The Kingfishers’ second string started the 2008 season with a good win against Holy Cross 3’s, in Division 7, at the home of Cricket, the Meadows on Saturday 26 April 2008.

With overcast conditions in Livingston that morning, it was a surprise not to receive a call from HC saying the game was off, but as always seems the case, when it’s raining in Livingston it is invariably dry in Edinburgh. The 2’s had named a strong side, featuring debuts for Neil ‘Confident’ Fenwick and Mark Collings, and also including the continuing cricket education of our young protégés Andrew ‘Silky’ Wilcock and Jazim ‘I could talk for Scotland’ Aslam.

The pitch itself, Meadows 3, was a pudding of a pitch which is not surprising given the weather we’ve had in the last few months, and also featured one ridiculously short boundary and one equally ridiculous long boundary. The outfield was typical meadows, only missing the usual syringes and dog mess. Thankfully the Hammer won the toss and invited HC to bat, with conditions overcast at the start and a strong swirling cross field wind.

The 2’s opening bowlers kept it tight and restricted the HC batsman well, with Soaby in particular getting quite a bit of lift and swing from one end (mixed in with the to be expected shooters – this is the meadows after all!) and Mark Collings bowling a tight line with the short offside boundary. Soaby made the early break through clean bowling the HC opener, and with tight fielding the pressure was right on HC. But to their credit HC stuck in there and began to up the pace as the bowling attack changed, aided by a few dropped catches. Skipper Hammer changed the bowling attack around well so HC could never settle, and the initiative was wrestled back by the 2’s bowlers and Mark Collings in particular with a devastating second spell, having changed ends as HC were all out for 92 from 33.2 overs. Debut boy Mark Collings was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 12 off his 9 overs, but there were good contributions from Hammer who kept it tight with 2 for 7 and the SpinKing with 2 for 26, but all the bowlers contributed in what were helpful conditions. There were a few dropped catches, but luckily these didn’t prove too costly, and was only to be expected given a swirling wind and a lack of outdoor practice.

Needing 93 to win, the 2’s opening batting pair of Darren ‘YamYam’ Hall and David ‘Bingo Spice’ Hopkins set off at a fair old pace, with Hopkins in particular aggressive mood, smashing 18 off only the second over (clearly Bingo had other engagements to get to that evening). But the HC bowlers began to screw the nut and before you can say one becomes two, Livingston lost the two openers in quick succession, with just over half the runs still needed to win. The HC bowlers were well on top at that point and the runs dried up. In years gone by this would be the point where there would be the obligatory middle order collapse, but history was not to be repeated this time. HC changed the bowling around, which worked in the 2’s favour, and the game was duly wrapped up, in quick time with a typical 20/20 innings from the SpinKing (20 runs in as many balls, including a six to the short boundary (no surprise there then!)). The Kingfishers 2’s finished on 94 for 3, off 22.4 overs, with good contributions from Hall (24), Hopkins (21) and the SpinKing (20 no). 

As has become expected when playing HC, the game was played in excellent spirits and we look forward to playing them back up at our place later in the season (assuming it’s dried up by then!). A good solid win for the 2’s then, who face West Lothian 3’s next weekend at home, weather and the Dresselrigg outfield permitting - well we can all hope for miracles can’t we!