup at the car-park end did nothing to discourage him. He helped himself to 12 off Pup's last, taking his score past 70, and Embassy posted 214.
The challenge was on. Jarrad and Burkey opened. Runs came more generously from Thommo's end than from Brent's, enough so that we kept at the 5-an-over run rate. A few chances went begging, Burkey at 1st slip, Jarrad between keeper and 1st, but eventualy Thommo removed Burkey with a short ball that played on. Chuck wasn't out there too long either, and set a pattern for the day: Jarrad + one. No other Wombat passed 20. Just when they looked like getting a score, they returned. Burkey, Chuck, Roy, Pup, Doc all played second fiddle to the big bass man, Jarrad.
Embassy were probably one bowler short on the day. Harmison impersonator Darroch bowled with pace and passion, but Jarrad had the better of him. Brent K seemed to lose his rythym mid-innings. Big Benson kept Embassy in the game, bowling as tight as a nun's nasty, 8 overs for 15 runs. But without support at the FII end, the run rate required stayed around 6, and from about the 30 over mark edged lower and lower.
Nine Wombats hovered over the scorebook. Check the score, 170. Single scored. Check the book again, 171. Dot ball. Check again, still 171. Over-by-over scores went out to absent Wombats, Smokin' Pete puffing his way through 2 and a half nervous packs.
Roy Boy played a couple of U-beaut drives. Pup launched a humungous jungle-down 6. Doc swept the way David Davies never will. But the day will be remembered for J. Shearer's cut shots. He pierced the field like a surgeon's scalpel, dissceting with the precision of Hannibal Lecter. 18 times he found the rope, and tellingly, not once did he go over it.
The Grumpy One's first venture into 3-figures came via an ugly french cut to the boundary. He removed and kissed his Wombats hat, then put it back on his stubborn head and took us past 200. Like a Bangkok traffic jam, bit by bit we inched forward, slowly but surely to the target. With 2 overs left, Robb Mann's maiden Golden Duck brought me out with 2 runs needed. Thommo was quick to hark back to 2005's KCL tie, "Don't get run out!"
A wide followed by some fresh air cut shots completed the over, leaving Bugsy on strike and he dutifully cut the winning runs to the fence. His celebration was characteristically animated, charging the Wombats bench, with rapid-fire Double Lleytons and a big fat "GET THAT UP YA!!!"
Big Benson took out Hardys Best on Ground for the Embassy, and their Murata got Best Play for a direct hit to run-out the rampant Pup. Hardys Man of The Match.....DINOSAUR!
On FII, Sharks bowled out Wyverns in the gloom, winning by a mere 5 runs, capping off a maaarvellous day of cricket. Naturally, a marvellous trip to Maccas and a marvellous Tomei Piss up followed. The Prez copped a full round of highlights, and then a full round more off highlights and was 9 sheets to the wind. The Mayhem Indicator was in the red-zone. Perennial quiet man, Reggie Dawson actually got out of Kiwi Corner. And he launched himself full-heartedly into a Stax On The Prez. There was on-van rumbles reminiscent of the days when The Saints played at Moorabbin and Crackers Keenan was dishing out the biff.
Appropriately, Dino was jibbering wreck by the end of the trip. Shax has 2 broken legs from the Stax On. After a few 110kg Axe charges, Dr B in the jump seat has bruising more typically seen, well, in a car accident I guess. And it's all on again next week, when the Wombats take on the Sharks for the Grand Final.
WOMBATS MIGHT WINS KYTE FIGHT
by Ian Gason
>>>Match Scorecard vs Shizuoka Kytes (Pacific Cup)
The last two Wombats-Kytes clashes were like chalk and cheese. 6 months ago when these two teams met, Wombats were given a humiliating flogging in miserable wet and muddy conditions. This time, we were blessed with beautiful autumn skies and a dry outfield, and made the most of a perfect cricketing day to serve up a cold dish of revenge, and book a place in the Pacific Cup final.
At 6:45 there are not a lot of blokes you can call on as a late replacement, but as Reggie was down with a fever, I figured that young Josh Kelly would be waking his old man Killer up anyway.....45 minutes later Killer was at Harajuku ready to rockNroll. Axe was having a roll of his own, having got in touch with a heavenly body and received some spiritual instruction, and would be rocking down on the shink. No sooner than we had all prayed for safe deliverance, than our sweet chariot swang low, coming forth to carry us home.
The good lord provided us a traffic free Tomei, and Chuck was still saying his 135th Hail Mary when we alighted at the Abekawa, kissing the grass and thanking Him for not bloody raining on us this time. A few of our newer Wombats were introduced to a Flix pitch and the fun of pegging one out. Axe was soon amongst us, Chuck was soon tossing and Kytes were soon batting.
The openers were a mix of young and not quite so young, but the combination didn't really work, as niether Robert nor Matt caused much trouble for bowlers Pup and Shax. Robert did trouble the umpire, Larry, by sticking his pad in between ball and stumps. Larry feared the wrath of Robert was worse than 11 Wombats and let the old man stay. Pup clean bowled Matt and next over Killer held a simple catch to remove Robert off Shaxx.
Joel survived a confident caught behind inquiry, and after that brief scare set about making merry. Sharpie might have done likewise if not for Shaxxx's own ball of the century, which cut back a foot to castle him. Ash joined Joel and increased the work rate. Soon flashbacks of deja vu were coming back to the Wombats all over again. It took the terrible two a while to get comfortable against Shaxxxie's spin, but then they helped themslevs to 27 of his last 2 overs.
Axe from the One Tree End suffered a series of upper cuts which Ash dispatched to the boundary. Was the mind willing, but the flesh weak? A few strays down leg got pounced upon by Pants and put paid upon, a properly punished pair of sixes. A major eruption burst forth behind the stumps, the human teapot fouling the air with the 'F' word, and directing his crustational commentary not at the bowler but the batsmen!Right on drinks we got the break through. Ash tickled one of Killer's around leg and a suicidal single ended an 82 run partnership as Pants perished to a direct hit.
After a quick drink and pep talk, Wombats grabbed the initiative and engineered a match winning collapse. The last 7 Kytes wickets fell for just 35. Ash was seeing 'em pretty well by now, and would have loved to have had some support, but his search for a partner was like Quasimodo prowling at Lexington Queen: there were no takers.
Killer snared two more caught behinds. Mr Pornographic was prematurely ejeculated after sending one right down Shaxxxie's throat. Ponytail Stewart went the heroic heave-ho and young Pup did well to hold on to a badly judged mile-high chance.Ash (52) eventually fell to our religious student (Taliban Mann?) Axe Mann when Whiskas held a good catch running down the distinctive Abekawa hill at deep cover. Bunny showed he isn't really, when he pushed the ball around, picking up 8 runs. But when Chuck had a trundle, Bunny played bunny and tried to belt him back to Bangladesh, and the innings was over. All out 154.
Sandwiches scoffed, Wombats too opted for a young and old combo, Jarrad and Pup. They won a huge pshy..phsyh.. they won a huge mental battle in the very first over, when Matty Sharpe - a man who can match our Dino in a Dummy Spit At 10 Paces- was plundered to the tune of 15 runs. A Dinosaur edge that got grassed was a chance our Grumpy One wasn't going to let go.
There was a wee controversy and exchange of pleasantaries when Pup snicked one to Ash, who thought he had a catch, but the umpire Neil ruled that he had a handful a grass. A few over later, Pup launched 6 #1 so far it had Kim Il Jong feeling some serious penis envy. He lofted Sharpie over mid-wicket, over the road, over the cars, over and out. Another 6 would follow, 5 in one historic over.
