Selfish returns to steady the ship and give Cincers dramatic victory over Actors

Another week, another struggle to field a side with only three Cincers who played last year in this weekend's side v Actors at Greenwich Park.
But no matter. New signing Mohammad Asif followed up his July 10 debut at Hampstead Heath to help blow away Actors top order after we lost the toss.
Actors were reduced to 43 for 5, with Selfish Simon turning the screw with his whippy seamers (he took two wickets).
Actors new Kiwi strokesman Simon Wood restored their fortunes by biffing 52 (much of them courtesy of another buffet bowling performance by the Skip) to give the visitors a chance of something to defend.
But for a brilliant direct hit run-out by Sam Ladbury, Wood would have taken Actors to a lot more than the 125 they did get off 25.3 overs.
Along the way, another new recruit - Richard Hadlow - took a debut wicket with his offies.
Being Greenwich, the bounce was, er, variable. Actors skipper Jamie got a grubber that doubtless saved us quite a few runs.
For the record, Mohammad had us all cheering as he shattered one Actor's stumps to take his fifth wicket, with the celebrations broken only by the call of 'No Ball' from the umpire.
In reply to Actors, Cincers fielded a new opening partnership of Shebash and Ali (mates of Mohammad and all courtesy of Sean Moloney bumping into one of the cricket-hungry lads in a shop in Blackheath).
Shebash looked good but did not last while James, yet another new boy, also came and went quickly.
But Ali, using a borrowed bat, drove Actors to distraction...literally. Anything on his legs was whipped mercilessly to the boundary.
As he rattled up a score, Selfish (who had opted to drop down to four) settled in.
He looked a bit rusty but then the new father isn't playing that often this season.
But one punched off-drive that hit the tree on the boundarybefore the bowler had finished his follow-through showed us he hasn't lost it.
The Skip is always open to pleas so when Sam politely asked to bat up the order at five, he got his wish.
With Ali undone by low bounce (he scored 43), you'd have thought all Sam needed to do was keep Simon company, with plenty of overs to come and only 60-odd needed.
As if.
An almighty heave off what was only his fourth or fifth ball ended Sam's brief stay at the crease.
Thankfully, Dee - playing his third game for us - steadied the team's nerves.
He scored 21, helping to take Cincers to 107 before he was caught behind.
Just 19 to win and three wickets left (both sides only had 10 men) and plenty of overs to spare... so no problem.
Er, think again.
New man Richard was out first ball and the Skip, who at least can normally stodge for Britain at the death, decided to late cut to first slip. Oh dear.
Keeper Kevin Powley - who some old-time Cincers might remember used to keep for old opponents Blackheath Select - was the last man in.
As he watched Mohammad stride out to bat at 9, Kevin gulped and muttered: 'Are we really going to lose this?'
'Probably,' we all thought quietly.
We didn't. Mohammad held firm. Selfish and he got us over the line with 13 overs to spare (22 overs gone, not 27 as stated in my text message).
A great game played in the usual spirit against sporting and long-established opponents.
By the way, Simon finished on 46 - just shy of yet another Selfish half-century.
As Rockie might say, result all round then!

Six-hitting Cincers brought low by Bedford Row in injury time on Hampstead Heath

A classy 68 from Test Match, six-hitting heroics from Richard de Q, Jack and Behzad plus a fine bowling spell from new signing Mohammad left Cincers just three wickets from victory over Bedford Row.
So enter the Skip to bowl the penultimate over...and blow it!
Dot ball, wicket! and then two fours took Bedford over the finishing line with just eight balls to go.
Heads went down but not for long as this was a great game, especially as nearly half the Cincinnati line-up were newcomers.
The venue at 'The Extension' on Hampstead Heath was the scene of a memorable Cincers' triumph over Bedford a few years back (oh Jim, where have you gone!)
This time, with a depleted line-up (10 men v Bedford's 11) and only six men on the ground at the start of play, we were kindly given the option to bat first.
Test Match (aka Tim R) opened up with the Skip volunteering to join him ...only to remember the tall guy pacing his run-up was Bedford quickie Idnan. Gulp.
Sadly, the guy at the other end was arguably even harder to score off.
Result? A painfully slow opening stand off three for 0 off four overs (all runs wides).
It was only when the Skip actually tried to hit the ball that he got out...for six in about the eight over. Score: 30 for 1.
Enter Abid, armed with his trusty bat and usual bagfuls of advice for anyone who'd listen.
A stand of 62 was the result but with Cincers needing to get a move on post a competitive total against Bedford's strong batting line-up.
Behzad, who made his debut against London Saints in June, smashed one glorious six then lost his off stump.
Test Match strode on, passing 50 but then went for one boundary too many and was bowled.
That left Jack and Richard de Q to light the fireworks.
Playing his best at the crease for many an innings, Jack posted 24 - including a superb maximum over long on. Shot of the season so far.
Hockney expert Richard had Bedford's bowlers tearing their hair out as he smashed three sixes and an extraordinary four to square on the off-side off a near full-toss.
Even so, we needed 39 extras from Bedford to post 194 for six off 35 - a decent total but with unknown bowlers to come, may be not enough against Bedford.
We were also hampered in the field after Dee did his groin in going for a quick single (may have been the one that got Jack run out. Can't remember).
New recruit Jon Reed opened up the bowling, with 1 for 13 off three but hung his head in shame when his wicket came off a double-bouncer.
Fellow newboy Zeeshan looked good till he broke down in his second over, leaving Abid to take up the strain.
Bedford were always up with the rate, with skipper Richard Sharpe dealing in boundaries with close support from partners Dom and Sunil.
As they racked up the runs, it was more than just wounded pride for Cincers.
Keeper Jack took a fearful blow to the face standing up to brother Test Match's off-spinners.
He had to leave the field for a few overs.
While he was off, stand-in keeper Zeeshan took a blinding catch to dismiss Richard Sharpe for 42 - a vital break-through.
Richard de Quintal's quick skidders accounted for two Bedford men but no-one expected newcomer Mohammad to deliver the game almost into Cincers' hands.
Coming on a fourth change, the bowler (found by Cincers' man Sean Moloney, for the record) steamed in a very lively pace to finish with 2 for 10 off seven (both wickets clean-bowled).
So what went wrong?
Well, we needed just one or two more bowlers to keep it tight.
Instead, the Skip went for glory. The rest was history...
(Game played on Sunday, July 3)

Max bows out with maiden 50 in tight run chase but Cincers fall short in Kiwi contest

