Wednesday 10 July 1996
DOETRA Sportsday
Six-A-Side Competition
MATCH STATISTICS
Quarter Final: v HSE Bootle
HSE Bootle won the toss and elected to field
Dodgers: 59 (Priest 20, McBarron 20)
HSE Bootle: 42 (Adey 1-2, Atkinson 1-6, Ferris 0-6)
DODGERS WON BY 17 RUNS
Semi Final: v Highway Robbers
Highway Robbers won the toss and elected to bat
Highway Robbers: 44(Adey 1-7, Ferris 0-5)
Dodgers: 40 (McBarron 17)
HIGHWAY ROBBERS WON BY 4 RUNS
When we entered the Sportsday Six-A-Side competition for the first time many of us doubted whether we would even be drawn out of the hat to play, let alone actually win a match - but in the end we could have won the whole competition.
What can only be described as piss-poor organisation of the tournament by DOETRA failed to ruin the day for the Dodgers ("The Magnificent Seven...?") and the numerous people who turned up to cheer us on. The format was straightforward: each side to bat for five overs, with each outfielder having to bowl one over.
We could have had a bye into the semi-finals as the HSE Bootle 1st VI failed to make it and the organiser at first refused to let their football team take part instead because they had no kit - a rather odd notion as he had already allowed one team with no kit a bye into the semi-finals! When we insisted that we would rather play anybody than sit around doing nothing all afternoon he relented and thank God we won! A decent batting performance by McBarron and Priest saw us reach 59, the second highest total of the day, but the HSE footballers turned out to be rather better opponents that we had thought and the game was tight until the third over when John Adey took a wicket with his first ball and kept Bootle to only two runs. Some clean hitting in the last over off Phil McBarron was too little too late for Bootle and Dodgers ran out comfortable winners in the end.
On to the semi-final and a clash with the Highway Robbers (Highways Agency in disguise). The Robbers won the toss and surprisingly elected to bat. Although we allowed them to steal a couple of overthrows the fielding and bowling was very tight and we restricted them to a very gettable 44. Mark Ferris bowled exceptionally well and John Adey again took a wicket with his first ball, at the same time ruining any chance of an SEO job in the Highways Agency as it was Lawrie Haynes!
Unfortunately the luck and umpiring decisions were against us (plus they did bowl pretty well...) and it wasn’t to be. Good batting for the second time in the day by Phil McBarron saw us get with one good hit of victory but we couldn't quite manage it - especially disappointing as the Robbers lost the final to Erotica from Bedford by just 3 runs - and we certainly would have been in with a shout.
All in all it was a very enjoyable day for the seven players (Priest, McBarron, Adey, Matthews, Atkinson, Harry and Ferris) who took part in the two games and the evening session was pretty memorable as well (at least I think I remember most of it.....has anyone lost a traffic cone...?). Those of us who played were also pleased to see so many people turn out to support us (from Dodgers, Superstars and OSD Allstars, not to mention a few "civilians") and lift us for that extra bit of effort, especially in the semi-final. Next year we may try and enter more than one team... you have been warned!
NEIL PRIEST
DOETRA Sportsday
Six-A-Side Competition
MATCH STATISTICS
Quarter Final: v HSE Bootle
HSE Bootle won the toss and elected to field
Dodgers: 59 (Priest 20, McBarron 20)
HSE Bootle: 42 (Adey 1-2, Atkinson 1-6, Ferris 0-6)
DODGERS WON BY 17 RUNS
Semi Final: v Highway Robbers
Highway Robbers won the toss and elected to bat
Highway Robbers: 44(Adey 1-7, Ferris 0-5)
Dodgers: 40 (McBarron 17)
HIGHWAY ROBBERS WON BY 4 RUNS
When we entered the Sportsday Six-A-Side competition for the first time many of us doubted whether we would even be drawn out of the hat to play, let alone actually win a match - but in the end we could have won the whole competition.
What can only be described as piss-poor organisation of the tournament by DOETRA failed to ruin the day for the Dodgers ("The Magnificent Seven...?") and the numerous people who turned up to cheer us on. The format was straightforward: each side to bat for five overs, with each outfielder having to bowl one over.
We could have had a bye into the semi-finals as the HSE Bootle 1st VI failed to make it and the organiser at first refused to let their football team take part instead because they had no kit - a rather odd notion as he had already allowed one team with no kit a bye into the semi-finals! When we insisted that we would rather play anybody than sit around doing nothing all afternoon he relented and thank God we won! A decent batting performance by McBarron and Priest saw us reach 59, the second highest total of the day, but the HSE footballers turned out to be rather better opponents that we had thought and the game was tight until the third over when John Adey took a wicket with his first ball and kept Bootle to only two runs. Some clean hitting in the last over off Phil McBarron was too little too late for Bootle and Dodgers ran out comfortable winners in the end.
On to the semi-final and a clash with the Highway Robbers (Highways Agency in disguise). The Robbers won the toss and surprisingly elected to bat. Although we allowed them to steal a couple of overthrows the fielding and bowling was very tight and we restricted them to a very gettable 44. Mark Ferris bowled exceptionally well and John Adey again took a wicket with his first ball, at the same time ruining any chance of an SEO job in the Highways Agency as it was Lawrie Haynes!
Unfortunately the luck and umpiring decisions were against us (plus they did bowl pretty well...) and it wasn’t to be. Good batting for the second time in the day by Phil McBarron saw us get with one good hit of victory but we couldn't quite manage it - especially disappointing as the Robbers lost the final to Erotica from Bedford by just 3 runs - and we certainly would have been in with a shout.
All in all it was a very enjoyable day for the seven players (Priest, McBarron, Adey, Matthews, Atkinson, Harry and Ferris) who took part in the two games and the evening session was pretty memorable as well (at least I think I remember most of it.....has anyone lost a traffic cone...?). Those of us who played were also pleased to see so many people turn out to support us (from Dodgers, Superstars and OSD Allstars, not to mention a few "civilians") and lift us for that extra bit of effort, especially in the semi-final. Next year we may try and enter more than one team... you have been warned!
NEIL PRIEST
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