AUSTRALIA
050S UK TOUR 2017
GAME
16 AUSTRALIA 050S VS HAMPSHIRE 050S
AT
HURSLEY CC HAMPSHIRE
MONDAY
7th
AUG 2017
We
awoke at our new digs at the Shrubbery Hotel at Ilminster Somerset to
leaden gray skies but the forecast of fine dry weather for cricket.
How the weather man over here makes any money at his trade is beyond
us let alone why he even bothers.
You
also may have noticed that there are now no tales of swimming with 80
year olds let alone anyone of years old. The reason is that there is
no pool of any note around here and the hotel bar is just so
conducive of scintillating post match analysis especially if anyone
has done anything of note which happens to be everyday although not
necessarily on the field.
A
relatively long drive of 2 hours through very narrow country roads
eventuated as a result of a lost/confused satnav maiden with a posh
English accent. We finally arrived at a lovely green ground known as
Hursley Park which was overlooked by a stately manor where Oliver
Cromwell allegedly resided. It looked typically Oliver Cromwell’s
style of residence but then again we had driven past 20 of those look
alike manors in the last 2 hours so it was hard to tell.
Ravages
of knee injuries and the flu had finally taken its toll. Both the
Captain and the Vice Captain were in bed with the throat virus
although not all together at any one time. It was then all hands on
deck so much so the 69 year old Manager was the fittest non- selected
player including the 3 female partners on tour. Astute wisdom then
took over and the Captaincy for this isolated game was bestowed upon
him which was appropriate as it had been conclusively established at
the time of this coronation that indeed Oliver Cromwell had been a
close neighbour of the ground precincts.
The
team selected for this momentous occasion was Stirling Hamman
Captain;Bob McGee; Warwick Hayes; Allan Chellew;
Greg
Briggs; Peter Judd; Wayne Miles; Ross Belstead; Steve Moore;
Noel
Raymond; Gordon McGurk and Fabian Heaton.Today we were playing in
coloured shirts with the green polos up top and white strides down
below and also using the pink balls. These 050s Australian cricketers
are real fashion setters and look very cool.