He saved his best till last. Pity Cincers' tail end couldn't quite do the same.
On Max's last outing as a a Cincinnatian at Greenwich Park before he returns to his native NZ, the homesick Kiwi did us proud.
For all his time with Cincers, opener bowler 'Lord Rashbrooke' has been a humble 10 or 11. Like Rockie but with no moaning.
But for his final performance on home soil (he's touring in Croatia so not his last ever game) and with his bad back ruling out bowling, Max was promoted to number three.
My word, he rose to the challenge, A consummate 50, his first ever for Cincinnati, so nearly guided us to victory.
On a humid day in the park, he had only one failing - his sportsmanship and sense of fair play.
Getting a thin edge just after he reached his half-century, the Kiwi walked while umpire Test Match waited for confirmation it had carried. It had but Max was already on his way.
Ironically, the bowler Jack was one of his own countrymen.
The very game, our first against Grafton Lions, was set up to mark Max's departure as the Lions are a Kiwi side with a couple of rogue Aussies thrown in.
They're mates of Chris's...of whom, more later.
The day started nervously. Arriving at the ground, Cincers spotted the young, fit opponents - complete with girlfriend fans - and assumed the worst: humiliation.
The toss lost, we found ourselves in the field in a 35-over contest.
And guess what? The Lions were distinctly less frightening in the flesh, with Jim bowling as well as ever and Stuart steaming in as an Aussie does with the scent of Kiwi wickets in his nostrils.
No luck for him or for Jim to begin with as the Lions struggled for runs but didn't lose a wicket.
But then, it was Max's day.
He broke the deadlock by snaffling a lofted drive off Jim.
It wasn't long before he caught another, also off the big man. Nineteen for 2.
The Lions rallied a bit before the Skip made a fielding change (ok, it was Test Match's idea). He moved out of cover and put Sean there instead.
A lively Saturday night meant the County Clare man's eyes weren't fully open.
No matter. He took a smart catch to give Test Match his first wicket.
Rockie entered the fray, with his slow in-duckers driving opposing skipper Geoff round the bend.
It ended when the batsman played on. 57 for 4.
Sadly for us, the Kiwis panicked and sent two Aussies in. They made hay (the Skip retired after one over for 15!) and reached 172 (er, the scorebook is not clear but it was something like that).
It was not without controversy.
Jim appeared to be denied a nailed-on hattrick when Aussie tailender Miles nicked one behind.
Or so it sounded. He didn't walk. He wasn't given.
We ploughed on.
Earlier, Stuart had finally got one wicket when he deserved a couple more while Sean opened his eyes to take a blinder off Chris's, er, varied bowling. Apparently, it's all that hurling they do in Ireland. Makes them cats in the field.
It's rubbing off on the rest of us. The performance in the field was one of our best, with Keith and others saving plenty of runs out on the boundary.
Someone called Will was keeping wicket. Remember him?
He re-introduced himself which some fine glove work and a very smart stumping off Tom.
Test Match did the tea (enough pasta for a battalion and the delicious trademark Mrs Ross brownies).
Wickets - four for Jim, two for Test Match, one apiece for Stuart, Rockie, Tom and Chris.
Needing about five an over, Test Match and the Skip (no-one else would open) set off on the chase.
Three balls in, the Skipper decided to show off his fine judgement outside off and watched his off stump disappear behind him. Doh!
Enter the Max. Exit the Test Match - bowled by Lions' opener Jack whose quick arm was to prove Cincers' undoing.
Max arrived at the crease to a hastily-arranged guard of honour from his fellow Kiwis in the opposing side (thanks, lads).
He never really looked back.
Sound defence mingled with some punishing pull shots to set him on his way.
This was against possibly the finest spell of sustained, accurate bowling we've faced in many a day, by the way.
Only at one end were there any wides or no-balls.
But bit by bit, first with Tom partnering him and then with Keith, Cincers kept up with the pace.
Unwisely, though, Keith had earlier told the Skip he was in a rich vein of form. The 'Ballinasloe Basher', as he shall be called, duly perished for a hastily hit 14.
Will arrived. A year or so since his last game, he pretended that he'd forgotten how to bat.
But he was always one of the most powerful hitters in the side and he didn't take long to remember.
One drive back over the bowler's head was a straight as could be - right over middle for four.
It was all just going to plan.
But then, one of the few bad balls Lions sent down did for him - a half-track bouncer which umpire Test Match was about to signal as a wide until Will somehow got an edge trying to hit it into next week.
A setback. However, what's a setback when you have Jim in next?
For the next few overs, the big man combined with Max to send a shiver down the Lions' spines as with controlled hitting, the Cincers duo pressed on and kept up with the rate.
It was all going so well...until Lions' skipper Geoff pulled off a superb catch at short cover to send Jim on his way.
Still, we were in with more than a change. Max was still there. We were still up with the rate.
We also had Stuart, hero of a couple of rearguard actions already this season, to come.
But Lions' Jack was too good. Whipping them down, he did first for Max and then for Stuart.
Sean had earlier gone first ball (can't remember if the eyes were open or not).
Last two men at the crease - Rockie and Chris. Just under three overs left. 17 to win.
Tension. Oh, for a wide or a no-ball.
One over went by with hardly a run scored.
The penultimate started the same way.
But then off the last ball of the 34th, Chris struck gold. He hit an exquisite off-drive.
Hope revived. It went for four.
Last over. Nine needed.
Lions had run out of seamers. Back came their left-arm spinner who had gone for a few.
In a dastardly trick, he changed tack and came over the wicket. It was turning.
Rockie got a single off the first.
More tension. Chris took guard. He played and missed.
Then a stroke of luck. He still played and missed but the keeper did too. Four byes.
Two balls to go. Four to win.
Tragically, Chris did not manage another run and we ended four short.
Only later did Chris whisper that he thought we needed a six.
Ah. Perhaps that explains why he tried to hit the leather off it. Oh well.
A fine game against new, worthy opponents.
But above all, a magnificent send-off for Max.
He'll be with us on tour of course but that's him signing off as a UK-based Cincer as he heads back to Wellington.
Or is it?
Rockie, his traditional tour room-mate, has other ideas. 'He'll be back,' said the Sage of Southend sniffing the air.
If that 50 on Sunday is anything to go by, here's hoping!
:: Our picture shows the Hare and Billet post-match celebrations - left to right: Test Match, Chris, Max, the Skip, Tom and Rockie.

Aux armes, citoyens!

Our picture shows our two gallant French (well, Anglo-French) imports preparing for their first-ever innings yesterday in Whitstable.
They are the new Wright brothers - sons of Mark's brother Paul and born-and-bred in Paris.
Charles (on the left) adopts a traditional upright stance. John favours the Father Times-style pioneered by Mark.
They both performed heroically.
Two Legion d'Honneur medals in the post!

Jim goes berserk by the sea..... to help brave under-strength Cincers cling on for a draw

Mambo Number 5 was playing on Jim's car stereo as he motored down to the seaside but it was Magic Number 5 he gave us yesterday at the wicket.
The big man blitzed Whitstable Labour Club's hitherto miserly bowling to all corners of the ground in one of - no, the finest - displays of controlled hitting by a Cincinnatian.
Eleven fours, four sixes he smote. Some of them went so high they came down with snow on them on a mid-July day with the Kent sun blazing.
Even Brisbane Joe in his pomp would have been left in the shade.
Jim took us single-handedly from the position of a fairly hopeless run chase to within touching distance of victory.
Not just for a few balls . He kept us there for over after over.
But when a wicket fell (Rockie's, if you must know) and with tail end exposed, the batting hero bowed to the Skip's pleadings.
Selfishly, he gave up the prospect of a thrilling century to bat out the remaining balls and stride off 86 not out.
Amazing.
The day dawned with Cincers fielding only six regulars - another week of last-minute phone calls to get anything approaching a full team.
Our generous opponents gave us one player, Peter, while Mark produced his Anglo-French nephews Charles and John plus local lad Jack. Finally, Test Match persuaded Andrew - slip-catching hero of last year's bout v. Weasels - to play.
Plus, the Captain was just out of three days in bed with food-poisoning and was living off dry toast.
Time game rules in Radfall, near Whitstable, with the Labour Club winning the toss and batting.
For the first time in recorded Cincers' history, the Skip opened with his (variable) leggies with Jim steaming in at the other end.
No joy for either initially on a decent, lowish but consistent bounce wicket untiil Whitstable's Peter (their man, not ours) pulled the Skip loftily to Jim's safe hands behind square.
Spirit of Portugal, banished!
Thereafter, we struggled a bit until Test Match's swingers started hooping. He had Whitstable skip Richard (38) snared off a lofted straight drive by, well, who else? Jim.
Two full swinging deliveries got two men for 0 and Rockie got rid of Whitstable's young opener A. Garvey for a finely-made 42.
Jim removed the swashbookling Joey for a swift 31 and it was looking good...until the Skip brought himself back on.
First over, fine. A nice leggie and some superb keeping from Tom produced a sharp stumping and a late wicket.
But the Skip's next over went for 20 - a mixture of bad balls, casual fielding and sharp dropped catch that skipped on for a 4. Rubbish all round.
That left Cincers needing 183 off an estimated 35 overs after tea.
The plan? We always have a plan these days.
Test Match opened with the Skip, with the aim of surviving the openers and laying a platform for Jim and Tom.
All went well to begin until Test Match was well caught at mid-off by Richard in the seventh over for 10.
Tom arrived and we didn't lose another wicket until the 17th over. Problem was, we weren't scoring enough runs either.
The Skip eventually perished (or was that, collapsed?) for a painful 4, proving once again that if you can't find a fielder, give him a call - he finds them with every shot.
Another wicket went down. Jack was bowled.
But enter Jim to begin his best knock yet for Cincers.
With at least seven an over needed, he started carefully then got off the mark with a four. The rest was history.
On the way, Tom perished for a valuable 34.
But others came to partner Jim, including Peter and Rockie. The runs piled up over by over.
Rockie particularly made sure the big man got the strike for the start of several overs in a lengthy stand.
Whitstable looked worried. One fielder even suspected we'd drafted him in from a county first XI.
'Is this guy one of your regulars?' he asked the Skip now umpiring.
The crunch. Five overs left - 42 needed. Five wickets left but with a fragile tail featuring Mark's Parisian nephews (cricket knowledge limited), Andrew and Mark himself.
We faltered. Ony four off the next over.
Then, crucially, Rockie was bowled.
We still hoped but with M. Charles Wright getting run out, there was a real danger of Whitstable's very accurate bowling brothers Ed and Joey (same surname, must be brothers!) skittling us to get a late victory.
The Skip intervened to ask Jim to put the brakes on with us needing 29 off the last three.
If he'd got out going for glory, it would have been curtains for Cincers.
So the game was drawn, another very fine match at Radfall but then for some reason, they always are.
Very game opposition, a friendly welcome and brilliant weather.
Thanks to Peter, Jack, Andrew, Charles and John for helping us out.
Thanks to Whitstable Labour Club CC for a great day.
But above, Magic Number 5, please take a bow!

