Village vs Shire Trilogy Part 3 : Preview

No, Yes, No, Yes

Time for another game against Southamptonshire.  In  this season that’s been decimated by the weather, it’s odd that out of 7 games played, 3 will have been against The Shire.  This is making the massive assumption that it doesn’t piss with rain between now at 6.30pm.  We have a two nil lead in matches against them this year but we totally spawned the last meeting, winning by 1 run.  The Village looked like they’d be shorn of their opening attack with both Sarge Saunders and The Jeweller being unavailable but as last minute change of heart from the Probation Service meant that the Jeweller was available after all.  Waiting for the text to say the game is off will be...

1)      Colin Day – The Big Dog has been having sleepless nights over his long duck in his last innings and will want to set the record straight, sponsored by McDonalds

2)      Tom Richards – It’s off having players in the side who are still having growth spurts.  The last time we played, Tom was 5ft 7, now he’s 6ft and his trousers aren’t long enough.

3)      Sean Tongs – It’s the Guru 

4)      Steve Paul – with his early season form just a distant memory, Spaul will be aiming to prove that he can score runs when it really matters on wickets which are a stodgy pile of crap.

5)      Nic Feest – A product of the esteemed Grade 1 Village Academy System will be looking to increase his Village winning streak to 2 matches having debuted in the one run thrashing of today’s opponents

6)      Glen de la Cour – With his holiday about to start, he will no doubt have lost the two stone he said he was going to lose so expect great things from the sprightly fleet-footed keeper-batsman.

7)      Stuart Ward – Wardy has been trying to make his outdoor Village debut for about 6 years and today may just be the day.  He’s from Zimbabwe and never hunted elephants.

8)      Phil Jewell – I can’t play, I can play, I can’t play, I can play.  This kind of behaviour is only tolerated because underneath his mid exterior, the Jeweller is the World’s Hardest Man.

9)      Jonjo Stovell – Which version of the Ginger Magician will turn up today?  Will he get it right and be unplayable or wrong and be like normal.  A second successive Village batting performance where he didn’t use his bat explains his position in the order.

10)   Luke Blackwell – when the names are written in the book, Luke will be above Jonjo in the order.  Coming of age as a bowler as last week we identified the right pace for him to bowl at.  Expect fireworks.

11)   Geoff Edwards – The Boy in the Baselayer is back and will be tieing up one end if we have eight fielders on the leg side.

12)   Barry Shipman – he’s a proper legend