After a shaky 12 run start, Matt Ryan started with a single in his second, probably the most expensive single he has ever bowled: Pup took 37 more off the over. (1,6,6,NB4,w,0,NB6,6,6) One six was an outrageous piece of timing, a short arm jab over the long mid wicket/dunny corner boundary. A couple were hooked or pulled or driven or .... I don't remember! There were 5 of 'em, gimme a break. I remember runnning along way through the river bed to fetch one pulled six, but wasn't that off another over?
Alas, the lad perished on 67 as Sharpie got his pay-back, knocking down his castle. But at 1/116 in 13 overs, the banjos were duelling and the fat lady was warming up. Whiskas started with three effortless 4s, one tapped to mid wicket with all the agression of Mother Teresa on methadone. Jarrad fell on 51, caught on a drive. The Wombats very own pad model, Dave O', came out with five needed to win, and looked cool calm and collected, but really fucked up when he gave Whiskas the strike. His fellow Kiwi then latched onto a Robert delivery and sent into way over the ropes to wrap up the game, in the 18th over.
A bit of footy, and a lot of lazing about on the grass followed. Our late inclusion, Killer took the Hardys Man of the Match for his match winning 3fa. Ash's fifty got him a taste of the good stuff too. Pup took home the Best Play award for one, some or all of his sixes.
Next week, back to J1C action, when we meet Embassy in the semi at Fuji. Pacific Cup Final v Indians is slated for Sat November 11.
CHUCK RUNS AMOK: INTO THE FINALS WE SNUCK!
by Ian Gason
>>>Match Scorecard vs Fuji Far East
An upset win Saturday by Fuji Far East over KCL premiers Millenium proved just the spark for the Tokyo Wombats to truly click Sunday, as a captain-inspired performance delivered us a 160 run victory and a spot in the inuagrual JCA One Day Competition.
In what is becoming a disturbing trend in Wombat land, Luke Ray failed to make the Harajuku rendevous, and became the 2nd bullet-trainer for the year. A major blemish on an otherwise outstanding day, but not enough to piss in the Wombats' milkshake. Reggie Dawson's late withdrawl saw Killer come in to the team.
Chuck lost the toss and was asked to bat, an offer he grabbed with glee. With Mr Burke still pregnant, Pup was popped in up top, and accompanied the Dinosaur to the middle. He was soon walking solo back to the pavilion after a quick blast and 1 false shot, caught at mid wicket. An opportunity for a plunderous innings was lost. Enter the skip. Again. The two West Coast fans decided they'd better enjoy this weekend (cos the Bloods'll ruin next Saturday for 'em). Both played cautiously, but when the opportunity presented, sent to pill to the rope and into the jungle. With Chris Thomson's strict calling of wides, the partnership progressed smoothly, until Jarrad (28) was caught in the same spot as Pup.
Zulu was honoured the absent Whiskas' #4 slot and soldiered on with his skip. At drinks the score was still only 2/79. Chuck must have had the extra strength Ribena at drinks, cos he transformed. He discarded the helmet, and for the first time I can recall, batted in a sun hat. His lack of respect for the bowling was soon evident in other ways, too. Routinely he would take 2, 3 steps down the track, dismantling any semblance of a game plan the bowlers had had. Their line and length was blown away and the show began.
Unfortunately, Zulu (14) was dismissed not long after the 50 partnership. Doctor B Love now had the best seat in the house from which to enjoy the Courtney Jones Rainmaker Show. The Skip unleashed some of the biggest sixes played on Fuji. Getting under the ball and pulling upwards to backward square, Chuck cleared the rope, and cleared the jungle. For those unfamiliar with Fuji, there is a wee hill back there, perhaps 6 foot, untop of which sits another 6 foot of weeds. If it had been Adelaide, it'd have cleared the Vic Richardson Gates.
No sooner than the lost ball had been replaced, Chuck repated the shot. Chuck depleted FFE's stock of spares by at least 3, but still managed to be outdone for Shot of the Day by Dr B., who played an exquisite late cut at the carpark end, gliding the ball between slip and gully for four.Perhaps he was day-dreaming about that shot not long after. With the ball deep at the cover boundary, Doc got beaten by a once in a lifetime throw: a direct hit on middle from 45 degrees, from the rope! The happy go lucky Crow-eater only had himself to blame, saying "I could have made that. I was strolling."
Chuck chuckled along on his merry way, advancing and dancing down the track. He enjoyed 2 lives, one of which made a mess of the mid wicket's facial features as the ball slipped through his hands. At the other end, Wombats came and went with all the signifigance of 007's Bond Girls. There was only one star, and while we might have hit a boundary or two, or thrown in some comic relief with 4 of us getting run out, the day belonged to Chuck. Despite, belting 5 6s and numerous 4s, he went to 3 figures with a mundane single. He added a further 14, before the innings ended on 260 (or so), 180 of those coming in the final 20 overs.
Meanwhile on Fuji II, The Sharks were powering away past Serendib, with the Lankans losing all their spare balls in the bush! Seems that Sharks would go through undefeated, but to prepare for any eventuality an preserve our Net Run Rate, we set a target of 100 to dismiss Fuji.
We gave it a shake. From the Tin Shed End, Pup, completely ignoring the skips urgings (hold back the pace, accuracy first) tried to bowl as fast as he could, and did a pretty darn good job of it. He removed the opener Saito for 2, with the score on 12 and then first drop Saito for a duck, LBW. Gez Brady was charging in form the Carpark End and slipped a few wides in amongst a shit load of dot balls.
Wombats- uncharacteristicall y- took this as an opportunity to chirp up. Dunno, if "mental disintergration" has ever been translated into Japanese, but we enjoyed a prime example of it Sunday.Opener Takahashi had reacted to a few bits of minor sredging in Japanese, even barking back at Zulu, "You should go and learn some more Japanese." That's how we like 'em. When Chuck brought me on for Gez, I knew Taka'd have a go at me (possibly didn't like my Japanese either....) and sure enough tried to pull one off off stump and was cleaned up.
A switch to around the wicket soon brought me me 3rd, and at 5/61 Fuji had a problem on their hands. What followed was their best partnership of the day, 29 runs from Kawashima and Tainaka, who resisted for 10 overs til Gez B blew them away quicker than an Italian forward falling in the penalty box. Dino held a blinder in front of slip to get rid of Kawashima. Tomita spent more time walking out than he did staying in, bowled first ball. Matsumura got an edge on the hat-trick ball and it bounced within an inch of the stumps. Still, next ball it was c. Dino b. Brady again and Gez won the Hardys Beaut Play of The Day award for 3 wickets in 4 balls.
Doc B lurv did the rest, with a little bit of assitance from Pup at cover, taking possibly the best catch this year for the Club. 1 part Dyson, 1 part Johnty, the young show pony dived wide and high, throwing out his left hand and held on to a rip-snorter.The lad whose face Chuck had so savagely disfigured reckoned he'd had enough fun for one day and hence the innings was closed on 106.
Although only a few names pop up in the report, the whole team was on song in the field. Killer's wicketless spell unlucky. The Freak and Rhino saving runs, everyone backing up, not one overthrow conceeded. The Human Teapot backstage, 3 catches, no drops and no byes.
Chuck added to his (wife's) Hardys supply, making it 2 from 2. Fuji Far East's Best on Ground went to Tainaka-san. He not only top-scored, but conceeded just 1-24 from his 8, in an innings that ran at 6 an over.
