Beavers match reports 2008
The Gathering of the Stuffed Beavers
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The much-anticipated return of the Stuffed Beavers cricket club to the Chiang Mai has finally come to pass. Friday saw the arrival of Adam, Barty, Dicky and Nige and a swift convening in the SBCC Clubhouse, better known as Tuskers where we were quickly joined by our old friends the Sa Pa's. A few beers later it was on to the Sugar Shack and plenty more familiar faces - in particular it was good to see Terry, Max and Sid from the Malakas. Bizarre sight of the evening was witnessing an elephant wandering into a pub but it is difficult to criticise such behaviour. Impressively, Jonesy immediately lived up to her pre-tournament reputation and pushed on through to 10.30 on Saturday morning, with Adam playing the role of wing-man. An encouraging start....
Saturday was inevitably a quiet day with the meet-up arranged for the Ceremony of the Shirts in the Clubhouse at 5. It kept us amused... Colin and Butchie landed shortly after, and were delivered to the D2 from where the team headed off to the opening reception. Plenty more familiar faces and during the course of the evening first Phil and then Matt made their grand entrances. It goes without saying that the evening ended up at the Sugar Shack, although it wasn't a late one with two games looming on Sunday.
Day 1 - Stuffed Beavers vs Ios Malakas
And so to the Gymkhana Club. The draw for the team and the batting order was a protracted affair but we finally settled on batting order of Phil, Matt, Nige, Adam Chas & Dicky. Max and Dominic, the Malakas new captain, wandered over for the toss, which the Beavers called correctly - a quick tactical discussion ensued and the Malakas were invited to bat first. The absence of Marty was a shame but his replacement Simon is from similar cricketing stock, and he fairly effortlessly made his way to 30 and retired into Matt's over which saw a new type of delivery involving the ball being lofted into the troposphere.. The next ball saw another piece of SBCC history: the new batsman drove his first ball straight back at Millers who snaffled an outstanding caught and bowled. Viking in the commentary box got a little carried away and announced a hat-trick ball, the prospect of which proved a little too exciting as the next delivery drifted down leg-side for a wide. A tidy last over from Phil saw the innings close on 63-1, a score that we suspect was pretty satisfactory to both sides.
Phil and Matt strode to the crease, bats swirling in an undeniable statement of intent. The success of Phil's batting in 2007 meant that there was much expectation of fireworks from "The Beast". A few lusty fours didn't disappoint although the trademark maximums were proving harder to achieve. Millers kept the scoreboard ticking over and with the help of everyone's favourite player, Jonny Extras, the club recorded its first 50 partnership. The final over arrived with the SBCC requiring 13 to win. Millers played around a straight one first ball, which brought Nige to the crease armed with a much-bandaged Excalibur. A couple of fours and a single put Phil back on strike and he needed no second invitation, dropping to one knee and sweeping the most immaculate six over the scoreboard. Victory for the Beavers with a ball to spare, and a triumph over the reigning Spoon champions.
It goes without saying that we enjoyed a post-match beer with the
Malakas, including the skippers' shotgun (Beavers coming a distant
second....) before settling down to await our second match of the day
against Blythswood CC. Strong winds were a feature of the afternoon,
blowing down the sighstscreens and preventing the later matches being
filmed, so this blog may represent the only record of what was to
follow.
Day 1 Game 2 - Stuffed Beavers v Blythswood
The day's cricket was drifting behind schedule so it was in
fading light that Phil and Adam marched to the crease to open the batting,
following a second successful toss. Phil
was quickly off the mark to get Adam and
Excalibur on strike - Adam's first ball in Sixes cricket was clipped elegantly
off his legs and sped to the boundary, and we were on our way. The second over, however, was nothing if not
eventful. Phil got the faintest of edges and had no hesitation in walking in an
impressive display of sportsmanship.
Enter Barty for his debut appearance and he played his first delivery
firmly in to the off-side. As he was to
point out afterwards, his pre-match briefing had been incomplete with no
mention of running so he was a little surprised to find Adam standing alongside
him, politely suggesting he might want to pop down the other end. Sadly he wasn't able to beat the throw and a
visit from Jenny the duck-lady is due.