'Get up and run!' yells Selfish but late brownies arrival leaves Cincers on the deck

They're like cavalry coming over Cincers' hill. They were freshly baked on the day. They tasted as delicious as ever.
Just one problem. They came too late.
Cincers' traditional supply of brownies, baked by Test Match's better (and we do mean better) half Amy, has powered us to many a fine victory.
But on Sunday at Greenwich Park against the mighty Finchley, the moist, magic morsels arrived after we had started our innings.
Tea had been taken. Selfish and Test Match were already at the crease.
Only the Skipper managed to scoff one before he went out to umpire.
Result? We lost.
In reply to Finchley's 213 for 7 off 36, Cincers got as far as 162 before keeling over, all out off 30.1 overs.
Selfish got 48, Stuart struck a promising 23 but that was more or less it.
The wickets tumbled even while the brownie tin stayed (almost) unmolested next to the scoreboard.
Expecting the full force of a Finchley Second Eleven (due to a mix-up their end), the Skip had negotiated a face-saving, time game format.
As it happened, our opponents sent down a team largely made up of Colts. Young ones. The sort of players that can bend down quickly and stop the ball. In our terms, cheats!
Imagine the shock, then, when we start very strongly against their batting.
Two astonishing catches - one by Abid at mid-on and a remarkable slip catch by Test Match - had the 'kids' reeling.
Dan had already snaffled a fine chance at mid-off, the first of Stuart's three well-deserved wickets in a powerful opening spell of nine overs.
At the other end, the accurate, crafty medium-pacers of Frank (drafted in from FInchley to help us out as usual) had even Finchley's star player - Aussie youngster Nick - struggling to find his touch.
Sadly, he soon found it, first guiding, then hitting, his team to a big score.
Our ground fielding was nowhere near as sharp as our catching and there was a fair amount of disarray with Finchley stealing singles almost at will. Not good.
Frank, who had pulled off a smart caught and bowled, was reduced to sledging his own fielding side.
He did get some revenge on young Nick.
Brought back by the Skip towards the innings' end (after his own leggies went, well, the way they often do - over the boundary), he bowled Nick on 98.
In reply, Cincers did start well, with Selfish picking off the bad balls along with punishing the odd good one.
Problem was the bowling. They aim at the stumps, these lads.
Hence Test Match's departure early on for 10 after one swung in and messed up his wicket.
Alex B showed his usual languid, left-hand promise until he got one that didn't bounce.
Before that, he also got one from Selfish - a hammered straight drive that hit him on the hand and left him sprawling at the non-striker's end.
Dazed and confused, all he could hear was a yell of 'Get up and run!' as Selfish belted down the wicket, clearly outraged that Alex had stopped him getting a four.
Dan struck one mighty straight six before also perishing to a grubber and heads went down when Selfish was caught and bowled for 48.
The heads went back up again when Stuart arrived, even though JP and Jack (first game for him and it's July! Censured!) had just come and gone fairly cheaply.
He played some great shots, first with Alex W as a partner and then with the Skip.
Just when we started to hope, he holed out.
Abid and the Skip looked as though they would hold out with about eight overs left but the Skip played too early and popped one up for silly mid-off catch (one of his favourite dismissals, that. Complilation video to follow).
Frank, who had been fielding for the oppo (did I mention they only had nine players? Better not), was out first ball. No sledging at that point. All over.
We ended up 51 runs short.
Some stats: Stuart 3 for 28 off 9, Frank 2 for 38 off 10, Tim 1 for 40 off 7, Abid 0 for 38 off 5, Selfish 1 for 30 off 3 and the Skip 0 for 25 off 2.
Other batting: Alex B 15, Dan 12, JP 4, Jack 4, Alex W 14, the Skip 9, Frank 0 and Abid 0 not out.
:: Our picture shows a plate of delicious brownies pausing for breath on their way to Greenwich Park on Sunday.

Selfish goes on strike at the crease but Cincers still thump Saints by 166 runs

Selfish turned militant union shop steward at the crease yesterday to down tools in a first-ever strike by a Cincinnati batsman.
The Welsh (batting) wizard was left fuming after his first century of the season (well, first for a couple of years, to be honest) apparently went unnoticed by scorer Rockie.
The one-over dispute mattered little on a day when Cincers racked up the runs - 252 for 2 off 35 - to humble opponents London Saints who could only muster 86 in reply.
Saints arrived with grim memories of previous encounters with our opening batting partnership of Selfish and Test Match.
They didn't disappoint.
The 100 partnership came up in the 19th over, with both looking impregnable but with Selfish especially plundering the accurate but gentle Saints attack.
But as Simon neared (reached? passed?) his century mark, controversy erupted.
Despite the Skip sharpening the scorebook pencil before start of play at Dulwich on Sunday, Graham was accused of missing a trio of Bevan boundaries.
Result? Selfish raised his bat to mark his 100 to be met by confused looks from Rockie who had him on only 85.
Outraged, Bevan balloted himself on strike action and then played out an entire over without scoring a run.
The industrial action was lifted only after ACAS, sorry, the Skipper politely asked Selfish to return to work.
But the strike upset Test Match's rythym and he was promptly bowled for an impressive 57.
Shortly after that, Selfish grudgingly celebrated his 'official' 100 but then cheered up and sportingly retired on 104 approx. not out.
However, he later discovered that Rockie had marked it down as 'retired out'. That won't help his average.
On a coolish day, Cincers, who'd won the toss, pressed on. Test Match was bowled for an impressive 57 to leave us on 167 for 1.
But Tom and Asim - borrowed from BK - provided the fireworks to add 73 off the last five overs.
Tom went berserk with a bat borrowed off Cincers' Naveed to whack 47, including a towering six that clobbered the portable scoreboard.
Saints got off to a slow but steady start but Abid, opening up, soon made inroads - to begin with, thanks to a blistering catch at gully by Tom.
From then on, the wickets came steadily with Abid finishing on three for 16 off 7 (including a sharp catch by Naveed to dismiss the Skip's mate John).
Rockie took 2 for 30 off 7 but were the Scorebook Gods punishing him when JP missed a skier which would have given him a third wicket? Probably.
The Skip risked a nosebleed by returning figures of 3 for 15 off 5, including two in two - including one 'hit wicket'. New keeper Afzal also took a smart stumping for the Skip's third when Hasan (technically on our books but playing for Saints) came down the wicket.
Just before the end, Test Match's Amy arrived with freshly-baked brownies to power Cincers over the finishing line.
It was all over after 24 overs.
Other bowling figures: Naveed 1 for 1 off 2, Asim 1 for 2 off 2 and Sean - making his Cincers bowling debut - a nervous but brave 0 for 18 off 1.
Thanks to Saints for a great day.
:: Pictured above - our batting trio of Tom, Test Match and Selfish with the (dented) scoreboard.

