Sunday 19 June 2016

Tragedy At Sea

If Wednesday's cup performance was one of the Shipwrecks' better days, Thursday's league fixture against Dalton was one of their worst - a day when everything that could go wrong did go wrong and no amount of maritime puns can do justice to the full horror of the carnage that resulted.

First Mike Lumb had to be dispatched to pick up Danny McBryde at 6.00 pm, with the result that they did not arrive until four overs have been bowled.  So instead of ten men in the field against Dalton's eight batters, there were effectively six as continuing injuries to Colin Taylor and Donald McCuaig limited their mobility in the field. On a murky evening where batting first would have been a clear advantage as well as buying some time to get organised, the toss had of course been lost.

Not only that, opening bowlers Alasdair McEwen and Peter Cooper lapsed into a series of half trackers on the slowest pitch in the League so that the score had rocketed to 44 - 0 as the Dalton openers Steele and Barnard gleefully helped themselves.

Cooper's second two overs did improve, enabling him to bowl the Dalton figurehead, Amanda Creedon who played on first ball and was followed shortly by W. Jack, but Chris Lumb also started poorly with a number of wides before settling down.

Colin Taylor struggled to get to the wicket at all and his first three deliveries were dispatched for four. There was a brief moment of hope when he caught and bowled both Scarfe and Graham-Campbell in quick succession, the former with a particularly good catch.

At this stage there was still a possibility that the game could be brought back in control, but it was effectively lost when Davey Davidson was dropped with the score on 79. Shipwrecks contrived to drop him twice more as he piled on the runs with Richmond and the returning Creedon, who wittily remarked that she would be keeping her legs together in future.  Davidson was eventually very well taken by Chris Lumb at cover but by now the damage had been done.

Although there were plenty of runs to be had on a fast outfield, Dalton's 138 already looked an unlikely target.  Sid Oates and Danny McBryde made a slow start, amassing 10 off four overs as McBryde ran two short runs.  Both were quickly bowled by Davidson in his first over. The same bowler eventually accounted for Chris Lumb, who top scored with 17 after looking promising.

A little before that Richmond removed Mike Service, who had already clouted a couple of boundaries, with his first ball and Mike Lumb with his second.  There was some resistance from Cooper, Jim Worthington and McCuaig but McEwen capped a poor night by getting out for four and Taylor was the second to record a golden duck.  By this time anyway, Shipwrecks hopes of retaining their unbeaten League record had subsided far beyond the darkening horizon.

Home advantage on a pitch like Dalton is an important factor but Shipwrecks were completely out of sorts and, for the most, played like a team suffering from jetlag.

Scores: Dalton 138 -7 (Richmond 28 ret, Barnard 25 ret, Steele 25 ret, Davidson 22, Scarfe 12 ; Connor 2-22, Taylor 2-32) : Shipwrecks 88 – 8 (C. Lumb 17, Worthington 11 n.o., Connor 11 ; Davidson 3-16)

Shipwrecks Close To Cup Glory

To start the Foster's Midweek League Cup campaign, Shipwrecks were drawn against high floating Annandale Insurance Kirkmahoe (AIK), who are currently second in Division One.

Shipwrecks' High Command were not much amused by losing home advantage in faour of the Panther-Healthpros fixture as apparently no-one from Nunholm Port Authority would have been available to supervise the docking procedures. The 'Wrecks thought their best chance with a weakened team would be on the choppy meadows of Kingholm 2. As it happened Healthpros pulled out, leaving K2 to the seagulls.

In fact Shipwrecks distinguished themselves in what ensued at Nunholm - a tasty encounter that was only lost on the very last ball.

Eventually nine sailors only rolled up, of whom Skipper Donald McCuaig and Colin Taylor were carrying substantial injuries. Recognising the distress signals, AIK granted them permission to bat in spite of losing the toss again.

Mike Service strikes a maritime pose
Sid Oates was quickly bowled by Jones, but his departure gave Mike "Senior" Service the opportunity to profit from the new Cup rules allowing batsmen to retire on a maximum of 39+.  Only making two fours in his first twenty five and playing cautiously against the more dangerous balls, he then picked up the rate as others around him struggled.

Meanwhile Jim Worthington had put together a slow but steady 15 off 43 balls before falling on his own cutlass attempting a hopelessly ambitious quick single.  Unfortunately neither Chris Lumb nor Alasdair McEwen, who might have been potential matchwinners, made any serious headway, so the usual disorderly run scarmble resulted in the last four overs, Mike Lumb fortunately manning the wheel for long enough to steer the innings home despite luring Andy Cameron to another run out.

Shipwrecks' innings concluded on 108 - 7, a total that felt relatively modest in view of the fast outfield.

