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.
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