report by DRB

It was supposed to be a 11.30am meet at RCC but the Otley contingent (new to the Sunday lunch run) were running late & it was 12.00pm before we all set off to our venue of choice – the White Rose Harvester pub, Dobby was not amused by this late start as it cut into his pre-match drinking time! The Winterbottoms had got there early & secured a table for 9 so it was the traditional spit roasts & then the short drive to the ground.
We thought it would be a short drive but there had been a gas explosion & a fire near the ground on Friday night & the road leading to the ground had been closed off so with Dale in his van leading the convoy & his Sat-Nav turned on he declared he would lead us there by a different route. And a different route it turned out to be! After the 4 car convoy had to do a u-turn in a cul-de-sac in a housing estate in Belle Isle it was discovered that Dale had put the post code of the clubs secretary instead of the ground into his Sat-Nav (is that D for Dale or D for dickhead!)
At this point Dobby declared he knew the way & we left Dale & made it to the ground without further trouble. When Dale finally rolled up it was in a different car! How had he managed that? Some story followed about him abandoning his van, asking somebody for directions & in his own cheeky style getting the guy to give him, Dane & 2 cricket kits a lift to the ground – priceless!!!!!
The always friendly home team skipper allowed us to bat 1^st so the Blubberhouses opening pair of Platt & Wilkinson, who were still a bit bleary eyed from the previous nights title winning celebrations opened the batting. Lee swung from the hip on a cracking pitch & raced to a half century in the 10^th over but wickets also fell including Joe Lumb skipper Josh Atkinson for a 1^stballer to a guy playing his 1^st game of cricket in years! Much to Scotties lament the days of Graham Dobson batting solidly for 30 overs & holding the inning together for the Jesters are now long gone. We now blaze from the hip in a crash & burn style which is entertaining to the huge crowds that turn up to watch! ( I copied that fictional one from the weekly Hawks match reports). When drinks were taken we were 113-5 & looking like getting bowled out cheaply for the 2^nd year running at this cracking venue but a terrific century partnership between Ricky Halloran & the young (& very enthusiastic) Hall Park player Alex Rose meant we posted a large score. Ricky just managed to complete his maiden career century in the last over meaning that the 3 Otley lads had managed exactly 100 runs between them!
The fine tea was unfortunately missed by Dale & Scottie who went to collect Dale’s van, he must have left it miles away as it took them 30 min to return by which time the home teams reply had already started.
No respect was shown to the 2 Aire-Wharfe A division opening bowlers Dobby & Ricky who received a bit of rough treatment before Dobby finally got his man with a “fortunate” (for him, that is in the catching comp’) c&b.
Scottie soon entered the fray, spearing in his usual left arm darts & with the large ground to his liking started making inroads.
Josh who was dismissed by Dobby (as well as John Brough) the previous day in their league encounter had also left the Rawdon seamer traumatised by an encounter in the showers after the game (no more details can be given in this family publication) so much so that he was wrongly convinced that Josh was the son of current Hall Park player Sean Atkinson! We now think he is more likely to have some West Indian blood in him! After watching his Otley team mate bat all afternoon Josh decided he wanted a bowl so proceeded to nag the skipper “Macca like” the whole innings. When finally getting his chance he did show some promise & managed to grab a wicket & maybe even get another bowl in future games!
Postscript – It proved to be an expensive game for the skipper who after buying a £30 ticket for a concert in Bingley was unable to get to the venue in time & during the day also ‘mislaid’ his umpiring fee from the day before. – I need a pay rise for doing this job!!!!!!!!!