Cincers come up short after no-show by three players and Vice-Skip gets toothache

Cincinnati fell 41 runs short yesterday in a thrilling encounter with the old enemy, BK.
In a high-scoring game at Greenwich Park, Selfish scored a blistering 66 - probably his quickest 50 yet for Cincers - while Adam showed again he's a class bat with a cultured 55.
But the match ended when Ed was run out to one of the Skip's trademark suicide singles - the 'I've hit it so it's a run' reflex which has cut short many a stay at the crease.
But the game only went ahead with the generosity of BK after three of our men simply failed to show.
We knew we'd be down to 10 as JP had toothache.
We didn't know that Adnan, Khan and a new player would not turn up.
Just before the toss, they were supposed to be on their way but it was never quite clear if they were on their way to Greenwich Park.
BK had very kindly loaned us fielders and eventually turned the game into a nine-a-side as the three musketeers never materialised.
The Skip lost the toss and BK's Max opted to bat in a 40-over contest.
Cincers actually took the field with six players as Sudeep had also been held up.
Big Jim, making his debut for the season (hello, mid-June!) was immediately on the spot but without luck.
Ed opened up at the other end and soon had BK opener Simon LB (for the second time, some thought!).
But BK were soon piling on the runs at an impressive rate - partly helped by our depleted bowling resources.
Fielder Ripal took a fine catch off Selfish to remove opener Asim.
Enter the Skip's flighted leggies for what proved a traditional spell of carnage and lost hopes.
He was of the opinion - i.e. threatened to go to judicial review - that he had Gaurav banged to rights for LB. It wasn't given. Boundaries then flowed.
Tom came on and stemmed the tide, and Selfish put paid to Gaurav (for 50) with a nice slower ball.
But BK's Ferhan (56) and Pete (42) still plundered the runs until Pete departed for his classic red mist dismissal against the Skip - stumped smartly by Adam.
BK finished on an impressive 253 for 7 off 40 with Selfish the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 20 off 8. Bit expensive for him.
Ed bowled very well - before his arm went - with 1 for 34 off 6 and Sudeep coming on towards the end for his first Cincers' spell had 1 for 14 off 2.
The rest of us went round the park a bit.
Even Jim - 0 for 49 off 8. Tom had 1 for 59 off 8 and the Skip's figures were 1 for 64 off 8. Miserly for him.
A fine tea - burgers from BK and rather nice spot of cake from Jim's wife Lucy - followed.
Selfish then tucked into BK's bowling with a vengeance. The pick of his shots was a glorious extra-cover drive and a straight drive that would have taken out the Skip umpiring had it not hit the non-striker's stumps.
Tom, opening up with Selfish, was left almost a spectator.
Cincers creamed past the 50 mark well on course until Simon was undone by a ball which lifted sharply.
The old adage - get one, get two - came true when Sudeep popped one up first ball to BK's Simon at short mid-wicket.
Tom perished for 12 before Adam and Jim settled in to give BK some serious stick.
That included a towering six from the big man before he was bowled leg stump.
JIm left confessing he had 'pre-meditated' the shot.
The batmen borrowed from BK were suitably Irish given the Skip's ancestry.
One - Keith - even comes from the same Ballinasloe neck of the woods as the Skip's forebears.
May be that's why he went for a duck but Sean - playing only his third innings ever - got 19, including a mighty six.
Adam eventually went to a sharp caught and bowled. When Sean went too, it left Cincers 51 runs short with only the last pair - Ed and the Skip - at the crease.
They put on 10 before the afore-mentioned daft single.
Cincers closed on 212 for 8 (all out) off 33.3 - not a bad effort, all considered.
Thanks again to BK for allowing the game to go ahead.
The moral of the day?
We're doing ourselves no favours by struggling to get players - even many so-called regulars - every week.
It's a cricket team, chaps, not just a social club.
Use it or lose it.

Batting heroes Alex and Adam put Actors to the sword as the Ham sun shines on Cincers

Cincinnati notched up a fine win this weekend over Actors Anon in the first of our two encounters this year.
Not even Actors' demon opening bowler Sanjeev could prevent Cincers reaching 197 for 6 off 35 after we won the toss and batted first at Ham.
It didn't start well.
Test Match got a unplayable ball from Sanjeev which took the glove. He went for a duck.
The always unpredictable Ham wicket continued in a very nasty fashion with some of the best shots from Selfish and number three Alex B being their leaves.
Apart, that is, from an classic, lofted straight drive with which Alex deposited rival skipper Jamie over the ropes.
Selfish was just getting into his stride - two fours off consecutive balls - when, like Test March, he too copped a vicious lifter and was caught behind.
He walked. 'Thanks, Bat,' chorused Actors.
JP arrived and began the recovery with Alex, before drilling one to a fielder..atonishingly, in a backward point, gully-type position. Odd, that.
Enter Adam S, full of confident, 'got to be done' attitude.
What followed won us the match - a stand of 93 with Alex and Adam even seeing off the return of Sanjeev...to the relief of the Vice-Skip and new man James waiting to come in.
Adam had no idea he'd reached his maiden 50 for Cincers. Hence the sheepish flick of the bat by way of bemused acknowledgement of the cheers and applause from team mates.
Earlier, Alex had arrived at his first half-century for the club, achieved with first use of his new Salix bat.
Was it properly knocked in?
'It is now,' said Alex.
Right on cue, the Skip's aunt and uncle arrived - complete with opera glasses for Auntie, - to see him stride to the crease after Adam got out for 53.
Two overs, one ball left.
So what does he do with the first ball? Leaves it.
The opera glasses wobbled.
But in the next over, the Skip for once got runs in front of square, a cover drive for three through the ring of Actors who'd all come in expecting the traditional dribble round the corner for a streaky one. That'll learn 'em.
The shock of the shot took its toll on Alex. He was caught behind for 57, leaving James and the Skip to scramble a few and take us to 197.
After tea, Actors survived a few early chances and sadly, Max - returning after a long lay-off for injury - pulled up after just two overs.
Tim replaced him.
It was Sam who struck first, courtesy of a brilliant diving - or was it tripping? - catch by Alex W.
Then the Vice-Skip took a fine catch at gully, also off Sam.
Tim struck in a fine spell to remove the number 4 but the key wicket came when Sam bowled Sanjeev who had carved his way in fine style to 29.
Meanwhile, the Skip's first over ended in traditional fashion - a trio of boundaries and instant retreat.
Selfish replaced him, much to the frustration of Actors who couldn't get him away.
He finished on 2 for 8 off 7. Show off.
Alex W was given a spin at the other end. Among the wides and odd no ball, he shipped down a few of highly sharpish deliveries. Memo to coach Frank - one to work on for the winter.
In the meantime, Sam took a fine high catch at mid-on off Selfish.
The Skip brought himself back on after Alex and brought proceedings to a close - partly by combining with Test Match who caught the non-striker several miles out of his crease with a brilliant stop and calmly tossed the ball to the bowler who whipped the bails off.
There was also a couple of late wickets for the Skip's leggies, one caught at point by James and a juggling, almost-dropped caught-and-bowled.
No matter that one of the batsman was fresh out of knee surgery and could hardly walk. They all count.
Actors finished on 143 all out off 30.5 overs.
A fine game played in the usual Actors/Cincers'competitive spirit, including some sledging of umpire Andy by Alex W after a series of wides and no-balls were called.
Other bowling figures: Sam 3 for 39 off 7, Test Match 1 for 22 off 7, Alex W 0 for 29 off 5 and the Skip 2 for 16 off 2.5.