Such was the Wombats day, that over on Fuji II, Wombat turned Shark and new-daddy Chunky took a 3fa to wrap up the Sharks win and put the final piece in the J1C jigsaw in place. October 22nd Sharks will meet Wyverns, and Wombats will meet Embassy for a spot on the biggest stage of the year.
VOICEFEROUS MILLENIUM BUGS OUST WOMBATS
by Ian Gason
>>>Match Scorecard vs Millenium
By hook or by crook - some might say - Millenium have beggged, borrowed and appealed there way past the sloppy Tokyo Wombats in the do-or-die clash Saturday. The 9 run loss was not without controversy, and has dented if not destroyed Wombats finals' run.
No-hoper Labour leader Bomber Beazley has made a lot of rubbish statements lately about "Australian Values." Y'know, mateship is somehow uniquely Australian. Substituting a race-horse would be "un-Australian". Play hard within rules, but also within the spirit of the game. It could be inferred that Millenium don't subscribe to Beazley's views.
At the Fuji Family Mart we met Indian Engineers', Japan National Team and Fine Cotton Fan Club member Sriram Sampath, kitted up for a game of cricket. Seems not all members of the Indian Engineers' have such strong objection to JCA policies.
Anyway, the game got under way with Gez Brady struggling into the wind and sending down a bag of wides, some of which went to the boundary. Better fortune at the other end as Pup completely outclassed Munir, sending his woodwork walkabout. 1-8.Wides and extras continued until Pup cleaned up his second with the score on 40.
The ring-in, Sriram, came out to earn his pay, and first ball, Pup had him plum leg-before, struck low on the foot (if there is any other way to be struck on the foot) smack bang in front of the stumps. Not out. Well, at least we thought we had an umpire who would apply the benefit of doubt.
Gez was replaced by me, and soon Sriram had another life when Dino grassed an inside edge chance. Sriram then rode his luck, going the aerial route to the rope, and almost holing out with a difficult chance cut to Kyal's feet at point.Lucky Phil's number were soon up, when he skied me way up. There was a pregnant pause as 3 fieldsmen could have taken it, but Kyal's monstrous, confident call of MINE at mid-off sealed Sriram's fate.
Millenium continued to move along nicely at 5 runs an over. Wombats lack of discipline. which ultimatley cost them the game, also continued. Suicidal singles were allowed by lax returns. The first overthrows began to appear. Our man from bear valley, Reggie Dawson put the brakes on with a tight 8 over spell, removing the dangerous Muhammed Rizwan. Reggie wasn't far off a few more, as many times an edge boobed, lobbed and jagged around the stumps like dingoes testing the electric fence of a kindergarten.
Chuck came in for some stick, but after drinks switched ends and got a handy stumping. Doctor B Love perhaps typified our bowling Saturday. Good spells of domination interspersed with the odd bad ball put away for 4. A look at our score card reflects that while we bowled lots of good (ie dot balls) our bad balls were really bad.
Doc earned himself the run-out equivilant to the Herschelle Gibbs award when, with the batsman nowhere to be seen, he threw from 5 metres and missed the stumps - and salted the wounds with overthrows. He wasn't the only Wombat at that late stage to gift Millenium valuable runs.In the closing stages, Pup got the first of 3 run outs, when the batsmen took a silly second, and the fiery Adelaideian threw down the stumps with a snarl of disdain. The innings was wrapped up right on 40 overs for 201.
Wides ran all the way to 36, a crucial factor in our defeat.
The return-to-form Dinosaur came and went like Etsuko's pachinko winnings, in a flash. With the bowler bowling left arm over inswingers, a well rehearsed chorus of appeals sung out as our Prez was pad-struck. The umpire who had seen Sriram's toe-crusher felt that in no way shape or form was there any doubt about the final 250 centimetres of the swinging ball's direction, and that it was definetly not missing the stumps. Jarrad begged to differ. 1-0, 0.2 balls, and in comes the skip.
Doc and Chuck put their heads down and saw off the better bowling from Miyaji, and used the others to keep the run rate in touch with our target. Both played some fine shots to all parts of the ground, but after one luscious pull to the jungle, Doc was bowled on 25.
At the pavilion end, the bowler was serving up some absolute dross from around the wicket.Whiskas helped himself to 10 runs from 3 atrocious balls, and looked like a quick 50 was on the way. However, we had another of those "where's Hawkeye" moments. The umpire's composure, which had earned the Wombats respect for 40 overs, deserted him faster than Boris Becker in a broom-closet. With everyone from fine leg to deep midwicket bellowing, it's easy for an inexperienced umpire to be pressured, and Millenium's pressuring of the umpire earned them the second bullshit LB for the day.
Can't blame the ump for his lack of experience, although some might question Millenium's willingness to exploit this. Excess appealling is pleasantly absent from most Japanese clubs. Normally a batsmen struck high turning one around leg would hear nothing but the ball landing on the grass, but Pup heard the cry of the banxsies and the voice activated finger responded in kind.
4-100, Steve Burke is a handy man to have coming in at #6. Mind you, with things starting to resemble a Bingo Night at the Bowls Club, it may as well have been my Uncle Bert coming in. And he's been dead for 4 years.3 weeks in hospital seemed to have done Papa no harm as he and Chuck steadied the ship and held the pirates at bay. Good running and placement kept singles coming, and not surprisingly boundaries aplenty square of the wicket.
Chuck was in the midst of one of the finest innings ever played for the Wombats, from ball #3 to 4-150. The determination with which he had (unwillingly) held his bladder on the highway came to the fore. With his VC as a partner he had got us within 50 runs of victory and ahead of the run-rate. Sadly, on 82 he was undone pulling as the ball didn't quite get up.
Burkey and Gez would get us home, I thought, chewing me finger nails through my gloves. Stay there, get Burkey on strike. Of course, that would assume that the opposition had not recently studied "The Nigerian Dictators' Guide To Fairplay." Gez played forward with his bat ahead of his pad, and knicked one onto the pad. With a half-hearted appeal for backward square, our man in white showed all the constitution of a soggy cardboard box and sent Gez back to fuming pavilion.
With the captain now openly heaping it on the umpire, the Millenium lads, mingled sheepisly like toddlers not owning up to the crayon drawings on the wall. Guilt, they say, is nature's way of telling you you got away with some you knew was well dodgy in the first place.
So it was me and Burkey. Like the brave man Geoffrey Boycott, I knew which end I was meant to be at. But my well layed plan to be a spectator came undone when Burkey top-edged a pull and holed out to fly slip. Rhino and me it would be. Run rate was achievable, if we could stay there, push it around, and get the odd boundary. 4 overs 24 runs. Abdul Razzaq however, hadn't read the script though. He had his own version of happily ever after, which involved a magnificent, match winning maiden. That over was crucial. Hats off to you, Raz'.
Well, a couple of 2s, 1s and a 4 wasn't enough. 4 overs 24, and 3 overs 24 are so hugely different, and the pressure told. It came down to 12 runs off the last over, which the veteran Munir bowled. At least one of the 6 balls would have to go over the ropes, and like any good tail-ender, I decided it'd have to be the first one....or maybe the second....ow shit. How about the 3rd? Nope, that's gone straight to cover.
Enter Kyal Hill. A big man with a big swing. And a big miss. Millenium prevailed.There were factors ouside our control which contributed to our loss. However, more than those, the factors which we could control was where we lost the game. Overthrows. Missed run outs. Dropped catches. An extra 4 overs were bowled as we gave away 36 wides. (Millenium gave us back only 6.)