Cometh the hour, cometh the Dickster, albeit after a frantic spot of
padding-up. For a specialist
stone-waller, his statement of intent was undeniably impressive as he gave his
first ball the charge. One can only
speculate on what might have been had he connected, but it was not to be and a
smart piece of glove-work saw him on his way.
Suddenly the Beavers were on the ropes at 18-3 after two overs.
The following over was undoubtedly the game-defining
moment as Blythswood suffered an attack of the yips with a mixed bag
off wides
and no-balls that set the scoreboard moving again. Adam was eventually
surprised by a straight
one which left us 4 down with two overs still to come. Enter Nige
armed with the mighty Excalibur. A straight six and some further
stunning swinging from the skipper saw
the runs clock up and with some tactical calling from Millers Excalibur
was
farmed much of the strike. The last ball
of the final over disappeared over mid-wicket and the SBCC came in at
93-4, far
and away their highest score, probably in any form of the game.... As
it turned out this earned us a bonus point
as well - unexpected but very welcome.
As the light continued to fade we took to the field with the
luxury of a big total to defend. The old
Beavers curse of the wides was still very much in evidence with Barty and the
Dickster taking a few deliveries to find their range, but credit to both of
them for getting their last one on the spot.
Phil came on to bowl the last over and combined with Millers to produce
the highlight of the innings: an outstanding leg-side caught behind for which
Matt is to be both congratulated and fined heavily. Blythswood closed on 68-1 and the Beavers
found themselves ending day 1 atop the Spoon table with 7 points - more than we
recorded in the whole tournament last year!
An evening of BBQ and karaoke ended in the Sugar Shack, and
a slightly smug team were able to look forward to a rest day and Tuesday's
match against the Bangkok Postels. Watch
this space!
Day 2 - Rest (Drinking Day)
Day 3 - Stuffed Beavers vs Bangkok Postels
Flushed with our double-header success
on Sunday, the SBCC were able to take things easy on the Monday as the fixture
list had decreed that this was to be a rest day. The squad branched out in
various directions, with the Dickster, Colin and Butchie being the most intrepid
as they disappeared into the jungle in search of elephants. Adam was no doubt
still feeling the effect of Jonesey's late night drinking influence from the
previous morning so took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep, while Barty
headed into town in search of fine art. Millers hosted a morning of inactivity
poolside at his hotel, while Nige and Chas headed to the airport to welcome the
latest addition to the squad as Young Brooker continued his countdown from Hong
Kong Sevens to Chiang Mai Sixes, with High Fives and Plus Fours expected
shortly.
Monday night was quiz night at Tuskers and marked the lowest
point of the week so far as the SBCCQT finally surrendered its unbeaten record
which dated back to 1995. From there it was a short hop to Foxy Lady on the
slightly spurious pretext of checkig out Tuesday's opposition on the big
screen. As it turned out it became the first occasion when the Oklahoma call
was required, as Jonesey found herself being woman-handled onto the stage....
Enough said!
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Tuesday's game was an early start - 9.50 against Cyrus,
Aaron et al of the Bangkok Postels. Most of the concerns coming in to the game
seemed to be of a digestive nature, and the movement of some of the team could
be described as uncomfortable at best. Following the draw and a token gesture
of horse-trading the batting line up was settled as follows: Millers, Poohie,
Chas, Adam, Nige, & Colin. Cyrus won the toss for the Postels and invited
SBCC to bat first. The psychological warfare started immediately as Young
Brooker put on him best Brian Close look and accompanied Millers to the crease.
A trade-mark blow from Excalibur got Brooker on his way and Millers contributed
some aggressively-run singles to accompany an avalanche of wides to get the
scoreboard moving. Eventually, Poohie was undone by a looping full toss and let
forth a blood-curdling, albeit admirably restrained, cry of "Oh No" as his
stumps were shattered. Enter Chas for his first innings of the tournament and
he was quickly at his nurdling, nudging bes at least when he was abkle to stay on his feet. The UWC partnership held firm and
saw the Beavers return to the pavilion to prepare their defence of a score of
66-1.
