Shipwrecks in Cup Final!

Astounding but true... barring an outbreak of scurvy, Shipwrecks will contest the Dumfries Midweek League Cup Final to take place sometime next week!

No, not that cup!

This extraordinary turn of events following our defeat at Dalton has been skilfully managed by Leading Engineer Geoff Dean, who had the foresight to cancel the other preliminary fixture against Annandale Insurance (Nunholm) before it stopped raining at and any more of our team members declared themselves unseaworthy.

Mysteriously, no opposition has been found for the semi-final, giving us a clear passage into the Final and a - probably brief - glimpse of cup glory to recall the former heroics of the double-winning team of 2004 and other previous cupwinning exploits (yawn, yawn...)

Watch this space for further details, as we do not know when this fixture will take place or the venue. Indeed there seems to have been a general lack of clarity about the format of the new Cup Competition this year.  Perhaps it would be worth us employing a private detective to bug the phone of League  Officials (none other than Shipwrecks legend, our own Quartermaster Everett Jeffrey).

Whatever the result, there are bound to be frenzied celebrations in The Ship Inn afterwards.

Same Old Story

Shipwrecks once again fell short in a run chase, in their latest away encounter at Dalton (a.k.a. HMSS KCC) on Thursday, ending up a bowler short when Peter Harrison's car caused problems. Possibly a lift to port on Mike Service's new motorbike would have been a better option.

On a pleasant evening, Alastair MacEwan lost the toss and was asked to field against a Dalton crew who had retained hostages Richardson and R. McBride of Dumfries 1st XI from last season's superteam.  In spite of a couple of early fours, MacEwan himself soon broke through to dismiss Umar and Barnard.  Meanwhile Rory Dean had Lee well caught by Worthington at long leg to put Dalton under initial pressure.

For a while Richardson and McBride looked a little unsteady but Shipwrecks could not capitalise and both eventually sailed on to maximums. Sarosh came on to take two quick wickets but the returning openers survived to add useful runs and the innings closed on 124 - 8.

Some erratic bowling by Sharma (20 extras overall) meant Shipwrecks were well up with the run rate after five overs but Sid Oates was bowled by caught and bowled Richardson, who also bowled Mike Service. McCuaig thought he might have got a bump ball when he half volleyed to McBride and the turning point of

Jim Worthington in the Thai Orchid

the game came when Geoff Dean got the semaphore wrong and called offspring Rory for a 'walk the plank' single and had no chance of making his own ground when sent back.

The rest of the batting did not manage much of a fight apart from Jim Worthington, who played some nice shots in his 21 not out, supported by the reborn McCuaig, to earn the Man of the Match Award, which was duly celebrated in the "Thai Orchid".

Once again the Shipwrecks got within range of victory but fell short due to lack of shortage of trained sailors - and of course it's handy to have a couple of National League players in your crew if you can hire them.

Scores: Dalton 124 - 8 (McBride 30 n.o., Duncan 30 n.o., Richardson 25 n.o. ; Sarosh 2-24, MacEwan 2-28) : Shipwrecks 109 -9 (Worthington 21 n.o., R.Dean 16 ; McBride 4-14, Richardson 3-9)

Shipwrecks Just Short

Last Wednesday the Shipwrecks again put in a reasonable watch but without result when they encountered the Healthpros, the local Hospital Ship so far yet to be taken into NHS special measures.  The Kingholm had meanwhile been transformed into a dry dock with no remaining sign of the marine conditions and plantlife prevalent for the last 12 months.

Ali McEwan and Rory Dean restricted the early batsmen nicely, claiming two wickets apiece and the Shipwrecks' chances were looking good when several of their doctors decided to run themselves out rather than face the onslaught.  However a late flourish led by Williams plus the normal accumulation of wides and byes meant that the surgeons reached a respectable 78 all out in the penultimate over.

Unfortunately, the Shipwrecks took on a good deal of water early in their innings, partly due to some shipshape bowling by Doig, Fawad and Fahad.  For the 'Wrecks, Jim 'Boy' Worthington and Mike 'Senior' Service started badly, trying to renegotiate a single in the first over, which caused Service's premature run out when he looked to be in good touch.  Then Oates and both Deans were out without adding significantly to the score and  Shipwrecks were still looking for fifty plus runs after eight overs.