Caribbean smash 250-plus but storm clouds come to Cincinnati's aid at Greenwich Park

One day, we'll beat them.
But for now, thank god for that late downpour that meant Cincers' first game against Caribbean for two years was abandoned.
When the rains came, we were perilously perched on 66 for 6 off 17.1 overs, chasing Caribbean's 268 for 9 off 35 overs at Greenwich Park.
That was gentle for them. Longer-serving Cincers are still scarred by the 375 for 5 off 40 Caribbean hit a few years back at Sevenoaks Weald.
But even this time (May 16), Caribbean started as they meant to go. Our first ball, or may be the second, disappeared for four.
The barrage continued even as the wickets fell.
Sam finished with 3 for 41 off 7 while Tom stepped up to the plate after the Skip bowled one over of juicy full tosses, took pity on the passers-by and took himself off.
Tom got 3 for 33 off 6 - highly respectable given the opposition.
Ed chipped in with a wicket as did new boy Khan with 1 for 38 off 7.
The tea that followed was heavy on the pork pies (from Ocado, caterer to the Skip who was providing his first spread ever).
But sadly, not heavy enough as Caribbean looked nimble in the field and hungry for wickets.
Selfish and Tom started like the proverbial train. Then both were derailed.
JP was run out for a duck, new boy Adnan was bowled for nought and Adam S holed out for 13......hooking.
'Got to be done,' he chirped to batting partner the Skip as he departed.
Er, why?
All that remained was for the Skip himself, a fine judge of his off stump, to leave one.
The off stump survived. Pity about the middle one, though.
Then it rained. Chucked it down. Deluge.
Thank you, Lord.

Craig nets record-breaking wicket haul but Cincers still crash on wicket from hell

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days.
It was certainly the worst of pitches, a threadbare, sandy outfield and a diabolical track served up by the rather pricey Regent's Park.
But Craig bowled himself into the club record books with an astonishing spell that completely bamboozled our old rivals BK and restricted them to just 128 all out.
On a freezing, cloud-covered day (May 9), the Yorkshireman took every single wioket to fall to a bowler, the other one being a run-out (BK had only 10 men).
But somehow, somehow, we contrived to lose.
BK's Max won the toss and opted to bat. Stuart, back from his long exile, and Test Match bowled tight, hostile spells without success. One chance went down when new man Alex W spilled a sharp one.
(Alex with his trademark quick fag before, after and sometimes during the action is picking up the mantle of the much-missed John Burgess).
BK were well over the 50 mark for no loss when Craig took his first wicket.
What followed will probably never be repeated in Cincers' history.
Apart from a run-out, he took the lot, five clean-bowled's, two caught's and one fine stumping from keeper (and fellow Tyke) JP.
But it wasn't over for the shell-shocked BK-ers.
Craig marched off and promptly told the bemused scorers to remove three runs from his figures, insisting they were leg byes.
The result: 8 for 20 off 7 overs, eclipsing even Test Match's stunning 7 for 56 off 15.2 overs at Whitstable in 2008.
One difference, though - in the Kent match, Test Match won us the game in a thrilling one-run victory.
In Regent's Park, Cincers miserably failed to do Craig's performance justice and were all out for 102 off 28 overs, with only a very late rally holding up BK.
Stuart batted superbly for his 30 not out, Alex W got 10 and last man Craig stubbornly held out for several overs to give Cincers faint hope of victory.
But earlier, not one of the top order reached double figures.
The Vice-Skip got a brute of a first ball while the Skip, normally capable of sticking around, was triggered LB by the Vice-Skip.
Cue a bad-tempered departure by the Skip whose mood as an umpire later one was not enhanced by JP shouting to Stuart and Alex 'Come on, lads, we can still do this!'
We ended 26 runs short.
Sorry, Craig.

Six-hitting Sinclair and BK's Pete get Cincers off to a winning start over West XI

Cincers began the 2010 season in winnning style last weekend (OK - this report is a month late so use your imagination) with a triumph over our traditional opening opponents, West XI.
A chilly day at a new ground for both of us in Walthamstow began with the Skipper losing the toss and Cincers being put into bat in a 35-over match.
A decent batting line-up, with Selfish and Test Match opening up, looked poised to begin in classic Cincinnati style.....an early innings collapse that left us teetering on 59 for 5 off 17 overs.
Selfish, Test Match, new man Tarang and Tom all departed cheaply, leaving Pete - borrowed for the day - the only hope of a competitive total.
Enter the Skip with his full array of shots (forward defence and leave, anyone? Plenty to spare).
The unlikely combination of Pete's biffing and the Skip's nurdling brought up the first 50 stand of the year until Pete went for 34.
When the Skip went soon after for a monumental 11 and new man Sudeep holed out at mid-wicket, it was left to Ed Sinclair (back after a couple of seasons off with injury) and Sam to take us on.
Selfish, whose scoring had been largely confined to pencil and scorebook, then 'advised' the Skip to tell the lads to take it easy as there were several overs left.
'OK,' said Ed respectfully before hitting one of the non-Jim biggest sixes in the club's history - right over mid-wicket, sending a snoozing Test Match scampering for cover among the kitbags.
Ed finished up on 29, Sam on 16 and Cincers had somehow got to 170 all out off 32 overs.
West XI looked confident but they have a history of early season batting traumas. Why else do we play them in mid-April?!
Early breakthroughs by Sam and Ed were followed by a swing master-class from Test Match who took 4 for 12 off 3 before the Skip took him off to give someone else a go.
So no five for then...
Rick Bullock, another loaning from BK for the day, took two wickets for 11 and West XI were all done and dusted at 97 all out off 22.4 overs.
They want to play us later in the season next year wjem they've warmed up. Spoilsports.
* Other bowling figures: Sam 2 for 23 off 6, Ed 1 for 13 off 4, Craig 1 for 22 off 4, the Skip 0 for 11 off 3.

2009 Season - Results

20 September - Bedford Row - Home - Won by 37 runs
6 September - New Barbarian Weasles - Away - Won by 154 runs
23 Aug - Finchley - Away - Lost by 46 runs
16 Aug - Actors Anon - Home - Won by 54 runs
9 Aug - Old Wimbledonians - Away (Raynes Pk) - Cancelled
26 July - Portugal Tour - Lost by 1 run
25 July - Portugal Tour - Lost by 5 wickets
19 July - Whitstable - Away - Draw - Whitstable 157-10; CCC 130-9
12 July - Village XI - Away - Cancelled
5 July - BK - Home - Lost by 5 wickets
28 June - Old Wimbledonians - Away (Raynes Pk) - Lost by 93 runs
21 June - Caribbean - Away - Cancelled
14 June - Saints - Away - Beer match - Won by 5 pints & a hattrick
14 June - Saints - Away - Won by 9 wickets
7 June - Actors Anon - Won by 5 wickets
23 May - JP's 40th
17 May - Finchley - Home - Lost by 62 runs
10 May - BK - Home - Lost by 125 runs
26 April - West XI - Away - Won by 46 runs
19 April - New Barabarian Weasels - Away - Won by 6 wickets

2009 AGM and annual awards

Player of the year - Big Jim
Batsman of the year - Tim M
Bowler of the year - Selfish Bowler
Rock Award - Danny boy

Club officers all defended their patches successfully.

