Some Dodgers matches are hard-fought affairs; others are gentle strolls in the park. Our 2024 encounter with the Caribs falls squarely into the latter category, the park in question being the Regent's and the stroll being more gentle than we have enjoyed for quite a while.
With only seven players available to them, the Caribs batted first. Captain Mike drew on the services of nine bowlers, including himself, to bamboozle the opposition into submission, leaving them a paltry 95 for 4 off their twenty overs. Brendan performed his customary feats of athletic bravery in the field, but a succession of dropped half-chances met with raucous treatment from a boisterous group of football fans who had gathered on the Hub to watch our game. We enjoyed a couple of 'village' run-out moments, where the Caribs seemed intent on helping us claim their wickets, but otherwise there is little to report.
Charlie and Mike launched our attack with aplomb, the former retiring unbeaten after just 17 balls. Jatinder and Simon then steered us towards victory, with Simon injecting a distinctly Wimbledon vibe with his overhead smashes to the leg-side boundary. Aaron then came on to bowl for the Caribs, with Abbas keeping wicket for them and Mike fielding in the gully, until the whole game belonged to Dodgers in every sense. As Simon retired with 25*, Abbas hit the winning runs and we were away before the rain set in.
Man of the Match votes: Aamir 2, Aaron 2, Simon 2, Charlie 1, John 1, Mike 1
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