Preparation for the defence again mostly revolved around bowel
movements and there was some concern as Colin went AWOL just minutes before he
was due to send down the first over. Happily he was able to mark out his run
with a lighter load and his SBCC debut got underway. Words cannot really do
justice to the pressure that a debut performance brings, as one realises the
enormity of the honour that is being bestowed on one's accession to the ranks of
the SBCC honours board. Trying to bowl a tight line and length with tears of
happiness and pride pouring down one's ruddy cheeks is no simple feat, and no
doubt accounts for the handful of wides that ensued. No matter - the big
Bermudan looked pressure in the eye and faced it down, and it was game on. Nige
bowled the second over and kept the wides down to one more, then it was on to
the metronomic accuracy of Adam, Chas and Brooker.
A couple of incidents in the
field as first Adam and Colin ended up in a heap at Long Off showing admirable
commitment in the chase, and then Nige, showing rather less commitment, forewent
the full length dive and chose to jump over the boundary fence where he promptly
turned his ankle on a bag of cement. That said, and notwithstanding the fact
that the SBCC were unable to claim a single wicket, the Postels were restricted
to 56-0 meaning the Beavers ended round 1 with a 100% record and found
themselves sitting proudly atop both the Group 1 table and the combined
standings.
There was a flurry of fines to catch up on the events of the
first few days, following which we had to say a sad farewell to Millers who had
to return to Sydney. Played 3, won 3 while he was on the team - will he turn
out to be the talisman?
A brief diversion in the afternoon as Dicky and
Nige took to the commentary box for a succession of plugs for Tuskers and the
launch of the Bakewell Tart competition - no entries by close of play but we'll
see what turns up over the next few days.
Next up are the Wombats at
4.25 (local time) on Wednesday - with a late start to come there was a more
relaxed air in Tuskers, although the skipper was somewhat subdued with his ankle
strapped up, despite some outstanding care from the firemen on the team.
Highlight of the evening (unleast until your correspondent retired) was the
arrival of Leanne, aka Madge, aka Doris to join the ranks of the supporters -
looks like she will be a lively addition to the team.
That's it for
now. The pig-picking follows Wednesday's game and there is a plan to head for
Riverside thereafter. If last year is an appropriate guide, it could get
messy.....
Pig Picking
Flush with their success on the field, topping the table after three undefeated games and the prospect of a Chedi day on our day off the Stuffed beavers put in a stunning performance at the Pig Picking. The lethagy that followed feasting on piles of pork was washed away by a liter and a half of vodka downed in a fines session. Despite other teams leavign the field the Beavers partied on and created an SBCC version of that favourite camp tune YMCA.
Life is good.
Day 4 - Stuffed Beavers vs Wombats
Day 4 at the sixes and normal service
is resumed. Early concern centred on the skipper's right ankle which had
responded well to both medication and strapping such that he declared himself
ready to undergo a fitness test. The team congregated at the ground from
various points around Chiang Mai for the initial task of piecing together the
previous evening's stories. Chas and Nige had retired early for medical reasons
and the Dickster allegedly called time at about 2am. It was left to the
debutant Madge/Doris to lead the rest astray in a marathon tour taking in
Jackie's van and Spicy, and the highlight was undoubtedly Brooker's Oklahoma
incident at the night club. Ask him about it when you see
him....
Today's opponents were the undisputed elder statesmen of the
tournament, the Wombats, who included plenty of faces we had met last year.
Chas and Nige wandered round to their tent for the now anticipated coinless
toss, and sure enough were informed that the Beavers were fielding. The names
went into the hat and after the usual horse-trading the batting order was
finalised as: Adam, Brooker, Colin, Dicky, Nige & Chas. Big credit to Barty
for volunteering to stand down for Nige once the latter's ankle was deemed good
to go.
