SKELETON CREW OF WEEKENDERS LACK BACKBONE IN THE FACE OF YOUTHFUL ONSLAUGHT

 Mike Orwell.

Ravaged by the tyrannies of peak holiday season, the Weekenders squad was reduced to a pool of seven for this trip up the M40. However, a door/key incident left Dibley and chum marooned in the street of Kilburn dressed only in pyjamas, thus reducing the warring party to five. 

On arrival at Princes Risborough, nestled in sunny sylvan bliss, it looked like Orwell and Lyons (Snr and Jnr) may have to take on the oppo singlehandedly.

The later, welcome addition of Bailey and Macdonald meant the ranks were swollen slightly, but acting skipper Orwell still had to gratefully receive mobs of opposition players, whose names were hastily scribbled onto a piece paper for field setting and camaraderie purposes.

Princes Risborough boasted Wesley Strecker, an opening batsmen, true of shot and mighty of bat lift. Having pinged several straight drives straight back at Orwell, he eventually marmalised one into the Weekender’s bowler's calf, just as Orwell was in the earliest stages of follow-through. Thus followed extraordinary scenes of Nadal-esque cramp accompanied by futile stretching and banjaxed shaking.

There were attempts at 'manning-up', to use the modern lexicon, but the reality was a final subsequent over of sweary, wayward offspin and a brisk hobble off the pitch, mewling for icepacks. 

There wasn’t much more participation from the remaining Weekenders, other than neat keeping from Lyons Jnr (despite the Lord’s style slope), plus a panther-ish innings from Bailey...

In fact the Weekenders were largely condemned to curating a match between various youths of Buckinghamshire, with only occasional interventions of umpiring or filling in the scorebook. The game trundled out into a draw with several young tyros impressing with big shots and clever bowling...

Princes Risborough were extremely helpful and accommodating hosts so hopefully we can give them a much better game next season.

Princes Risborough  vs Weekenders

Game was drawn

31.7.11

Princes Risborough  233-3 dec

Strecker 83, Bee 83,

Orwell 6-0-26-1, Lyons 2-0-12-0

Catches: not sure

WCC 215-4

McDonald 4, Bailey  8, T. Moore  76* D Pitt 50, Pratik 45