Shipwrecks Weather The Storm

Shipwrecks got underway again with a second victory over Burgh Boys at Kingholm 2 on Thursday, their first game for three weeks.

A pause in the cup schedule had been compounded by a misreading of the tide charts, so that the 'Wrecks and Dumfries Colts were expecting to play each other on different days.  To be fair the Midweek League Fixture list stated that the game should have been played on Wednesday 25th June (which was a Thursday) - so the mix-up was to be understood.

This Thursday's teams gathered under the trees shortly after 6.00 p.m. as a southerly gale blew swept across the Kingholm from the Azores.  Fainter hearts would have headed for port, but a brief interlude in the downpour allowed play to commence at approximately 6.40, after Vice Captain Donald McCuaig rather hesitantly opted to bat.

This had the advantage that most of the team were still in hiding when the downpour resumed, but those on deck fared less well and in a fit of bravado, Shipwrecks lost Oates, Service, McCuaig, Dean and McBryde for a paltry 28.

After the Rain - Team Conference

Fortunately these had been made at the double so Davey Fallas and Derek Rankine were able to consolidate with a more selective approach but continued the required amount of big hits.  With not too much help from the lower order excepting Connor, Shipwrecks just managed to survive the voyage, and when Rankine brought up his retirement off the very last ball of the innings, the total had raced on to 121 - 9.

By now the sun stood fair in the sky, but it was always hard to see how this total could be reached using a ball that had gone from slippery to soaked and on an outfield still throwing up plumes of spray.

Early overs were uneventful until McCuaig turned to spin and Davey Fallas soon captured Edgar caught and bowled.  BB Skipper Collingwood was then surprised by a nifty throw by Service to be run out while still feathering his paddle.  Key moments then occurred when Rankine bowled S. Flack for 13 and F. Flack, on 10, edged to short third man, effectively ending the Burgh Boys' fire power.

Taylor - Naffest Selfie?

Fallas picked up two further wickets before old hand Colin Taylor was teleported back 25 years to eliminate B. Flack with a surprisingly sharp catch off his second ball.  Taylor went on to capture the wickets of various still arriving Burgh Boys, ending with the returning V. Collingwood, who was nicely taken by Cameron at wide slip to conclude the innings in the nineteenth over.

Taylor claimed the Man of the Match with  his 4-10 and also the Naffest Selfie Of The Season So Far Award.

Scores:  Shipwrecks 121 – 9 (Fallas 27 ret, Rankine 25 ret, Connor 10 ; F. Flack 3-20, V. Collingwood 2-15, A. Collingwood 2-17) : Burgh Boys 68 all out (S. Flack 13, A Carmichael 10 ; C Taylor 4-10, D Fallas 3-22)