We were once again indebted to the Sa Pa's for coming to our tent
to cheer us on, and it is only a shame we couldn't do them justice. Chas opened
the bowling with a disciplined line and length but we found the Wombat's Terry
in fine form and he and the gloriously nick-named Woolly got off to a strong
start. Nige took the second over and it was 2007 all over again as the first
two deliveries conceded 4 wides each. Dickster was also a victim of Terry's
fine batting and we were relieved to see the back of him as he retired with an
enormous six over the scoreboard. Poohie and Adam once again delivered a
disciplined line but the board kept ticking, and the SBCC were left with a
mountain to climb as the Wombats posted a very impressive 87 without loss. With
Millers returned to Sydney there was nobody left to take the
wickets....
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So it was over to the B team of Brooker and Barnett to lead
the run chase and despite some committed running the boundaries proved hard to
find and the run rate became increasingly elusive. There was time for Colin to
play his debut innings but the target was never seriously under threat and the
innings closed at 42-1. The Wombats joined us at our tent for the traditional
post-match drinks before everyone went on their way to prepare for the
pig-picking food-fest. Lord Chief Justice Barnett took to the chair and
presided over two court sessions which jollied us along and we were amongst the
last to leave, heading for the Reggae Soi in an outstanding 3-way Tuk-Tuk race
which was won at the line by Jonesy and Colin. Undoubtedly they had a
significant advantage on having only two passngers, and one of them the lightest
on the team, but it went to the wire amidst much hilarity. A couple of hours of
music was followed by a brief and decidedly unimpressive visit to Jackie's van
and from here onto the Sugar Shack - all the usual haunts.
Thursday is a
rest day for the Spoon so everything is nicely set up for a tight deciding round
on Friday. The Beavers go into the final day sharing the lead with both the Ios
Malakas and the Gymkhana Cavaliers on 10 points, with dear old Dunners and his
Steakies one point back. Plenty of permutations and the use of run-rate may come
into the equation. We take the field with the Maythais at 1.10 on Friday (7.10
BST) - watch this space (or even better, watch the live video feed on the Chiang
Mai sixes website....
Day Five - Chedi Day
We love Dickie!!
Day 6 - Stuffed Beavers vs Maythais
Thursday was another day off for the Beavers and was declared the ever-popular
Chedi day, with the team and supporters shamelessly abusing Mr Ford's room
bill. That said there can be few better environments in which to plan and
prepare for the crucial matches to come that would decide who would contest the
final of the Spoon competition - against all odds the SBCC were very much in the
mix, sharing the lead with the Malakas and the Gymkhana Cavaliers, all on 10
points, with Dunners and his Steakies just one point back. With the Beavers
drawn to play the Maythais who were yet to earn a point, confidence was pretty
high.
After the success of Chedi day, it was felt there would be no harm
in going for a spot of dinner and a couple of gentle drinks at Riverside with
our Vietnamese friends the Sa Pas.... Nine hours and much banter later it was a
particularly foggy-headed SBCC team that stumbled homewards, however the
inaugural Sa Pa-Beaver dinner was an unqualified success.
We awoke on
Friday to see that the Malakas had fallen victim to a combination of an 8.30
start and a legendary "Brenda the Blender" session the previous day, being
outplayed by the Wombats such that both teams ended the week on 10 points.
Encouragingly it was the SBCC opponents the Maythais who had co-hosted the
Brenda session so expectations were high of a muted performance in the field by
Chef and co....
Victory for Blythswood over the Cavaliers and for the
Steakies over the Postels left the former two on 10 points also, with the
Steakies on 12. As the commentator announced as the teams took the field: "the
equation is a simple one - a win for the Beavers and they are in the final".
Maythais skipper Smash had offered negotiations rather than a coin toss and it
was agreed that the Beavers would bat first. Tellingly, not a single Beaver was
seen in the nets prior to the game.... getting complacent, perhaps?