And at the death, big swings instead of controlled placement. In a word: discipline. Millenium had it; Wombats didn't. We could have bowled 18 wides -half what we did- and still won the game. We didn't.
Tetsuo Fuji's 49 runs in the middle order held Millenium together and earned him the Hardys Man of The Match. Chuck's fine 82 got him amongst the Hardys' too.
The defeat did not sit well with us, for many reasons. Mixed emotions, knowing that we did not play as well as we could have. A more polished Wombats' performance would have had the game in bag by 4 o'clock.So we all got pissed and legged it back to Tokyo. Liberal doses of truth serum brought all the Wombats closer. No secrets held on this bus trip. We know things about each other now, which we would never, ever have asked. And that's the name of the game.
DINO ROARS BUT WOMMIES FLOORED
by Ian Gason
Despite ending in 35 run defeat, the Wombats' practise game v Gunma Sunday was a vital work out for the cricket starved Club. Several players enjoyed their first or second run for the season, and one big man proved that form is temporary, while class is permanent.
The selected XI bore little resemblance to the crew that gathered at Takadanobaba, with Reggie driving his silly-car with Roy and Ray, and a couple of late withdrawls: Rob Mann (heart muscle), Daniel Anley (parallel universe). Still, the show went on, and once we worked out how to get to Distinctive Bridge Dori, normal (Gunma) programming was resumed.The 7-11 rendevous was a smooth as a Lao Aviation landing, and after 30 minutes of waiting, we were escorted to the ground. Thankfully, Zaheer's boys has the ground work under control, so all we had to do was warm up, lose the toss and go out and bowl.
I opened, and was up first ball for a polite enquiry LBW. Declined. The contest was fair at both ends: lots of dots, but bad balls sent away. 4 overs in after a few more polite enquiries (all declined) I had my most confident appeal yet. Somehow declined. Fortunately, the pad failed to save the same gent next over as I worked it out: gonna have to bowl 'em. 3 balls later and I had grabbed the #3 for a duck, and we should then have taken the ascendency.
Mr Leftie was careering along nicely, having survived a half chance or 3, and after test driving the reverse sweep, even pulled out the reverse hook on Rayos. There was a silly run out. Soon our man Mr Leftie was waving his hat and bat to the raucus crowd celebrating his 50 in a manner which suggested his job was done.
Kyal Hill came on and went about bowling more wides than me, no mean feat I assure you. In between all the wides, his slipped one past Mr Leftie and down came his castle.We were all as dry as a dead dingo's donger at drinks, and the score was 4-115, evenly poised.
Rhino got his first trundle for the Club, and joined in the wwwwide party, but then started sending down some rip-snorters. Cap'n Chuck came on 2nd over after drinks and got a wicket first ball, with a ball that slo-motioned its way to Dr Love at slip. Chuck was lobbing down donkey drop grenades with so much air that our first gamer, Canadian Gavin asked, "what are the rules about bowling in this game?"
Jarrad, having been called a 'tortoise' by his skipper, produced a beauty of a catch from an inside edge, which he took around the leg slip position, with his right hand. Work that out.
Sadly there was a period of stagnation which saw a few catches go down, including an absolute Herschelle from Doc at first. Gunma skipper I believe? There was a mongrelized run out attempt, for which I am to blame.We pulled ourselves out of that slump and Ryan redeemed himself for two earlier fluffs and Doc wrapped up the tail. Gunma had snuck away a bit, managing 206, which from the Wombats point of view isn't a bad effort against a team with a big hitting reputation.
With plenty of runs to chase (the same score as our famous 2004 Gunma run-chase) Jarrad Shearer was promoted back up the order, with Doc (on omen?) to open, Roy #3. The 2005-06 Shearer bore little resemblance to the bloke batting Sunday. Perhaps it was the 8 foot play-ground dinosaur watching over him, but this was the Dinosaur we once knew. Back to basics? Confidence restored with Chuck umpiring?The Good Doctor quietly supported his senior man, but did a fine job too.
Jarrad was doing everything right. For once. Pushing the ball into gaps and taking singles. Finding the middle of the bat. Finding the boundary. Going OVER the boundary even! At drinks the collosal combi had amassed 80 without loss. A slight upping of the tempo was required, but what we good was a pure nitro-hit. Jarrad thundered a six into cow corner never land to bring up his 50 and raced from 46 to 75 in 13 balls. Such was the restoration of his confidence, that amongst this carnage, that when he timed a ball too well and only got a single, he could be heard apologising to the Doc!
What followed was another Gunma tragedy for Jarrad, who as Roy carelessly remarked, was destined for 3 figures. For the second time in 2 Gunma outings a doctor hit the ball to a fieldsman and called the ageing Sangroper through for a suicidal, piss in your milkshake single.
That triggered the Violet Crumbles (G'day Biju). Roy Boy, plum as they come first ball. Our Canadian, also a duck. Our emergency replacement Jabin from Gunma made a quick few, then returned. Kyal Hill scored a rapid dozen, including a massssssive six over mid-wicket.No sooner than I had called for a volunteer to replace Chuck, Chuck was tit-for-tat LBWed by Roy. The run-rate then skipped away, into double figures. Me, Reggie, Rhino and Rayos gave it a shake, but in the end were well short. 36 needed off the last over was due to some very tight bowling from the Gunma lads. 1 ball was all it took before I did a Graham Wood and pissed in my own milk-shake trying to run a second.
Ifs, buts and maybes all over the place, but we got what we needed: a game of cricket. Our catching and concetration let us down somewhat in the field. Gavin saved a bucket of runs in his first game of cricket. Well done. Doc's 25 is encouraging, and surely the sign of things to come. The Dinosaur's roar is ominous and timely, coming into the crucial Millenium game.
Wombats have gone through the de-rusting process and have 4 front line players returning for that crucial clash.
Our hosts Gunma were great, thank you. please have us back again next year. It was a treat to sit out and watch the sun (or in Reggie's case, the moon) go down, pondering why every day can't be like that. Inevitably we ended up drunk and rowdy in the van, talking filth and depravity, before finally emptying our bladders on Shinjuku station.
WOMBATS OVERCOME GALLANT MAX
by Bjorn Pederson
>>>Match Scorecard vs MAX
After successive washouts to start the season, the Tokyo Wombats travelled down to Fuji enthusiastic and hopeful of finally being able to get a game of cricket in for premiership points. However, spirits were soon dampened when spots of rain began to fall on the bus windscreen as we entered the high country. Fortunately, the weather gods quickly changed their minds, as the rain dispersed to leave us with a fine, yet overcast, day.
And although it may sound that the trip down was full of trepidation, there were many highlights produced worthy of mention in the match report. While Shaxxy and Bj consoled each other about the loss the Crows "had to have", Pup regaled us with the latest chapter in the saga that is his love life. The quote that "Japanese women are like Cherry Ripes" left many confused, and I will leave it up to the reader to draw their own conclusions.
It wasn’t long into the ride that Curly had to jump on the brakes to avoid rear ending a car infront, sending Reggie, sitting in the gimp seat without a seatbelt, sailing, elbow up, towards the glass cheekbone of Zulu, who was sitting on the floor. Much whinging and ice application was done by Zulu, but no permanent damage occurred. The most memorable moment of the ride however was far and away Dino's battle with IBS....never before have I seen a grown man complain so much about needing to do a shit.
