Shipwrecks Founder In The Darkness

Shipwrecks were left wondering who killed the albatross after the Healthpros escaped with their lives in the recent encounter at Kingholm 2. For, after a creditable performance on being asked to field and restricting the Medics to 85, they were cursed with the luck of Jonah and fell short of the target by 12.

Healthpros made heavy weather of the early part of their innings, restricted by tight bowling from Alasdair McEwan and Derek Rankine who bowled Sue Strachan for 1. After experimenting with a couple of wides, Colin Taylor got one to nip away from David Hill, who fell victim to a sharp catch by Ship's Doctor Mike Lumb standing up behind the stumps. The old sea dog continued to make use of the leg cutter to bowl Thin and had Doig nicely taken on the run by Rankine off his last salvo. Meanwhile Peel was run out following some neat work by McCuaig and Lumb.

Unfortunately the tide of success slackened as two takeable chances were spilled and, crucially in an encounter that was to produce only four boundaries, Shipwrecks left too much space on deck and several unnecessary singles were pillaged by the Strachans (Sr and Jr) as the Healthpros probed their way to 85 for 7.

A few lusty sixes should have settled the affair, but a chill breeze sprung up from the Dogger Bank as the sky grew blacker than a pirate's eyepatch, producing enough bad light to stop three test matches.

Jim Worthington edged behind second ball and Mike Service was tied down by accurate bowling from Raj as the run rate stalled, eventually being bowled as he tried to break the shackles.  Geoff Dean literally lost his middle stump (it broke) first ball to one that kept low and after McCuaig was run out under pressure, Taylor fell to another deck scourer from Rayen.

Donald McCuaig On Strike Before The Blackness Descended

Some sort of partnership developed between Rankine and Jason Hall, who did well to see the ball, let alone hit it.  But when Hall was bowled by Mutthiah, the writing was on the wall.  The key sloggers fell as McEwan unluckily played on and Cameron edged straight to slip and Shipwrecks' luck was clearly at rock bottom when Mike Lumb hit a firm shot only to be magnifcently taken by a diving Mutthiah for 0.

By this time it was statistically impossible for Rankine to get the necessary runs because of the retiral rule barring a brainstorm from Worthington in his second coming for the absent McBryde.

The New Scorebook

The two did what they could in the last three overs but it was never going to be enough.

Hopefully the acquisition of a new logbook by Purser Dean will bring better luck, but on this showing, we'd do better to chuck it overboard on the next voyage.

In spite of Rankine's excellent 24 not out and two wickets, the Man of the Match went to Colin Taylor for his vintage bowling spell.

Scores: HealthPros 85 for 7 (F Strachan 25 ret, D Strachan 19 ; C Taylor 3-11, D Rankine 2-11) : Shipwrecks 73 for 9 (Rankine 24 n.o., Hall 16 ; R Shyam 3 for 8)

Shipwrecks' Service Successful

After a major overhaul in the engine room following the Nunholm slowdown, Shipwrecks' batting machine belched steam immediately to power ahead of a reasonable Lockerbie total by six wickets at the Kingholm on Thursday.

Invited to field on an overcast evening, the start was not promising as Shipwrecks leaked easy runs and missed run out opportunities before Alasdair McEwan bowled Carpenter with a slower one and got Naysmith, who was hitting the ball over the static field regularly, to tee one up for Fallas on the boundary.

The ball was swinging for bowlers from the estuary end for Chris Lumb to bowl Bray and Jason Hall to do the same for Dawson.  Andy Veitch was typically steering to leg but misjudged against Andy Cameron to lose his stumps. Meanwhile Shipwrecks had managed to stem the tide of runs from the other end so that Lockerbie were only in the mid seventies with five overs to go.  But Gracie hit three powerful sixes with support from Daniel Veitch once Hall had dismissed Jamie Crawford, and the visitors finally resurfaced at 118 - 6 after the twenty overs.

Mike Service

For Shipwrecks, Geoff Dean started on full throttle from the outset with boundaries square of the wicket and Mike Service soon accelerated with a couple of notably big sixes while Danny McBryde once again perfected his exhibition shot without managing to score any runs with it.  Both openers departed having reached retirement as did Davey Fallas after a typically brief voyage.  Others scratched around in the gathering gloom and swarms of midges but the powerful start meant few runs were needed in the last few overs and Jason Hall stayed on hand to draw the scores level before a final wide took Shipwrecks to victory.

Mike Service was nominated Man of the Match for his full on assault.

Scores: Lockerbie 118 – 6 (Gracie 25 ret, A Veitch 24, Naysmith 23, D Veitch 13 n.o. ; J Hall 2-15, A McEwan 2-19) : Shipwrecks 119 – 4 (Fallas 29 ret, Dean 25 ret, Service 25 ret ; Stevenson 2-9)

Geoff Dean  Hauls Off

Shipwrecks Suffer Engine Failure

Once again a lack of adequate charts is hampering the maintenance of the Ship's Log of the second half of Shipwrecks' latest voyage.  This time it had been supposed that Dumfries Colts were maintaining our scorebook, which proved to be not correct. Suffice it to say that Shipwrecks went down by about three wickets to the Colts after the batting acceleration achieved against Burgh Boys last week distinctly failed to kick in.

