Running on empty - half-strength Cincinnati hits the buffers

Simon, where were you! Selfish Batter has a nervous wedding-day fidget with the ring

Captain's Log - stardate: September 3, 2003

Suicide in Regent's Park in broad daylight.
Reduced to just eight players, Cincinnati did what we do best when our backs are against the wall - gift the opposition two wickets.
No sniggering please from the legion of absentees (Simon, Jim, Dan, Tom, Max, Tim R, Tim M, Stephen, Tappers, etc - I mean you) - we also came up against the sharpest bowler since the three wicket maiden Honeymonster in Galway.
The opposition, Village CC (new side, mates of Robert "Segment" Colvile), said they were "rather weak",
Batting-wise, they were.
Playing on a Royal Park bit of scrubland that made Greenwich look like Lords, Village posted 149 for nine off the 30-over limit (10 a side - Village gave us two players).
Rockie (two for 23 off six), Adam (two for 22 off six) bowled very well, as did Rob Sibson (a ringer from the oppo whose mobile number I pocketed) - 2 for 22 off three. Chris was tidy at one for 18 off four.
Sharp fielding, helped by an outfield of elephant grass, kept the boundaries down.
The champagne moment goes to Don, our West Indian star from the National, and JP for a stunning run-out combination.
JP kept superbly, his best effort yet - look out Tom, Rockie and Jack.
Sour moment when their umpire didn't give Village's best batsman out for an LBW off Andy O so obvious even the hippos in London Zoo behind us went up for it. He went on to get 28.
The Skip was nursing a sore calf muscle (yes, and the knees), so Chris and Ash went out to start Cincinnati's reply and knock them off.
Gulp! Shrewd move by the Captain (there's one a season) as someone bowling like Steve Harmison's younger brother nearly took Chris's head off with the first ball.
Waistline O'Moynihan would have fainted clean away.
At the other end, a niggardly, sharpish Kiwi called KP removed Chris with a good one.
Undaunted, Ash thick-edged KP to third man and decided there was two. There wasn't. Gift-wrapped run-out number one.
Adam slapped a Yorkshireman (always a good idea) but sadly straight to cover.
Enter JP to face KP. The vice-skip dug deep (why does he prospect for oil when taking guard - what's wrong with a simple line in the dirt to mark middle-and-leg).
A straight six and a swashbuckling effort but to no avail. He departed for 24.
Andy O had a go but perished for 12.
Cue the arrival of the hobbling Skip who chose Andy as his runner.
One scratched run was all he got. Andy, taking his lead from Ash, decided from the non-striker's end on a quck single even though first slip was already polishing the ball after an edge from Rockie.
Clunk! Happily, the Chairman didn't hear the Skip mutter "that's coming off your average" as we trooped off.
Solid effort from Rockie (12) and Village organiser Alex Page (10) for us as last-wicket pair but Cincinnati was all out for just over 100.