For
the first time in the week, the team as drawn from the hat stayed that way with
no trading of positions required. The Dickster and the Pooh-dog to open with
Nige at three followed by Barty, Chas and Adam. For the Maythais, Thommo had
picked up an injury from the Brenda session and was unable to play so our old
friend Cyrus the Vyrus from the Postels was drafted in to make up the team, to
universal approval. The openers got off to a strong start, with some aggressive
running and some cleanly hit boundaries. As the fourth over reached its final
ball, Dickster eyed up the field placings and spotted an opportunity for the
glance down to third man. He put a strong nudge on the ball, only to turn and
watch Cyrus behind the stumps leap to his right and pouch the ball one-handed in
full flight - one of the best catches we have witnessed all week, and fully
deserving of the congratulatory hug from the batsman before he returned to the
tent.
Enter Nige to join Poohie for the final over, with Brooker on strike to
face Smash. He had been seeing the ball well but a change of bats as the
skipper commandeered Excalibur may be held responsible for his demise as he
lofted a drive straight back to the bowler. Barty arrived and immediately
bagged a single to get Excalibur on strike only to watch as Smash beat the bat
on successive occasions. Nige finally managed to put one back over Smash's head
without connecting fully, and the crowd were roaring as Chef began his chase
around the boundary. The SBCC tent urged the batsmen on and they made it home
for an all-run four, spurning the chance to take on the throw for a fifth - how
crucial might that prove to be?
wenty minutes break and then it was
back to the fray with the Beavers looking to defend their total of 66-2, a
classic mid-range score that is both defendable and gettable. So it was to
prove. Smash and Monster opened for the Maythais and got the board ticking
along despite a tight opening over from Adam which kept the run-rate below the
required level. Chas, who has been loosening up all week, again kept the scores
tight and at the end of his over produced the Beavers' ball of the tournament to
flatten all three of Monster's stumps. Barty and Nige had a few problems with
the wides and it was down to Poohie to bowl the final over with the Maythais
requiring 10 to win. With Smash retired on 30, it was Speed who came to the
wicket to try and see the Maythais home, only to find himself outdone by a
glorious delivery down the corridor of uncertainty which found the edge and was
snaffled to his delight and, as he will freely admit, his surprise, by the
Dickster behind the stumps.
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Sixty-six for 2, scores level, 2 balls to come, and
the new man in was the one and only Chef - 115 kilos of pure beard. Nige was
dozing in the outfield and is indebted to the Morto from the Sa Pas for
suggesting that now might be a good time to bring the field in and crowd the
bat... Fifth ball; a tight line and length from Brooker and Chef was unable to
get it away. The fielders were quickly onto it and there was no run. Last ball
and another tight delivery from Brooker which flicked Chef's pad and went
through to Dicky's feet. Cue the Keystone Cops theme tune... Dickster shied at
the stumps and missed by millimetres - the non-striker was home. Chef meanwhile
had started his quest to get to the other end and was on a collision course with
Brooker who was steaming up the pitch to grab the ball, putting body and soul on
the line if he was going to stay in the path of the big man. Adam, Chas and
Barty all set their sights on the ball which, following Dickster's throw, was
rolling towards the bowler's end and looking good for out-pacing the Chef. Nige
was scambling to get to the bowler's end stumps, while the umpires were
struggling to keep a straight face. Thus came the twist in both the tale and
the tail - in a scene reminiscent of Chariots of Fire, Chef was sprinting
towards the line, eyes staring crazily, veins popping and mouth open in a
blood-curdling scream of determination.
Suddenly, the ball clipped the back of
Chef's foot, wrong-footing the Beavers fielders and buying the Maythais those
crucial seconds to complete the run and claim a memorable victory. It took a
minute or two for all the players to recover their breath and stop laughing,
then it was handshakes and hugs all round - without a doubt the most memorable
game the Beavers have been involved in, and a privilige to have been a part of.
Post-match beers took longer than usual as both sides revelled in the madness of
the moment - a win-win situation as it meant that Maythais had broken their duck
for the week, but the Beavers had claimed a crucial bonus point that left them
second in the table and earned them a place in the Spoon final!