Final day triumph gives Cincers a winning season after Selfish and Jim put on a show

Cincinnati closed our 10th anniversary season on a high yesterday with a thrilling victory over Bedford Row at Greenwich Park.
The 37-run success, with Big Jim and Selfish Simon starring as match-winning all-rounders and JP shining behind the stumps, means Cincers have won more games than we lost for the 2nd successive season.
But this was no push-over, with Bedford pushing us the way in a hard-fought contest.
The day dawned after an overnight deluge in (sought-after) south-east London left the normally bone-dry pitch damp and stodgy.
Big Jim eyed up the pitch and send 'Bat first, Skip'.
Whereupon the Skip promptly lost the toss and got inserted by opposite number Richard.
Selfish and the Skip opened, with the aim of establishing steady platform.
That was the intention. The Skip, though, saw some mates arrive to mark his birthday, waved madly and then set off for a suicidal single.
A direct hit by opposition keeper Stephen meant no happy returns to the non-striker's crease and the Captain trudged off in search of compensatory birthday cake. It came later.
A mini-collapse - Frank got a good-un and new-boy Nick was caught - left us on 17 for 3.
Bevan isn't called Selfish for nothing and he relished the chance to score all the runs.
Aided by Simon Hall, Selfish notched up his 50 while the entire team score was only 65.
But the partnership with Simon H was crucial, taking us toward the 100 until 'H' tried to hit out and was bowled.
May be he was distracted by repeated yells of advice from Nick, who despite playing his first game and getting a duck, continued to reproach the Cincers' batting from the sidelines. Bit like Ash but with technique.
No doubt to Nick's disgust, Selfish then holed out for 60
An otherwise good-spirited contest got a bit spicy when Be.dford's skip appealed for a caught behind off JP's bat by sprinting up to umpire Toby (a mate of the Skip's and the guy he was waving at when he ran himself out).
Toby was unimpressed. 'Not out'.
Meanwhile, Big Jim got into his stride whacking his way to 35.
Late on, Abid and Andrew put together a vital last wioket stand which brought us to 175 off 34 after the skip told Bedford that Andrew was totally new to cricket.
They promptly - and very sportingly - slowed the bowling down and Andrew smashed his first ball for four.
'Are you a con artist?' asked Bedford. 'Yes,' shouted a Cincer from off the pitch.
A fine tea - supplied by Selfish and Mrs Selfish (aka Kerry) - fortified us for the struggle ahead with Bedford needing 5 an over.
Big Jim and Sam opened up, initially without success.
But Jim has been in unstoppable form with the ball and soon removed the Bedford opener's middle stump with a perfect yorker that left the batsman on the floor and the stump likewise.
Another middle stump later and Bedford were struggling.
A flurry of boundaries helped them back up to the run rate while a difficult chance off Sam's bowling went down in the deep.
Enter Selfish who not only pegged the rate back but snaffled a wicket straight away - the key one of Bedford number 3 Tony who had played some sumptuous drives.
At the other end, Frank - who had struggled to control his swing - got in on the act by bowling oppo keeper and fellow Aussie Stephen.
Strangely, Frankie didn't do his usual 'on your way, mate' cheerio thing. Must be a 'fellow Antipodean code' rule.
Wickets continued to tumble, with Nick - 'come on, Cincers - we're better than this' (no, we're not) - doing the cheer-leading.
He also took two catches, the second off Abid a top-rate over-the-shoulder effort.
One wicket to go and about 50 to win but the light was fading.
So at one end, the Skip brought his whirling, loopy leggies on....and watched burly Bedford skip Richard whack one for 6.
Gulp! Is the silly fool going to lose us the game?
JP, standing in manfully for absent full-time keepers Jack and Adam, clearly thought so.
When the Skip finally got one to pitch and turn, he whipped the bails off to stump Bedford's last man Daniel.
Game over! Season ended! The victory we'd been after.
All that was left was for Selfish to unveil a surprise birthday cake for the Skip, complete with several bottles of sparkling shared with our rivals Bedford who were fine sports.
The bowling figures: Jim 2 for 14 off 6, Sam 0 for 32 off 7, Frank 3 for 34 off 7, Selfish 3 for 18 off 7, Abid 1 for 20 off 3 and the Skip 1 for 17 off 1.5 overs.
We rejoice and are glad.
Men of the Match: Selfish and Jim.
* Many thanks to Chris for fine fielding at square leg and for not throttling the Skip when he didn't get a bowl, to Abid for turning up at very short notice to make us 11 and taking a key wicket, and to newcomer Nick for heckling us and fielding like a pro.
And thanks to everyone this season if you played only one game or played them all.
More than 30 people played for Cincinnati this year, easily a club record.
We had 19 scheduled fixtures not including JP's 40th game.
One match - v. London Saints - included two games. Only one fixture during the season was cancelled due us not being able to field a side.
Two went west after cancellations by our opponents.
Final tally: won 8, lost 7, drawn one.
See you all - or as many that can come - at the AGM.
** Picture caption: a suitably blurred snap of the Skip and Vice celebrating their fine bowler/keeper double-act which brought the curtain down on the 2009 season.

Cincers snare Weasels in time game as Big Jim hits the button marked 'Magic!'

Stand aside, Stuart Broad - we've got the new Flintoff and he's called Jim.
The big fellow rescued Cincers from the nightmare of defeat to Weasels last Sunday with a blistering 75 not out - his best so far for the team.
Then he topped it with his first-ever five-for to ensure we won a nerve-jangling time duel.
In another first, Test Match made his debut as keeper with none of our regular wickies available.
Weasels won the toss and put us into bat in a time game on a sandy, slow-looking wicket.
Selfish opened up with the Skip for company and proceeded to pick off the accurate but gentle stuff being served up.
We got to 40 before the Skip made a big mistake. He tried to hit one and was bowled for a dazzling two. The score was 40.
Weasels' opening bowler Ged (I think) later lamented: 'Didn't mean to do that. All I did was bring in a batsman.'
Enter Test Match but Tim didn't find the two-paced, bouncy wicket much to his liking.
Right after the Skip mused to the point fielder what a good player he was, he sliced one straight to the same fielder.
Dan came in but also didn't fancy the wicket. He was caught before fencing a slow lifter on the legside.
The order was specially rejigged for this game, partly to let Max have a go as it might, sob!, just might, be his last game for us.
The homesick Kiwi showed his gratitude. He got bowled for a duck.
To make matters worse, Selfish got caught down the legside after another 50 (they come round so often, it's hardly worth a mention).
Cincers were rocking at 92 for 5.
David Hughes, making his first appearance for us this season, then steadied the ship with debutant Simon Hall who looked a handy bat.
Right on cue, then, he whacked one to mid-wicket and departed. 100 for 6, which became 110 for 7 when David went for a valuable 16.
Weasels were licking their lips. Victory at last against Cincers looked on.
It looked even more on when Jim half-lofted one just out of reach to mid-on.
That left Dan from BK, who was helping Cincers out, with Jim.
Sadly for Weasels, Jim then turned it on.
Ably supported by Dan from BK - who was helping us out on the day - Jim went ballistic.
One poor guy came on to bowl and disappeared for 27 (4, 6, 6, 4, 6, 1). He didn't get another go.
But Jim followed it up by hitting the last over for 23, including a couple of head-high no-balls which he blasted for sixes.
Dan notched up a useful 15 - his highest score of the season.
Cincers finished on 206 all off 37.
That left us roughly 30 overs to nail Weasels and keep the season alive (so far, we'd won 6, lost 7).
Weasels started cautiously against Jim at one end and Max at the other. There was no chance of them getting the runs.
Had we left it too late? Should the Skip have declared earlier?
Then Andrew, a new signing playing his first game of cricket, pulled off an inspirational catch at first slip. With the ball dying on him, he somehow got his fingers underneath it.
17 for 1. That rapidly became 22 for 2 after Selfish, fielding under a lid close in on the leg side took a fine catch off Max.
Wickets continued to tumble until Weasels found themselves 27 for 6 with 20 overs to go.
Stout resistance then kicked in. The Skip came for three fruitless overs (we'll forget the dropped catch, David) and Max took a well earned break, replaced by Selfish who had been desperately windmilling his arms to attract the Skip's attention.
It worked. He came on and quickly took a wicket, a slightly contentious LBW which had the batsman storming off and chucking his bat down not once, but twice, in fury.
At the other end, Jim got his length and finally bowled the last remaining Weasel with five overs left of the day and with Weasels only just over the 50 mark. Victory!
Jim finished with 5 for 19 off 11, Max 3 for 23 off 9 (his best-ever figures) and Selfish refused to be left out with a ridiculously-measly 2 for 0 off 4. Yup, four maidens. The Skip's return was 0 for 6 off 3.
Many thanks for new boys Simon Hall and Andrew Goodson for turning out at short notice and to Dan from BK.
So that's 7 wins and 7 losses and one draw. Win our last match on September 20 and Cincers will have a winning season
Man of the Match: the Skip for arranging the fixture, letting Selfish introduce Jim to the club and for putting Andrew at 1st slip. (Only joking - it's Jim of course).