While all of us thought it was pretty funny, I'm sure it was no laughing matter for Dino. Fortunately for all of us, Curly managed to find a toliet, and Dino could have "the most satisfying shit [he] has ever had!"
And when we finally arrived at Fuji, the tales of toilet high-jinks did not end. Whiskas somehow managed to get bitten on the arse by an angry wasp as he (Whiskas that is, not the wasp) was taking a dump in the bushes....God knows what he was asking the wasp to do, but obviously it was not up for it! The morale of these stories boys....Shower, Shit and Shave before you get on the bus.
But now getting onto the whole point of the day...the wonderful game of cricket. Burkey, in his position as captain for the day in the absence of Chuck, lost the toss but to our surprise we were sent in by the MAX captain. The debutants Bjorn and Ryan were sent in to see the shine off the new ball, a job made difficult both by decent swing bowling by the MAX openers, on a pitch that offered some assistance to them, and by some very scratchy batting. Ryan found the going too tough and was bowled for 5, bringing the ginger Whiskas to the crease.
With his bitten buttock still causing him grief, Whiskas wasn’t in the mood for much running, so some powerful hitting quickly saw the score race above 50, before Whiskas was caught in the slips for 20 odd, having enjoyed a 52 run partnership with the Run Machine.
At 2/85 at drinks, the Wombats were in a good position to launch an attack in the final 20 overs. However, wickets then fell at regular intervals (losing 4/10 at one stage just after drinks), and it appeared that a score of 200 was going to be a challenge to set. Things were not helped by the umpire, Anton, having a Voice Activated Finger to LBW appeals, firing both Dino and Pup (for a golden duck) in somewhat dubious decisions. As long as he is consistent, we thought...hmmmm.
Things didn’t start to improve till the experienced duo of captain Burke [had he been shielding himself from the new ball? ;)] and bus driver Curly joined one another at the crease, as they set about rebuilding the innings. With both finesse, good running between the wickets, and some power hitting, especially by Curly, the pair posted a partnership of 52 also, in a display which showed the Wombats back in the shed what batting is all about.
When Burkey fell for a stylish 28 and Curly for a swashbuckling 34, some respectability has been restored to the scorecard. The tale didn’t wag for long, with the score ending at 174 from 38 overs (what would Richie Benaud be saying, not batting out the 40 overs).
Interestingly, wides were our second highest scorer, with 30. Not as many runs as we were expecting, but we thought more than enough to take care of MAX.
After an impassioned tea speech by Burkey, in which the words, "Let's show these guys why we are the best team in Japan" were uttered, we took to the field. In the absence of Gezza, Curly and Pup were given new ball duties, and both bowled well with good lines and swing.
To say the MAX batters had any idea of how to face them would be an overstatement, so it was no surprise to see the score at 3/fuckall after only a handfull of overs. The Japanese were either solid in defence, or swinging like a dunny door at a curry party (or should that be at Dino's house?) to some of the looser balls, all with minimal success. To be frank, I had seen better bats in a dark cave.
Anyway, with some good catching by Reggie, and tight bowling from the rest of the Wombats, MAX were dismissed for 51 just after drinks.
Highlights included the Shaxxinator’s 4 wickets, 3 thanks to stumpings by Dino, Reggie's 3 and Curly's 2. With the win firmly in the bag, thoughts then turned to the usual post game regimen....beer.
A special thanks to MAX who put in an excellent bowling and fielding effort. And thanks for not only putting out the boundary ropes but bringing them in after the game.
After the presentation of MOM to Curly, the boys made it their mission to get through the slab of Yebisu, a task that was never going to be difficult, given the humidity of the day. Perhaps some of the boys had a few too many (having been refuelled by a beer stop at the conbeni and a food stop at Maccas)…especially Killer, who needed to take a piss every half an hour on the bus on the way home. However, I'm sure many of the other boys were happy to take the opportunity too.
It was at one of these toilet stops that Zulu, who had found the sole of an old shoe earlier in the day at Fuji, decided to hurl the said sole (actually, it was his thong!) at the group of pissing Wombats. His throw was somewhat wayward, instead smashing into the side view mirror of the minibus, the rest of the boys being alerted to this by the sound of smashing glass. I've heard some say that Zulu couldn’t hit the side of a barn from 10 paces with a handful of wheat, but didn’t he f****** nail that mirror!!
Anyway, after probably the slowest return trip in history (due to every second car wanting to stop at the Ebina services for ramen resulting in a 2 hour traffic jam on the Tomei), the boys returned to Harajuku safe and sound, with the 4 points securely tucked away. The next game is not for 5 weeks, and is against our nemesis team Millenium, which shapes as the game to decide who will make the finals. See you at training!
WILY WOMBAT SKIP WIELDS WARES IN WET
by Ian Gason
Ichihara proved that they are a worthy opposition, but in the end Wombats stole the honours with a brilliant display from captain Courtney Jones. Basketballing seppos may have 3-peats. Horse racing has the Triple Crown. But only C. Jones will have the Triple Thong.
The news from J-weather.com was always bleak, but there appeared to be a chance of play, so off we went. Gez Brady became the first Wombat to miss the Wombat Wagon and had to fork out Y5500 for the shinkansen as well as Y3000 for the first round of beers. Doctor Bjorn had tasted Wombat life on the Kobe Tour. Ryan Lichenstein was to get his first glimpse of the capabilities of this elite unit. We did not disappoint.
Bobby Phillips' Tomei Fuji Run record was smashed, and after paying our respects at the Family Mart bog, we rolled up to the ground, whacked the stumps in, performed the usual pre-game stretches and belches, and watched as Zulu drove an impotent lawn mower round in circles.
The Sharks arrived. The ump arrived. The Shink Man arrived. The rain arrived.
The mower shed became our shelter shed, and we discussed the usual shelter shed stuff - footy, girls, girls' football (ie soccer) and what a poor excuses for a 'sport' it was.
There was a brief glimmer of hope and Dr. B and Rhino were presented shirts. And sure as I can pick 1st, 2nd and 4th in a trifecta, the heavens opened up. The skip was unimpressed, leaving the ground cursing, "F**k! This is a shit country! Why do I live here?!!?"
That's the way it stayed, and with a few of The Sharks nursing cold Coopers, the cricket was called off. Gez paid his late fine beer penalty, and the real contest began.
Wyverns' Gavin and Pat tried to hide from their team. Out in the middle, a half naked David Davies was frantically sweeping away, as he does every time he stands on a pitch. It looked as if his sweeping and reverse sweeping would be as ineffective as it usually is. Gavin ignored suggestions he swap his beer for a broom. "I think that guy sweeps for both sides!" someone was heard to say.
Homer Simpson would have been proud: it's not whether you win or lose, it's how much beer you drink that counts. And throughout the rainy day, 6 cases were counted. Out in the middle the half-naked one was continuing his battle of the broom, and some how convinced 21 sane and rational people that playing a 20-over game of hit and giggle in the mud and the rain was more fun than standing around sinking piss.
Traditionalist have no shortage of reasons to hate that 20-over stuff, chief amongst them being 3 hours isn't enough time to get really drunk. Well, The Sharks and The Wombats destroyed that myth yesterday. Sharks had shown their colours early, opting for a hired mini-bus and driver, unable to find a designsted driver in their ranks. Respect. Their choice of brew, Coopers. More respect. The wheelie eski (respect) was wheeled over to the boundary of Fuji 1, and our own little Bay 13 was born.