A lovely
touch from Smash after the game, who agreed a shirt-swap with Nige, so we will
look forward to having a Maythais shirt framed and in pride of place in
Tuskers.
The SBCC were still on a high after such a great game but all
was not well away form the ground. Dickster was still struggling to find an
Elvis for his house-warming party two weeks hence, and it was looking
increasingly likely that the open-mic session at Tuskers would have to be
cancelled due to a lack of musicians.
But this was Beaver Friday - a perfect
storm of perfectly-aligned circumstances. The call came in from London that not
one but two Elvi had been procured, and we found ourself with not only Aussie
John on bass to accompany Dicky's drumming, but four guitars, saxophone and
bongoes. An opening set by Jade and Ning, two local guitarists who play
regularly around the CM circuit came to a close as the rain started to fall on
the kit, but not before they had produced some stirring numbers including a
rousing U2 cover. Big thanks to Jonesy for getting the boys along at short
notice. There was some frantic re-arrangement of furniture to move the Amps, PA
and drums onto the new deck under the elegant new canopy - an investment that
has paid dividends in spades. Part two was fronted by a Brazilian called
Fantuzzi who got the whole bar jumping.
Dickster was on fire behind the drums,
and the dancefloor was packed with Beavers, Sa Pas, Mighty Spires, Taranaki
Taverners and Armadilloes. A rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to Spliffy of the
Spires brought the set to its rousing finale and the evening was universally
agreed to be an unqualified success. The Morto called the bar to order and
presented Chas with a Sa Pas "Red Baggy" - another sixes memento to be proudly
displayedin Tuskers.
A couple of final drinks in a much more subdued
Sugar Shack and Beaver Friday drew to a close. Thoughts now turn to the
uncharted waters that is a CM Sixes final. If all goes to plan Phil the Beast
is completing his 4am shift at the time of writing, and will make it to the
Gymkhana Club in good time to take the field of play.
As ever,
watch this space......
Finals Day Beavers vs Butthead
After the high of a stunningly successful music night on Friday came the sheer
enormity of Saturday's task: the Stuffed Beavers appearing in their first ever
sixes final. Tactics and strategy were discussed at length throughout the
morning and across the city of Chiang Mai until the team gathered at the
Gymkhana Club shortly after midday. We were hoping to cheer our neighbours the
Mighty Spires into the Cup final but they found the Surrey Vagrants that little
bit too strong for them and it was not be.
The Ladies cup final was a
resounding success for the Thai Angels and a tangible return on the investments
in juniors cricket, to considrable acclaim around the ground.
From a
medical perspective things were not looking so good for the SBCC as the
afternoon progressed. Nige went off to get his right ankle strapped up again
following the twist earlier in the week, while Dicky, Chas and Brooker settled
down in the massage tent for treatment on, respectively, left calf, right foot
and right shoulder. On the plus side, word came in from the fields that Phil
had completed his shift (started early at 4am to enable him to make the final)
and was on his way to Chiang Mai. Word back from the massage tent was that
Chas's foot had progressed from uncomfortable to agonising, while the trouble in
Poohie's shoulder was decreed to be due to problems with the tendons, and on no
account should he play cricket. The Dickster seemd in better shape after his
massage, and took himself off to the nets, whereupon Nige sent down a woeful
slow beamer which Dicky top-edged straight into his top lip. Another Beaver in
the medical tent....
The toss went to the Steakies who elected to bat,
so it was a return to the nets for the SBCC to prepare. By now Phil was with
us, which was an undoubted fillip for the team, and he looked in sparkling form
with the willow. Without wishing to suggest that the magnitude of the occasion
was having an impact, Phil decided he was going to try and send down a delivery
at full pace, only to pull up a couple of paces into his run-up. Not ideal with
the match now looming, although it at least provided a symmetry of sorts, as
Adam's ongoing problems with his back meant that we were fielding an entire team
qualifying as properly crocked.