Sid Barbour - MoM

This was clearly where the game was lost as Colin Taylor and Sid Barbour gradually built up a partnership that brought Shipwrecks tantalisingly in sight of a surprising victory.  But neither batsmen could penetrate the thick grass cuttings around the boundary, and when Barbour was out in the nineteenth over, Ali McEwan was faced with the task of hitting three sixes to get home. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't to be and Shipwrecks fell short by ten runs.

Man of the Match (apart from Geoff Dean and 'run out') in a good-natured game was Sid Barbour for his all round contribution.

Scores: Healthpros 78 all out (Williams 16 n.o. ; R. Dean 2-7, McEwan 2-8) : Shipwrecks 68 - 6 (Barbour 18, Taylor 15 n.o.)

Shipwrecks Confined To Port... Scottish Cricket Sunk?

Even hardened sailors could not face the weather this Tuesday, when consistent rain caused the cancellation of what would have been a fine naval display between Shipwrecks and Kirkmahoe - and a cricket game we might have had some chance of winning.

And so another Scottish cricket season trickles on, as both midweek and weekend teams find it ever harder to persuade players to turn out for fixtures that are likely to be cancelled for the weather.  The last players to have experienced playing much cricket at state schools before the changes to Teachers' terms and conditions in the eighties will just about be coming up for retirement and younger recruits have a vast array of different sports to chose from*, quite apart from rugby and football, which increasingly encroach on what was the cricket season.

As a result, the signs are that many clubs are struggling to put teams out and the standards of play are declining.  The main focus of Cricket Scotland (latest web headline: "Rain halts Scottish run chase") seems to be to put out increasing bureaucratic exercises for clubs to complete, so that one wonders if it could ever be possible to start up a new club and get into one of the Leagues without a five year development plan produced by a management consultant.

Ultimately though, there are two main problems hampering cricket in Scotland - the weather and the fact that current forms of the game are too long to attract young people hung up on instant gratification. Until someone looks seriously at shorter, indoor forms of the game, my fear is that the decline will continue.

Except of course for a small number of elite clubs in the central belt and one or two outposts with hundreds of members paying £££s each in subscriptions, who will be able during climate change to go on playing occasional and cancelling many fixtures with each other until the money runs out.  Will they at some point turn, look around at what is happening to smaller clubs and lower leagues and start to get worried?

Note: This sudden switch to editorial rant mode does not necessarily reflect the views of The Shipwrecks plc or its umbrella organisation, The Ship Inn.

*They won't however have the chance to see much cricket unless they can get Sky Sports.

Shipwrecks in Stormy Seas...

Completion of the Shipwrecks' log has been severely delayed over the past week because Ship's Writer CPO Taylor has been away on a mission in France. Apparently he was trying to recruit petanque players to join the team in the hope of reducing the number of wides conceded in future games, having overlooked the fact that underarm bowling is no longer permissible under the Laws of Cricket*.  Apologies anyway to both of you who read this regularly for depriving you of your weekly fix.

What follows is a summary of the two skirmishes that have taken place in the meantime:

Ooh, Aye and Up She Rises...

Last week our noble crew counter attacked fiercely at Lockerbie to record our second victory and first total of over 100 this season, winning by a stupendous nine wickets.

Lockerbie 105 all out (A Veitch 25 n.o., Bray 26 n.o. ; Barbour 2-17, R Dean  2-22) : Shipwrecks 106 for 1 (McCuaig 28 n.o., Service 26 n.o., G Dean  24 n.o., R Dean 11 n.o.)

Davy Potter's Locker...

Harry Potter

This trend was however not continued against Irving Meadow at Kingholm 2 on Tuesday. The mythical Harry Potter inflicted a major broadside on our batting flagship, which was almost completely scuppered at 5 - 4. In spite of a brave rearguard action from McEwen, Dean and extras, Shipwrecks could not make up the leeway and went down by 19 runs.

Captain's commendations however went to Worthington (2), R. Dean and Sarosh, who all took excellent catches.