What followed was probably the finest drinking and sledging session ever held in Japanese cricket. Spurred on by Davies David captaining his Drag-ons without a shirt on, both teams were on song. As he waddled in to bowl, 22 inebriated souls chanted "MAN BOOBS! MAN BOOBS!" "Put ya bra back on Davies! The only cup Dragqueens'll ever get is a B-cup!"
Gavin strode out to the middle, can in hand, plucked off a couple of lame Davies' pies. Then perhaps distracted by the bowlers' wobbling mammaries, top-edged a David Davies half-tracker and was caught. Pat G-J went out in fancy dress, some kind of SuperMan cricketing outfit, box on the outside. Sometime after cases 5 and 6 arrived, the Wyverns went out to field. Half way through the innings, the boys in the bay looked pretty much neck and neck in the Beer Stakes.
Chuck said he wouldn't do it: too much respect for cricket. Mate this is dinky 20s, not cricket, but he wasn't convinced. There's no better chance. It's a nothing game, there's no-one around. Nah, mate, he kidded himself, I can't do it......
We pulled the trump card: you'll be the first ever in Japan. I would! I would....he handed over his beer for safe keeping, made sure the camera was ready, and snuck off to square leg.
The shoes came off first, and the Bay sensed something was up. Then the shirt. He waited til the ball had been bowled, then kicked off his strides and skids as he ran. Japan's first streak was on!! Grinning ear to ear the naked skip headed for the strikers' end, high-fived old pal Bollywood. He shwung through the mid-wicket region as the crowd applauded his efforts. Chuck's effort ended as he directed his dong at the appreciative Bay 13 drinkers, who appropriately bowed, before picking up his clothes at the boundary.
To cut a short story long, no-ones knows what happened in the 20-dinky match. Ichihara knew they had been beaten and headed off to Chiba, but with heads held high.
With Reggie still asleep as he had been all day, Wombats were last to leave, despite the game being called off by 12. Fueled further by McChucks, we drove back to Tokyo. Zulu got all natsukashii and jumped into the bushes. The eski got destroyed. Jarrad got rowdy. Dr B got christened "The Love Machine." Roy said next to nothing all trip except "Where's that NIKKA??"
And the nice man at Nippon Rent-a-car just bowed and said "o-tsukaresama desu!"
WOMBATS TOUR KOBE - PART 1
by Gerard Brady
Friday 30th June and Saturday 1st July (Match Day)
Eleven Wommies all made it on time to the rendevous point at Shinagawa Station Newdays at 6.30pm Friday 30th June clearly anticipating an enormous weekend in Kobe. After marauding the kombini of extra supplies we all jumped on the Shink hoping to get absolutely spastic during the night and to possibly have a game of cricket tomorrow. With 11 of us and only 2 rows of 5 seats there was one lucky traveller to claim the spare seat amongst the sararimen, however under the Skippers orders that seat was specially reserved for the Wombat who unwittingly made any stupid comment (at the discretion of the committee). Although surprisingly the spare seat never was occupied, I was sure we had our fair share of stupid comments since all of us bouncing off the walls with part excitement and part early-inebriation, so much so the ticket inspector had given up cautioning us about the noise as we zipped past Shizuoka. However by a couple of knocked over tinnies, a few nampa attempts from Pup, and a half-tanked mob of quadrupeds we had arrived at Kobe to be welcomed by KRACs very own looney-pair in Robb and Russ who kindly escorted the raucous Wombats crusade from Shin-Kobe before we could get ourselves into any irreversible trouble.
After plonking our bags in the sleeping quarters, we had quickly established residency in the KRAC bar where most of their cricket club had also assembled. Many stories-over-beers and a game of darts later (which had One-Eye Shacksie's partner Aimless Ainslie almost erase the lining of his throat on an overly generous winner's-shot of tequila) we still had enough juice to be enticed out into the depths of Kobe. However a very large group of us was split somehow split along the way, resulting in some of us stranded in Ryan's Irish pub trying not to be antagonised by some of the Kobe weirdo's and the rest in PogoDog land sending sms' to the Ryans crowd to the tune of "Oi C@nt, Im in a pub in Kobe, where are ya?"
Soon after we all met up in Sully's dance club, which was dead as a doornail in the bottom of a Snowtown barrel and prompted some of us to suspect there may have even been a serial killer amongst us knocking off party-goers as they came in the door (this editor personally suspects Shacksie as he absolutely murdered me at pool). Anyhow as we moved on we found even more space and even less women at the infamous Second Chance Bar, and 11 wellied Wombats stuffed into a small bar had (wait for it) NO-CHANCE - although that didn't stop some of us. Given that Germany and Argentina were boring all of us to sudden-death and then some with penalties, some of us stupidly thought that Sully's, Ryan's, PogoDog, (ANYWHERE!!!!) had picked-up by 3.30am. It hadn't. Alas most of us tried our final chance in Second-Chance only for most of us to be so absolutely chanced-off with Kobe this Friday night to give-up on our chances and chance it back to KRAC. Some of the (unnamed) stragglers tried their hands (or should I say “someone else hands”) on the dying Kobe nightlife. Stumbling back into the suffocating stench of the KRAC burrow littered with passed-out, drunken, farting, stinking, half-naked Wombats (some have suggested it resembled a cock-forest, but that has yet to be substantiated) was not the prettiest way to end this editor’s first night out in Kobe... but it was a predictably solid start to the Wombats tour.
As it neared 5am and the eyelids getting heavier than the soupy air of that chamber this editor was certain he had made it clear to his skipper before he went to sleep that “we should NOT bowl first in the morning."
On Saturday morning Skip woke the Wommies at 9.30am to the tune of "Wake up, we're bowling."
A lot of tired boys stumbled onto the field as dry as Ghandi's sandal, and the lackadaisical catching practice said it all. Anyhow Pup and this editor were handed the new ball. After 3 steadying overs to sober up a bit and both of us getting smacked (Russ launching the first of this editor’s third over into the Kobe skyline) it looked like KRAC were going to make a fist of it. However we finally had the break through when Thompy spooned a mistimed pull to Scottie at square leg. Three balls later Robb Mckenna nervously prodded outside off to give the Dinosaur a simple take behind the stumps, although it did require McKenna to show the umpire that he had in fact hit it by walking. This was very sporting of Robb, but proved equally disastrous for KRAC, because next over Pup steamed in and ripped one past the hapless Dave for a first baller (well catch by the Doc at first slip) and KRAC were in deep shitski at 3-20 odd.
Killer and Scotty Ada replaced the openers and had the KRAC team in 6’s and 7’s and with Russell succumbing after trying to up the scoring rate, KRAC were indeed at their number 6 and 7. Mark’s line and length was superb on a pitch that offered a little, and Scott’s bustling approach at the wicket and good action generated good pace and had the KRAC middle order literally crapping themselves. Killer knocked over the hit-or-miss “Crayfish” Mahendar a ball after being plonked into the Tennis courts, and by drinks KRAC were in trouble at 7 or so down for not much more than 50.
After drinks Killer somehow lost his line and Chucky was about to pull Scotty from the attack as the tail started to wag. The Skip asked the Wynumn-Manly lad whether he wanted a spell and promptly received a curt response of “One-more.” Chucky turned to this editor (a bowler) for advice, “Whaddya reckon, Gez”, but after seeing the burning fires of determination in the Scotty’s eyes there was no way I could shaft Scottie and the only one response, “Yeah, give him another.” The big fella stormed-in and despite his best efforts the exertion got the better of enthusiasm.