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The match got underway with the Beavers
lined up as follows: Phil, Nige, Brooker, Adam, Dickster & Chas. Adam took
the first over and gave it his all as he has done all week, although some
commited running by the Steakies kept the board ticking over and we suffered a
further setback as Phil's first chase in the outfield caused his other leg to
seize up - it is suggested that eight hours of planting corn is not the ideal
preparation for cricket..... Chas bowled second and was accurate as ever, but
the continued persistent running of the Steakies openers in considerable heat
kept them in a strong position as the SBCC struggled to find a wicket-taking
breakthrough. Brooker bowled through the discomfort of his shoulder and Nige at
least managed to keep his wides count down. The now virtually motionless Phil
was at least able to bowl straight with no run-up, and it was with a sense of
relief at getting through without any further casualties that the SBCC returned
to their tent to prepare to chase down the Steakies score of 76-0.
here
are no paired matches on finals day so Phil and Nige were quickly on their way
to the crease, accompanied by Adam who was to run for Phil. The first ball did
not augur well for the big Kiwi as an attempted pull shot elicited a cry of pain
as his groaing muscles refused to cooperate. Despite this he continued to play
his shots and with Adam haring up the pitch for him the runs slowly accumulated.
It was boundaries that were required however, as the Steakies maintained a
disciplined line which kept the extras count down, and Nige in particular was
having difficulty timing the ball off the middle of the bat.
he fourth over
began with the SBCC behind the run-rate, a situation not improved as Nige ended
up flat on his face trying to play a sweep shot. Next ball his humiliation was
ended as he lofted a hoik into the hands of Long On, and it was over to Brooker
to take up the mantle. A further set-back for the Beavers as Phil came forward
and mis-timed his swing, and found himself stumped as his lack of mobility
counted against him. Adam took over for what was now a target of Herculean
proportions and the game ebbed away from SBCC. It was left to Brooker to sign
off the innings in majestic style with an enormous six over backward square, but
the Beavers came up 15 runs short and the trophy was gone.
Heads were
held hight however, and we are sincerely grateful to the many supporters who had
gathered at the Beavers tent to offer cheers and encouragement, and who gave us
a rousing reception as we came off the field. A rousing chorus of "Beaver Las
Vegas" lifted everyone's spirits immediately, and there was undoubted enthusiasm
for the beers that were to follow. The trophies for all the day'ds finals were
presented in front of the scorers' box, where we met San Miguel's head of
marketing, Earnest, who happily posed for photos with the team and generously
kitted us out with caps and jackets. A word of thanks to Smash also, who
presented Nige with his Maythais cap.
To the Chedi for champagne and
showers, and more presentations as the SBCC banner was saved for posterity. Next
stop the Empress hotel for dinner and official presentations, amidst some
consternation that no Beavers featured in the player of the day awards. Further
thanks however to the many teams we had met during the week who gave us a
rousing reception as we went up to receive our runners-up awards. The euphoria
of the week began to take its toll during the speeches however and we became a
man down as big Phil the Beast had to retire to his hotel. The dash to get to
Tuskers proved a little premature as the team departed without its beer kitty,
but happily this was retrieved so no damage done. The Sa Pas joined us in
Tuskers where we took pleasure in presenting them with their own team banner, as
a further recognition of their support and friendship - we are already looking
forward to many more beers and laughs with these boys come next year's
tournament.
Inevitably the evening had to end at the Sugar Shack as this
was the place where we were most likely to be able to say our farewells to so
many of the other teams. Despite one Oklahoma crisis, deftly dealt with by
Barty, it was a happy if totally shattered band of Beavers who drifted into the
night, beaten but unbowed, trophyless but triumphant.
With the benefit
of some hindsight, it was a week that went way beyond expectations once again.
Thanks beyond measure are due to Chas and Rachel for making this happen for the
Beavers and of course to the players and supporters who made the trip to Chiang
Mai. On the field, it is clear that a season of grade cricket (or at least
living where they play it) has done wonders for Millers' game, as the team were
undefeated while he was with us. Looks like negotiations will have to open
early to get him over for the week next year.
Over and out for now -
Caster Repletis Felis Est!