Irving Meadow 89 for 9 (Harriman 18 ; Sarosh 4-18,  McEwen 2-17, Service 2-16) : Shipwrecks 70 all out (McEwen 27 n.o., R Dean 13)

With two games to go, will the Shipwrecks now steam ahead as in previous seasons to achieve mid-table mediocrity?

*except by prior agreement of both teams.

More Midges Than Shipwrecks

The Shipwrecks - or some of them - ventured inland to meet Annan CC at picturesque Kinmount estate last Thursday.  Unfortunately the roll call was sadly depleted by the death of Sid Oates' dog, who could not therefore play and the less comprehensible non-appearance of deckhands G. and M. Robinson (thanks for letting us know, lads) with the inclusion of whom this could have been a very interesting encounter indeed.

What a posh pavilion!

Kinmount is really starting to look like a cricket venue again.  The surrounds of the pitch and outfield have been overhauled and the pitch cleared of moss - with the result that it does play incredibly slowly, but that in itself makes for an intriguing contest as the bowlers get no pace off it and batsmen have to find some innovative shots to knock the ball away.

Annan won the toss and decided to bat, perhaps knowing that they would thus evade the swarm of small but high-class midges that gathered around the boundary in the course of their innings.  They were also kind enough to lend a couple of hands to replace absent friends.

Colin Taylor got the ball to move around a bit to dismiss both openers and took a diving caught and bowled to remove McCann.  Unfortunately, only Rory Dean and one run out were able to contribute further wickets. Sometimes making heavy weather of it, the Annan batsmen overall cruised to 125 - 5 against the other bowlers who were pressed into service, assisted by a shoal of wides and no-balls.  Mike Service did however fire some useful salvoes.

In reply Shipwrecks made chase, accelerating from the steady start made by Donald McCuaig when both generations of Dean hit their way to good maximums.  Unfortunately there was not much left in the ship's stores as Taylor poked around looking for a hitter to support but the others all hit out and got out until he and Worthington were left to prod out the last few balls as if looking for the non-existent draw.

Once again Shipwrecks were by no means disgraced, but this time a possibility of victory was scuppered as a team in cricket consists of eleven men, not eight as in rowing.

Scores:  Annan 125-5 (Pagan 27 n.o., Bellis 27 n.o., McCann 20 ; Taylor 3-16) : Shipwrecks: 97-9 (G. Dean 27 n.o., R. Dean 25 n.o. ; Patterson 3-15)

Creditable Performance by Weakened Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks paddled upriver last Thursday to take on Annandale Insurance.  A selection already depleted by the absences of Rear Admiral Geoff Dean (sailing in the Mediterranean) and Peter Harrison (unfit for duty) was further weakened when two hands unaccountably failed to appear on deck at six bells.  The opposition meanwhile consisted of the usual assortment of cabin boys and old sea-dogs, with a couple of professional sailors on hand just in case things got rocky.

The nine men were invited to field on losing the toss and Gregory Robinson opened the bowling to an umbrella field, substitute Skipper Taylor reasoning that there was no point in protecting the boundary as the sole possibility of victory lay in attack.

As no-one copied the opposition ship's log, only a sketchy account of what happened next is possible, but Alastair MacEwan pilfered three wickets, the Robinsons each took a nice catch and Taylor got McBride  in his last over but finished poorly to McCutcheon as A. I. (no, not Amnesty International) eased to 144 - 4.

Instructed at least to last the full twenty overs, the Shipwrecks stuck to their duty well.  Although early wickets fell when Mike Service was bowled for a duck and Kelvin Maxwell got run out by a good throw, Sid Oates took a fancy to young Levi and clouted him for several alarmingly straight boundaries before holing out.

Kelvin Maxwell prepares to lauch one towards the tennis courts

McCuaig and Taylor scratched around for a bit but the best innings came from Man of the Match MacEwan who, promoted up the order, took on some of the better bowling on the day to hoist a maximum.  Gregory Robinson hit three fours in his 15 and Sarosh batted steadily at the end to ensure Shipwrecks were not disgraced as they survived for 91 - 7.

Scores: Annandale Insurance 144-4 (MacEwan 3 - ??) : Shipwrecks 91-7 (MacEwan 25 not out, Oates 23, G. Robinson 15)