Ashes victory lifts gloom as under-strength Cincers come up short (again) at Finchley

Nail-biting excitement, twists and turns, unbearable tension. Sunday's game had it all.
Pity all that was the Ashes at the Oval.
Up at Finchley, Cincers - admittedly minus key players moving house or soothing their aching back (Selfish and Lord Rashbrooke respectively) - were doing what we do best on that fine ground.....losing.
Not even Frank temporarily deserting Finchley for the day to play for us could end our poor run.
The Skip got the ball rolling by calling 'heads' at the toss. It was tails.
Finchley 3rds then tucked in to our bowling to rattle up 233 for 6 off 40.
Opposition skip Guy notched up his 50 and then said, did we mind him retiring as they had an important match next week?
We didn't. It was the only way we were going to get someone new on strike!
But then Test Match switched from seam to spin and quickly snaffled two for 30 off 8 - one of them a blinding slip catch from John 'my shoulder hurts' Pickersgill at first slip.
A taste of things to come? No. Sadly, JP spilled a sharp one of the Skip and Cincers still struggled to get break-throughs.
Frank had opened up at one end, economically but later, Rockie took a fair bit of stick on a lightening outfield.
Newcomer Mike Frame was wayward at first before falling over, banging his head and then taking two wickets (Note: we'll be practising this in the nets over winter).
Bowling figures: Frank one for 22 off 7, Tim 2 for 30 off 8, Mike 2 for 34 off 5, the Skip had one for 38 off 8.
For humanitarian reasons, it is better not to mention Rockie's figures or Chris's.
Oh go on, then - Rockie: none for 66 off 8. Chris: none for 25 off 2.
Tea - the traditional fine Finchley spread - was topped off with posh cake from Jack (yeah, right. Thanks Jodie).
But disastrously, the brownies were late. In fact, Test Match Tim didn't even know there were going to be any. Amy arrived with the trademark cake-tin just as Cincers were going in to bat.
Opening up was Biraj from BK - deputising for Selfish - and Test Match.
Decent start against tight bowling, with 45 off the first 10.
But Biraj perished off a short one.
Tom trotted in but the normally dynamic duo of Lowe and Test Match were becalmed against accurate fare from Finchley who were fielding a stronger side than they brought to Greenwich Park earlier in the season.
After 20 overs, we were still a run or two short of 80 - needing nearly eight an over off the last 20.
Sharp words from the Skip had failed to bring any hurry up but Tom and then - shock of shocks on his recent form - Tim M failed.
Frank came in at five and then we did hurry up. We started taking risks and putting their fielders under pressure.
In fact, the Aussie - in a gruff mood for some reason..hmmm...wonder why? - and Test Match almost got us back on track with the run rate.
But this is Finchley. We never win here.
Frank got caught behind and shortly afterwards, Test Match got run out.
The rest was history, including Tim M triggering Jack for LB despite having scoffed a fair bit of Jodie's cake not two hours before. His way of saying thanks.
We were slow with our overs and so were Finchley, meaning the match ended in gloom and inevitable defeat. Cincers finished on 187 for nine off 40.
Test Match top scored with 67 while Frank got 38.
Result: Cincers lost by 46 runs.
The morale of the tale?
Who cares! We won the Ashes!
* Cincers Man of the Match: Test Match for his two wickets, his 67 runs and his spat with the Skip about getting a move on.

Double brownies takes Cincinnati over the finishing line and Selfish over 2,000 runs

Back to winning ways
Cincers put tour defeats behind them this weekend to notch an impressive victory against Actors Anon at Greenwich Park.
Selfish reached the extraodinary milestone of over 2,000 runs for the team in (almost) four seasons while Tim M wielded the formica to his second successive 50 at Greenwich Park.
Actors acting (no pun intended) skip Jamie won the toss and put Cincers in a 35 over contest in very warm sunshine.
Problem. Test Match had been up all night as the flats above were leaking water into his.
Happily, Amy's brownies - a double helping, no less - were unaffected but the Skip had to get the pads on to resume his old opening role with Selfish.
Note: the Vice-Skip was absent with an injured shoulder. 'I've been dropped.' No, you had an injury. See you next week.
Anyway, the Skip rapidly realised that with Actors comes Sanjeev. He bowls at about 70-odd mph.
Oh dear. Selfish played him superbly and the Skip survived a few off him, including a rather fine backward cut (guess who's writing this rubbish).
It didn't last long. After seven overs, Sanjeev shivered the Skip's timbers bringing Tom to the crease.
He looked on form. More than that, he hit a sparkling cover drive. Through the offside. Yes, the offside. All along the ground.
Tragedy. He then edged one behind on 17 and did what is now known as a Whitstable Walk - so named after Tom walked at Whitstable last month before coming back and querying the dismissal.
This one involved a scenic route out to square leg, a sharp left and then a pointed glance back at the umpire. Who was unmoved.
Enter the Shelving. Tim M is on sparkling form for Cincers.
He soon began spanking the ball to all corners while Selfish powered his own way back into form, punishing the over-pitched ball on a lightening quick outfield.
Actors have a good attack but were probably a bowler short on the day.
Selfish passed 50 without a murmur of applause from Cincers looking on. Not even an acknowledgement from the Meerkat hunched over the scoreboard.
He then passed 2,000 runs for the team since joining in 2005. Still nothing.
Eventually, clapping broke out for Selfish's 63rd run. A new milestone to be marked throughout the cricketing world.
The emotion got to Selfish who promptly got out for 65.
Shelving was joined by Test Match, and the two took Cincers to an impressive 212 for 3 off 35. Shelving finished on 62 not out (he does play for another side but he doesn't get out for Cincers) and Test Match ended on 28 not out.
Tea. What a tea. A joint production by Amy and Test Match. Sumptuous.
Oh god, we've got to take the field. May be one more brownie.
What followed was a curate's egg. Good bowling mixed with dross, not helped by a rather sharp interpretation of the wides rule.
New player Inam - courtesy of Abid - struck a vital early blow removing Actors' Turner who has hurt Cincers in the past.
Then Max bowled a beauty to remove batsman Flood.
Actors revived with number three Sanjeev - he of the quick bowling - smashing his way to 23 until bowler Test Match combined with point fielder Tom to remove him.
Max chipped in with another while the Meerkat put in an impressive spell of 2 for 31 off 6, including the key wicket of oppo skipper Jamie for 35.
Wides, loads of them, marred the performance even allowing for hasty signalling from the umpires.
Actors' Richard tried to wind up one of our number by quipping that the bowling was 'too cr*p to hit' or some such. 'Just a bit of sledging,' the batsman chuckled.
But keeper Adam put in another polished performance by removing batsman Knox with a fine stumping off Craig.
The Skipper brought himself on with nine down and bowled one ball.Owzat! LBW.
Actors were all out for 163 but including 27 wides.
You can't blame the brownies. You can NEVER blame the brownies!
* Man of the Match - Selfish for a superb innings and congratulations on an extraordinary milestone of 2,000 runs.
** Quote of the Day - Tom. 'Skip, I think you should open all the time, with me at 3. You can blunt the openers but I'm always guaranteed to get in fairly early.' Thanks, Tom.
** Other bowling figures: Inam 1 for 21 off 4, Test Match 2 for 25 off 4, Craig 1 for 40 off 6, Abid 1 for 11 off 2.