Chucky brought on the ever-dependable Shaxinator to try and entice the batsmen out and if it weren’t for Killer and this editor (sitter) he would have had his first wickets for the season. It wasn’t to be. Derek skied one to long-on where Killer spilled a tough out-field chance only after working out how to get under it. Derek then rubbed the salt in by mistiming a hoick to cow-shot for 4, and this editor’s squeezed some further lemon juice on Shacksies wound with a (as the Pres penned) “7 bites at the cherry absolute brain-fart to a nudge outside of off-stump that lobbed chest height straight to him at cover - that deservedly earned him many highlights, and thus skulls, after the game.” Russ ran out some fruit from the sideline to sooth my frustrations after throwing and kicking my hat about 20 times in the dirt, but nothing could help Shacksie’s frustration as Pup mopped the tail in successive yorkers the next over. KRAC all out for 137 off about 30 overs.
A new dawn emerged for the Wombats batting as a new opening pairing of Burkey and the debutant Bjorn strode out to run down the meagre total. A good start from the boys and Bjorn who’s first ball for the Wommies was a glorious straight drive back down the pitch which scorched the field like a tracer bullet on it’s way to the goalposts. However Japanese cricket pitches had the last laugh as Bjorn learn the harsh lesson (that we’ve all learned) and went to pull a short-pitched stinger, which innocuously shot below knee height onto the stumps. Burkey and Chuck together is always a safe combination and after seeing off the demons in the pitch being cast out by Dave and Sameer, to be 1-30 after about 10 overs drinks, but the boys then turned it on and smashed the remaining 108 runs off the next 16 overs. Burkey once again proved what a force in Japan cricket he is smashing some staggering shots in the rain (one massive straight hit and a cut shot over the point boundary just to name a few) and finished with 69 from about as many balls. The Skip ably supported and was unlucky not to post his half-century and remained not out on 43 to see the wombats comfortably home at 1-139 off in the 26th over.
Killer also contributed some classic moments during the innings. He demonstrated his boredom to those around the scorers table by pointing out the tallest skyscraper in Kobe whilst the rest of the game (umpires, batsmen, bowler and field) were waiting for him to return from the drinks break. The scorer’s table also demonstrated their boredom by recording in the scorebook (under Killer at number 11) the number of f-words Killer let rip during conversation. He had posted his own half-century within the space of 7 overs (i.e. more than a f-word a ball), which is I think is a record.
However everyone cured our boredom later by showing some awesome soccer skills – Dino’s powerful blasts and Roy’s impregnable shotstops a highlight, while Pup’s showpony-ness and Zulu running around with his shirt off a lowlight.
WOMBATS TOUR KOBE - PART 2
by Jarrad Shearer
Osaka meets the Wombats
The after game dinner was excellent. Food was good and plentiful, and the 2 hour nomihodai was definitely more than 2 hours. The highlights were some of the best inter-team highlights I've seen. The KRAC boys have their own version, which is of course modelled on ours, but with a few interesting modifications, so they were used to it and some really entertaining highlights were said.
Sat night we trained it into Osaka as we felt that Kobe was way too small for the Wombats, which was undoubtedly the right decision cause it was a great night. First club was quiet to begin with, but furry muff as it was still early (11:30) when we got in there. But just like THAT, after midnight it filled up. Many a nanpa from the single blokes occurred, and the lasses were generally friendly, if not the highest calibre (webmaster note: that’s a bit harsh I reckon, maybe Dino didn’t drink enough). There was one that was top shelf that Pup was pursuing and had lived in Perth previously so I had a chat with her. Her friend was VERY keen on Pup and it was interesting watching Pup and the 2 chicks, although it didn't take Pup long to go for the lower shelf sure thing rather than top shelf work. Some hot dancers were there dancing on the bar too, and Chucky, as he does, got completely off his face, and did his best Smoker Impressions. At one stage I thought he was giving me a hickey...
We moved on at about 3:30am or so, although the Run Machine was MIA (tho we guessed correctly what happened to him) and that was a real mistake cause the next place was a real shithole. Although the trip to the next place was notable for Chuck pulling his pants down and walking down the street (as you do) and, then not longer after, seriously saying to me, "Dino, we need to talk about the direction this club is heading in…..we drink WAAAAAY too much piss." Chuck recalls very little of the night, no surprises there, so when reminded of this comment the following day, he says "Shit, I must've been really drunk." Yeah, no shit Sherlock.
So anyway, we arrive at this next club and it was a kinda J hip-hop place. Typical wannabes inside. The music was shit, but the worst thing was the feeling of agro inside. All the J boy hip hoppers giving nasty, if un-threatening looks, and made sure they gave us a brush as they walked past. One bloke in particular was looking to have some and Gezza almost obliged at one stage. No doubt they (guys and gals) were on drugs. A few chicks were absolutely spazzed on the shit. Gezza fired up at one point and yelled "Where the fark is Zulu? This place is shit! He needs to answer for bringing us to this shithole." Zulu, in the meantime, was on the upper floor of the club, asleep at the bar. Note: In fairness to Zulu, nobody was ‘forced’ to follow him to this club.
We got back to Kobe in about 4 separate groups over a two hour period. Roy and Burkey were keen to do Maccas. The place wasn't open til 6:30 so they waited the 20 mins til it was open. Pup and I headed back to the KRAC; he crashed out and I had a spew. Note: And in Pup’s word, there was a massive “ROARRRRRRRRR!!!!” that echoed through the walls of the KRAC clubhouse as Dino acquainted himself with the toilet face first.
Other events such as the "You snooze, you lose" and the "Where the f*** is my camera" incidents can be explained on request as this tour report has already taken up enough space.
By the power of 11 Wombats positive thinking (praying for rain), from 8am on Sunday it pissed down - thank god for that cause I don't think we could have fielded a team - so the game was called off. In the arvo we went to the Great Hanshin Earthquake Museum, which was pretty interesting. Chuck had a sleep on the sofas in the lobby, which Shax got some good shots of.
All in all, a top weekend and successful Wombat's first domestic tour. Hopefully it'll become an annual event...
HARDYS ASHES: PUP LASHES, EMBASSY CRASHES
vs British Embassy (Hardys Tokyo Ashes -- Shizuoka -- 10th June, 2006)
by Ian Gason
>>>Match Scorecard vs British Embassy
The Hardys Tokyo Ashes is destined to spend another year safely housed in The Clubhouse after The Wombats soundly spanked The British Embassy CC in Shizuoka Saturday. The Wombats bowlers overpowered the poms' batting for just 94 runs, and the took the match for the loss of just 1 wicket.
The mid-season cricket calendar re-jig had turned this planned Saturday match into a double header weekend and thrown out a whole pile of logistical nightmares, which we believed we had overcome mid-Friday. The weather had reluctrantly agreed to co-operate, and we looked like somehow we would get two full XIs out over two days, with 16 Wombats getting a run or 2.
"Rightio, I'll just have another vodka & orange and see you there," is not want you want to hear on the phone 20 minutes prior to departure.
True to his words, Zulu was there at Harajuku, rip-roaring and ready to go, with Clubhouse bar-tender Trevor in tow, not really sure why he was there, but vaigly remembering something about cricket. New recruit from Hong Kong, Omer was not there, and with a long Saturday traffic jam to deal with, an executive decision was made: congratulations Trev.