Chris Lumb immediately transmitted his intentions by dispatching Andrew McDonald to the poop deck with a fast yorker, and continued to cause damage with the aid of two catches from McEwen. Taylor and Andy Cameron looked to hold the run rate down for a wicket apiece, and the former only went for 13 off his four overs, Worthington taking a good catch at mid off.

Unfortunately some minor slip-ups on deck meant AIK got runs they shouldn't have but the two teams were still neck and neck going into the last couple of overs, the last of which saw Mike Lumb bowling to a tight field, all crew members looking to save singles.  Off his very last ball, however, Mark Irwin scrambled a single through fine leg to claim the result.

This was overall an above par performance by Shipwrecks with both bat 'n' ball.  Man of the Match was Mike Service for his excellent 42 retired.

Scores: Shipwrecks 108 – 7 (Service 42 ret, Worthington 14 ; Elliot 2-20) : Annandale Insurance Kirkmahoe 109 – 7 (Muir 41 ret, Irwin 16 n.o., Elliot 15, Barr 15 ; C. Lumb 3-22)

Friday 10 June 2016

Shipwrecks Sail Close To The Wind

The Shipwrecks overcame an old sailor's curse at the Kingholm on Thursday, when they finally managed to triumph over the Healthpros by three wickets in their Midweek League Division II encounter. But success only came after a distinctly creaky batting performance, which nearly saw them sunk without trace.

In fair to sweltering conditions, the start of the match was unfortunately delayed as Ali McEwen was late after jetting into Annan* and still had the boundary marker buoys in his car after the last game. Meanwhile the Healthpros won the toss and chose to bat.

Colin "Old Man of The Sea" Taylor and McEwen himself  delivered a series of eight tight overs in a game of Ship's Cat and Mouse as the early batters refused to be drawn into any misadventures. Dave Hill was calmly caught at gully by Mike Service off Taylor's third delivery and McEwen soon bowled Sue Strachan.  No more wickets fell on their watch but by the end of it Taylor had figures of 1-4 and McEwen's were only spoiled by a big six from Williamson off his last delivery.

With only around 20 on the board, the pressure was now on the Healthpros to tighten the sails. Although Chris Lumb first struggled to find rhythm, Jason Hall picked up a couple of wickets, including the vital one of Doig, who was bowled for 20.  Mike Lumb conjured up a seaworthy spell, bowling the threatening Chezian for 9 and having Chamilla neatly caught amidships by Lumb (Jr.).

The latter then returned to good effect to remove David Strachan and Kalaya, Davey Fallas picked up a couple of stumpings, Williamson took nearly the full 20 overs to complete his retirement and experienced sailor Ben Rayen, surprisingly held back at No.11, was left stranded with Rosie Ryan on small not outs.

That the final total hoisted was 92 for 9 reflected the fact that Shipwrecks managed to concede 21 wides, so it was a good job they weren't sailing an aircraft carrier.  There was nevertheless an air of complacency below decks at the dinks interval.

This proved entirely misplaced as Doig quickly had Mike Service caught at mid-off and then scuppered Kelvin Maxwell with a straight one. At the other end Chamilla's bowled two overs of left arm spin that could have done more damage than just bowling Geoff Dean for 2.  Hall survived an lbw appeal to a rising delivery but was soon bowled by D. Strachan. Chris Lumb, perhaps sensing danger charged down the wicket for a quick single and was run out. At this point no Shipwreck had made more than his 6 and the team was running out of firepower.

Fortunately it fell those veterans of many a battle off the Clyde Coast, Mike Lumb and Davey Fallas to hold firm in stormy weather.  Fallas fired a couple of quick boundaries as the score finally began
Davey Fallas - delighted
to pull away.

Doig and Chamilla were brought back to break the Shipwrecks' lines and the pair responded with caution but still kept the required run rate at no more than five an over. Lumb played a couple of nice deflections to the short boundary and Fallas hit a fine six before each retired in quick succession.

This left McEwen and Taylor to get 15 off the last four overs in poor light but McEwen hit one four off Strachan and two off Ryan to complete the job unaided.with two overs to spare.

The result puts the Shipwrecks ahead of J. Walker & Son at the top of Division 2, resulting in lengthy celebrations in The Riverside Bar

Man of the Match was a clearly delighted Davey Fallas for his vital 25 retired and two stumpings.

Scores: Healthpros 92 – 9 (Williamson 28 ret., Doig 20 ; M. Lumb 2-11, Hall 2-12, C. Lumb 2-25) : Shipwrecks 94 – 7 (Fallas 25 ret., M. Lumb 25 ret., McEwen 14 n.o. ; Doig 2-17)
Shipwrecks won by three wickets

*Some mistake here surely (Ed.)