Slow progress was understandable at first as Mike Lumb and Danny McBryde faced an accurate attack from Sam Thornley and Nunholm's unknown Aussie Pro. During this phase the most notable event was the invention of a new defensive shot to the leg-side wide by McBryde, unfortunately for no runs.

Definitely Not in the Coaching Manual - Danny's New Shot

Both openers were eventually bowled trying to get a head of steam up, Lumb playing on unluckily from well wide of the stumps. Donald McCuaig then played some neat shots in his not out but could not reach the boundary while Alex Taylor, looking seriously out of form against the variable bowling, could not find his sea legs at all.  By the time the innings was half over, Shipwrecks were still foundering in the forties.

As the breeze turned even cooler Davey Fallas typically managed to dispatch a few salvos towards the Arctic Circle, but Shipwrecks failed to get their other hitters into battle early enough and finshed on 105 - 3, well short of par for the Nunholm course.

After a lively start Fallas broke through the Nunholm opening partnership, which however only brought unknown Aussie Pro to the crease to lash all bowlers unmercilesly around the ground for a high speed retiral.  From then on defeat looked the likeliest outcome but a couple of wickets from Andy Cameron brought the junior Colts up on deck and Shipwrecks were able to put the anchors on the run rate.

With Thornley still needing to wield the heavy blade, Colin Taylor's swing produced a couple more wickets and a run out in the last few overs to leave faint hopes of a miraculous rally.  He should have had a third when he induced a false shot from Thornley, only to spill the resulting gentle caught and bowled as the batsmen paddled home for the winning run.

Overall, not a good day in the wheel room for the Shipwrecks.

Incomplete Scores: Shipwrecks 105 – 3 (Fallas 27 ret., McCuaig 23 n.o., Lumb 18, McBryde 13) : Dumfries Colts  106 - 7 (C. Taylor 2-8)

Shipwrecks' Maiden Victory

The Shipwrecks charted their first victory of the 2015 season at a breezy Kingholm Park on Thursday evening. Victory came thanks to a hearty batting performance delivering 144 - 3, one of the highest Shipwrecks tallies since nautical records began.

Batting first, Mike Lumb and Donald McCuaig pirated four runs from the first over before the latter was bowled by a good'un from Aidan Collingwood, who then nearly disposed of Alex Taylor with a yorker.  Lumb and Taylor then built a steady partnership. Lumb looked increasingly in control and

Top Scorers - Lumb and Fallas

started to play some firm shots, finishing on 28 retired after a couple of late sixes. Struggling for form, Taylor adopted a "hit out or get out" policy and was obligingly dropped by the Burgh Boys half a dozen times before a catch finally stuck when he was on 23.

Both left the field in quick succession and, after Jason Hall departed early, there was still a need to increase the knots when Colin Taylor joined Davey Fallas with about six overs to come. Fortunately Fallas succeeding in propelling a typical series of missile launches on the legside before retiring and Mike "Senior" Service continued the assault, hitting his first ever six and following with another shortly afterwards.  Meanwhile elder Taylor scuttled round the decks in the normal manner for another not out.

At this point records of the conflict become hazy as we neglected to get a look at the Burgh Boys log book before they retreated sharply in the face of the chill wind after the game.

Shipwrecks fielding display did not start brilliantly when wicketkeeper Lumb was struck by friendly fire - a grenade lobbed by Taylor (Sr.) with untypical accuracy to hit him just above the left eye while he was arguing a point of naval etiquette with the umpire.

A notable asset in the covers was new recruit Nerea Ferrando, who was recently conscripted off the Spanish Main by deckhand Danny McBride. Nerea attacked every ball with gusto and impressed High Command with the power of her throwing, which nearly caused a run out. Suitably inspired, the old lags caught everything going including a nice take by Lumb standing up and seemingly unaffacted by his earlier wound apart from a bruise the size of a grapeshot.

Meanwhile some good accurate bowling, notably from Fallas and left-armers Andy Cameron and Hall meant Shipwrecks were always in control.

For the Burgh Boys, Ben Flack was unfortunate to be last out off the last ball of the innings from Hall when on for a maximum.

Very Approximate Scores: 

Shipwrecks 144 - 3 (Lumb 28 ret., Fallas 25 ret., A. Taylor 23, Service 22 n.o., C. Taylor 12 n.o) : Burgh Boys ?? all out (B. Flack 2? ; sorry no bowling figures)

Shipwrecks Relaunch

Although still without a home port and watering hole, Shipwrecks take to the water again this Thursday (7th May) for their first Midweek League fixture against Burgh Boys.

Needless to say the pre-season seamanship exercise and practice voyage proposed at the AGM have come to nothing so it's straight into action with cannons blazing and cutlasses unsheathed.

All hands have been asked to report their availability to Cap'n Dean before polling day.