Seems some biker needed to be hosed off the Tomei after coming off second best in a bout of vehicular biffo. Took Tokyo's finest a good while to measure the skidmarks etc, and by the time they'd called the undertaker, a 2 hour grid-lock obstructed our Ashes mission. Trev got in some last minute 'image training' and Zulu and the skip set an example by cracking open a flaggon of Hardys.
I followed the Bobby Philips' Method for Saturday traffic, and dragged the boys into the Shizuoka Supermarket right on the scheduled start time. By the time the lads had stuffed their faces, voided their bowels and negoitiated their way back into the van over 4 eskis and 3 cases of Yebisu, the final hop to the ground had us piling out at 11:30, with the pitch still had to be pegged.
From the dark side of the 'pong, to the fresh open spaces of Shizuoka, Trev was a bit confused about all this green, grass and trees business. The words "Hereyago Trev, I got some whites for ya" struck him like a frying pan in the face. When the shock wore off, he staggerred and pleaded, but "shit mate, you're here now" saw him submit.
The 2 skips agreed to go for 35 overs. Chuck won the practise toss. Warren the real won, and Embassy padded up for a 12:30 start, 90 minutes behind schedule.
First ball I found Brent Kinnimont's pad, but despite my Hadlee-esque plead, the big Kiwi survived. From then on the star attractions were Gez Brady's fiery opening spell and Iron Gloves Anley. Gez dominated pommie skipper Wazza Daley from the outset. Behind the stumps and behind Posh Spice's sunnies, Zulu wasn't handling him much better, either. Zulu was more like a hockey keeper than a wicket keeper, getting his body - legs, chest, even hands - behind the ball, but never clutching it. His chest took more hits than a junkie's arm, but to his credit, he leaked byes just once all day. When Wazza finally got the edge, Zulu summoned all his latent powers of concentration and deflected the ball into his chest and wrapped his arms and gloves around it. After that Z reverted to The Wall method.
Embassy resistance came mainly from Brent and later Anton, but the day belonged to the Wommies bowlers. Our Accuracy was very accurate this day, and lead to 7 bowled or LBW dismissals. This lifted the whole wommies side, with even the 100kg Dinosaur making some spectacular diving saves.
Robb Mann got himself on a hat-trick and promptly sprayed one down leg. Pup Ainslie overcame a humiliatingly bad hair cut and dye job to claim 2 vital wickets, both topped off with a full pitch finger in the air YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Paul and Thommo frustrated the bowlers without overtly stressing the scorers. Paul's box made regular appearances at the bottom of his trouser leg, and perhaps restricted his shot playing potential. Thommo played one straight to Reggie and called the immobile pom through. Zulu managed to wrap some rubber round the ball and distribute the stumps around the ground. Thommo was unapologetic, "Jeez, back up next time."
When Thommo was bowled shortly after, Killer clumsily opened his mouth. "You can practise that shot over there mate," is not the sort of thing to say to an opening bolwer, but those of you that know Killer won't be surprised by his verbal indescration. Suddenly with Embassy lots down for not enough, we reckoned we might have a fight on our hands after all.
2 wickets in 2 balls for Gez (4/10) wrapped up the innings for 94. Chuck gave some serious thought to sending Killer out to open, but firing up Chris Thompson would have been good for a laugh, but memories of DK Lillee v QLD saw him opt for the more convential WA Mafia partnership.
In the end we all got a laugh, without having to wash claret off the pitch. Brent K got the breakthrough, when Jarrad (1) was struck on the full and respected international umpire Neil Harrison promptly sent him on his way. Old hands were quickly shuffling debutant Trev out of the firing range. A couple a choice F-word grumbles, and low-and-behold, Jarrad smashed Bird's long-standing bat throwing record, hurling the Kookaburra from square leg, over the BBQ and not far from the river. With a Level One Code Of Conduct breach assured, The Prez went for broke. Retrieving the distant willow from whence it lay, he sized up a log no less than a Maori All-Black in diameter, and backed his once-loved Kahuna to split said log. He raised his weapon above his head, bellowed out a Graham Kennedy crow impersantion and thundered down upon the timber.
Amazingly the bat didn't break. Shame really. Dino hasn't made runs with this bat since Chiang Mai '05, and looks like he never will. Go to the Post Office, wrap it up, and post it to Eric Little, Chiang Mai Gymkhana, CM, Thailand.
Pup Ainslie didn't allow this temper tantrum to disturb his concentration, and set about destroying the opposition. Chuck Jones was solid for his 17 runs (31 balls), only giving away a handful of chances. Unlike his efforts at Gas Panic, Pup was putting away anything he could get a handle on. First ball he hooked for 4 and never really looked back. Anything over-pitched was driven to the ropes, a study in effortless timing.
Having shattered young Kenji Murata, Pup went to town on a diet of full tosses. In what became the final over, the young crow-eater plundered three consecutive 20-rows-back sixes over cow-corner. His 2nd brought up his 50 (29th ball) and 3rd sealed the match. Pup, if you had a strike rate like that in the 'pong you could start your own porn-channel.
A 10 over hit'N'giggle was convened, with Embassy batting. Ashes secured, Wombats switched off and proceeded to let more chances go than Pup on a Friday night. Trev had no less than 3 chances fluffed in 1 over (me 2 of 'em, drinking partner Z the other.) Whiskas bowled bouncers, Dino threw pies, and 88 runs was achived.
Trev's day just kept getting better: diamond duck. Not to be out done I got a Golden.
Reggie made a heap of runs, Whiskas did too, but we all really wanted to get off and get into the BBQ. Sadly it rained, and the barbie was relocated to the soba shop, for the usual round of highlights, lowlights and other cricketing disasters. Brent and Pup got the Best on Grounds, and Gez's bowling won the other Hardys award.
The planned double-header never eventuated. A rain soaked pitch and muddy outfield greeted half the Wombats at Fuji Sunday. The other half slept in, perhaps cos the forecast was a 10% chance of rain, and no-one had done a pitch inspection. Having woken and tackled the Tomei, Burkey would have played on a rice-paddie. Despite the presence of little brown fish at the crease, a colony of frogs for company at slip and an umpire saying "muri....muri ne (impossible)", Burkey stayed positive. "Well if we can sweep the water off the pitch" and "we might be able to get on in an hour or two" he insisted.
He never got his way, but he did get to suck down a whole heap of piss and listen to the team talk garbage, lead by the skip of course. Chuck described Zulu's wall-style keeping as being "like Rahul Madrid" and wondered what was the difference between identical twins and twins. In a head-to-head battle with the flaggon, the skip was clearly pulling in in 2nd place.
Thanks to Hardys for sponsoring and supporting this great event, and the boys at Embassy for making it happen. Neil and Shizuoka, thanks for the venue and umpiring all day. Hardys Tokyo Ashes '07 promises to be a rippa.
SPIN INSPIRED WOMBATS WOUND WYVERNS
vs Wyverns (KCL Game 2 -- Fuji 2 -- 30th April, 2006)
by Courtney Jones
>>>Match Scorecard vs Wyverns
Dizzy Gillespie's 201*, Micheal Clarke's 6/9 vs India and Simon Katich playing one-day cricket for Australia. Anomalies, freak occurances. In cricket they happen from time to time. One such abnormal performance contributed to the Tokyo Wombats opening it's 2006 KCL account.
The Wombats second KCL game vs Wyverns was on April 30th played at Fuji. Curly was back behind the wheel of the Wombats van after his 6 month Asian/middle eastern sojourn. Familiarity was immediate as all the lads settled into general banter about the usual: cricket, footy and girls, although Roy could only contribute to two of those topics as he reckons w | 
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