A damn close run thing - Cincers fall at the last hurdle in thrilling finish to 2009 tour

Whoever said it was easy.
Cincers looked like a deflated balloon at the end of this thrilling duel in the sun.
Day Two of the tour, and this time, Cincers had only a short drive from Cartaxo to the ground.
Still not on time. Big Jim was greeted by one of our opposition - Prebensen, an Indian side from a local factory - with a unique welcome. 'Hello. You are very late.'
The toss again went Cincers' way but this time, the Skip put in the opposition in - mindful of the batting performance the day before and of the night on the tiles in Cartaxo the night before.
That included Big Jim failing to gain access to the one and only nightclub, much to the disgust of veteran clubber JP.
'He who hesitates is lost,' the Vice-Skip observed of Jim's halting attempt to gain entry.
And so the cricket.
Max and Sledger opened up for Cincers, with Jim clearly bruised from his club rebuff.
Sledger took an early wicket before Lord Rashbrooke got in on the act by bowling the opposition skipper and the number four.
But at the other end, opener Amrit began smashing his way to a formidable 80.
In the field, Cincers had a so-so game, with the odd chance going down or - in the case of one skier that landed near the Skipper - not being chased in the first place.
When he came on, Big Jim bagged two - including the key wicket of Amrit off a smart catch by keeper Jack.
This being Portugal, there was the odd language difficulty.
In particular, the Skip's frenzied 'on the boundary, please!' was clearly not in the team phrase book as one of his floaters disappeared for a six over someone's head.
(You know who you are. Please now hang it in shame.)
But Jack took a brilliant stumping off the Skip who got another one bowled.
The Chairman came on to take a wicket in his second over to leave the oppo all out for a formidable 210 off 37 overs.
Jim had 2 for 43 off 8, Max 2 for 34 off 8, Frank 2 for 42 off 8 while Tim had one for 42 off 4, with his wicket coming off his very first ball.
The Skip took 2, for 41 off 5 while the Chairman had one for 1.1 overs.
The Meerkat, formerly known as Rockie, left the fielding lamenting that he hadn't had a bowl.
His time was yet to come.
Tea/lunch was, if anything, even better than Day One with a Portuguese fish pie by Mrs Buccimazza and far too much good stuff to go with it.
When Cincers replied, it was a case of oh so near.
Selfish went - for him - early again after getting unluckily caught down the legside for 17.
But Test Match, wounded by his duck the day before, turned on the skill to hit a superb 69.
He was ably supported by the Vice-Skip who took the odd blow but racked up 26 before getting bowled.
Dan holed out for one but enter the Meerkat to give more than valuable support.
Just when it looked as though Test Match would be there till the end, he was caught behind.
Tragically, there followed two run-outs and just a single from Big Jim, leaving the Meerkat and Max to take us right to the wire.
Three balls to go and four needed. Oh dear, Max holes out after a brave 17.
The Skip comes in.
Four off two. The Meerkat hits the penultimate ball for a scrambled couple.
Two off one for victory. One for a tie.
Cruel game, this.
For probably the first time in his cricketing life, the Meerkat goes back to one and...is bowled!
Cincers lose by one run off the last ball.
Pandemonium as the oppo go wild. Cincers look devastated. We were.
But well played to the Meerkat for a thrilling 33 that took us so close.
Still, beer in the pavilion, a presentation - of a Warsop Stebbing new ball to the victorious opposition skip - and farewell thanks to Sandy and Fatima Buccimazza for hosting us.
The traditional end-of-tour dinner in the Cartaxo hotel featured tour awards, with special citations to Dan for his battling performance on Day One, and for Big Jim for his bowling.
Test Match and the Meerkat were suitably toasted for Day Two's tremendous batting performance but Man of the Tour award went to Max for a fine opening burst and fine all-round effort.
Pass the port.
* Picture caption 1: Big Jim pretends the Albergaria scoreboard is a nightclub bar after being refused entry the night before
* Picture caption 2: 'Does anyone know where the cricket pitch is?' Our dynamic minibus team of Test March and the Meerkat grimace, sorry, grin for the camera.

Helicopter stops play but Cincers lose their way in the heat of the Portuguese sun

Another year, another historic tour for Cincers.
The team travelled the furthest yet in the desperate search for a win - 1,000 miles south of Greenwich Park to a cricket pitch deep in the interior of Portugal via Lisbon.
With vines and olive trees as a backdrop, the Oeiras Cricket Club at Albergaria near Cartaxo on a hot Ribatejo afternoon is about as far as you can get from Caribbean at Tooting under leaden skies.
Sadly, the result was pretty similar but the experience was unforgettable - with fantastic hospitality and welcome from club president Sandy Buccimazza and his wife Fatima.
Day One dawned bright and fair with Cincers setting off in convoy from Lisbon to the pitch, after a slight hitch with the minibus.
There wasn't one. At least, not at the pick-up location in the city. Test Match and Rockie - the anointed driver - had to zip off to the airport to get a replacement.
That done, the team in three vehicles took to the high road for the ground, about 40 miles up the river Tejo from the capital.
Intriguely, Rockie's route involved almost coming off the A1 motorway as soon as he'd got on to it and treating his passengers to a fascinating tour of the backstreets of Lisbon before rejoining the main road one junction on.
And touring wouldn't be touring without one nervous breakdown for the Skip after the minibus missed the turn-off for the ground and arrived - after a car was despatched by the opposition to find it - about 45 minutes after everyone else.
No matter. The Skipper won the toss and put Cincers in.
Test Match, whose credit card had guaranteed the minibus to the tune of 2,000 euros, had obviously focused on helping Rockie avoid scratching the behemoth ('Rockie, the ditch! Avoid the ditch!') and not on his batting.
He got out, for nought.
There then followed a doughty stand against some very fine Oeiras bowling between Selfish and 'Sledger' (some of you know him as Frank) which took us to a healthy 46 before Sledger departed for 29 with the score on 46.
Seventeen runs later, Selfish went too.
In the meantime, Dan set about compiling the highest score for Cincers of 39 in a courageous innings - not least as the Oeiras change bowlers seem decidedly quicker than the openers.
Wickets tumbled in the middle order until Rockie and Max staged a minor revival at the close but Cincers 129 for 8 off 35 was never going to be enough.
In between, the Skipper - ever one for breaking new ground - became the first Cincer to pull away from the strike because a helicopter - dousing a fire in a neighbouring field - was in his line of vision
Just as well. He went to score.......three.
The sumptuous tea - more like a full-blown lunch - with home-made pastries, salads and cakes as well as beer and espresso - took Cincers' mind off the mountain to climb.
Oeiras's generosity in the pavilion was not matched in the field as they put on over 50 before losing a wicket.
A mean spell by Big Jim - three for 24 off seven, including one courtesy of a fine catch by the Vice-Skip - left him the only Cincers bowler to make much of an impression though the Chairman took one for 19 off four and Rockie - henceforth to be known as the Meerkat for his er, idiosyncratic run-up, one for 23 off three.
Oeiras, sportingly led by their skipper Nic Green, eased over the line with five wickets to spare.
Cincers took the hiding like men and handed Oeiras a replica of the Ashes trophy as a momento.
We should have given them a nice engraved trophy too but that stayed in Clapham and missed the flight over.