http://www.west11cricket.com en-gb west11cricket.com 2010-8-19T00:00:00Z west11cricket.com http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#73131 Oh to feel young again. Was it only 2 weeks ago we were riding high after our umpteenth win on the bounce the season still held great promise the only concern in the world was the looming end of the season Two defeats and we are now peering into the abyss of despair. Three explanations present themsleves.1. We have turned into a really bad ageing team in the last 2 weeks2. We always were a bad team but the oppposition hadnt cottoned on to that fact3. Were an OK team who can play quite well some weeks and not so well other weeksOf these 3 options I would lean to the latter. Despite the BDOCs assertion that we are all careering into old age at the speed of a super charged mobility scooter we have pulled off some notable victores against more youthful opposition. Ruislip Victoria scared us with their vigorous warm up routine but couldnt stretcth to victory against the grand old men of north London. Northfields were a good bunch of bunch players yet we managed to beat them soundly. W... 2010-8-18 10:55:09 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#72262 An enforced mid season break offered me the chance to take a dispassionate view of Westies performance over the weekend as we took on new boys Barnet on Sunday. Obviously I was devastated nay gutted to miss out on the home fixture played in the shadow of my all time second favourite football ground Underhill. Fortified by a leisurely but hardly excessive lunch with the family I took a pleasant stroll from Whetstone along the Dollis Valley Green Walk in the direction of the ground. Lovers walked hand in hand through the woods children played near relaxing parents all seemingly unconcerned by the worries of life until a lone gentleman rambler honed into view and all was changed. At what stage did I become a threat to decent society Do I look predatory I try not to. Why do I end up feeling guilty about going for a walk on my own Maybe I should buy a dog as they seem to be met with friendly smiles no matter how savage and rabid their mutt looks and how much foul smelling faeces it l... 2010-8-6 22:01:53 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#71418 Monday afternoon saw me joining the hordes of injured workers sick children the lonely and the unlucky at the Finchley Memorial minor injuries department. The two hours just flew especially as I had made the schoolboy error of leaving any reading material at home and my 3G network has not yet extended to this populous part of North London. I imagine suicide is the main cause of unexpected death at this medical out station and I was actively planning my own demise choking on the February edition of House amp Home seemed both painless and poignant by being called into the xray department 30 minutes ahead of schedule. One of the unexpected joys of having damaged my middle finger is that I or my GP anyway is in possession of an image of my bones performing a perfect 1 fingered salute something that I have always wanted and am now thinking of uses for. Suggestions welcome.The upshot of this afternoons sabbatical is that my right ring finger is fractured at the tip. This is useless inform... 2010-7-27 11:45:01 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#70725 Six short days of separation six days between the collapse at Greenford and the batting resurgence at Northfields. How can a team of batting no hopers and chokers so suddenly turn things round so utterly as to dominate a match against tough opposition from the word go If we knew the answer to that then we would be wise and probably very rich men indeed. How can Louis Oosthuizen go from sporting also ran to 7 stroke champion at the Open over the course of a windy weekend at St Andrews Not many saw that one coming and if you did I assume you planning an early retirement on the proceeds of your 2501 flutter. Walking into the pleasant Swyncombe Avenue ground on Saturday lunchtime thoughts were more on damage limitation than posting a large total. Seeing a relatively young team going through warm up routines did little to quell fears and reports from the Notting Hill housing association that the wicket was more rutted and deadly than a WW1 battlefield were not eased by the verdant squa... 2010-7-19 08:59:06 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#70275 Sunday saw three much anticipated sporting contests being settled in the space of a few short hours. The Silverstone Grand Prix was won by an Australian driving a beaten up old banger rejected by the German wunderkind Sebastian Vettel. Webbers achievement cannot be overstated hailing as he does from a country where the steering wheel is an optional accessory and where the driving test consists of reversing a pick up and cooking roadkill over an open fire. Alonsos failure proved that Spains sporting current sporting ascendancy is based on talent rather than passport.Later on Spain deservedly hoisted their first ever world cup defeating the evil pantomime villains of the Netherlands in a disappointing but ultimately gripping finale in Joberg. Football lovers everywhere should rejoice in this victory of footballing joie de vivre over the up n at em brigade that dominate football thinking at home and abroad. Maybe opinion formers in this country will take note and stop seeking to defe... 2010-7-13 10:48:47 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#69027 The facts On Sunday 26th June West X1 were due to play cricket v the Captains Select. It was cancelled as widely expected because the oppo couldnt raise a team because it conflicted with the England Germany game. As a result a match that would have bene played in perfect conditions and at a great ground was lost. At best we will be facing a deficit of 16385 to cover the ground assuming that the oppo do the decent thing and cough up their half of the match fees. Seeing as I have no cricket to write about Ill pontificate on football instead bringing me into line with every other unqualified opinionated no mark currently filling the blogosphere.So we missed out on the cricket for what for what For the 4th time in 2 weeks England were utterly abject. Devoid of passion we are nothing. We lack the skills the intellegence the mental strength the confidence the youth the tactical awareness and the imagination required at this level of the game. The much vanted golden generation has pro... 2010-6-28 09:49:51 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#68609 A weekend of mixed fortunes for the Westies made difficult by the most ludicrous fixture pile up since Harold agreed to successive away fixtures at Stamford Bridge and Hastings. He at least could blame the devious Norse beardies for sneaking the 1st match in under the radar we on the other hand specifically abolished double headers at last years AGM only to roll over at the first asking. A massive vote of thanks goes out to those who attended both games to a our Nazeing buddies on Saturday and to Steve for pulling out all the stops to get 2 teams out.We are clearly struggling for numbers this season without many of the stallwarts we were able to rely on in previous years. At latest count we have 8 for Sundays fixture with a surprise return to the team for Andy Cox. As Steve pointed out in his email we cant afford a cancellation at pricey Winchmore Hill so we need to milk contacts untils their eyes water to get players for Sunday. Sundays game is a 1.30 start so leave enough time. ... 2010-6-22 18:01:33 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#67322 Second win of the season and the first silverware in the bag. If only life were this easy for Monsieur Wenger maybe the Fleet Street hounds and Emirate professors would get of his back. Sunday was pleasing on many fronts.We wonEveryone contributed with bat or ball or bothSociable oppoThe match was closer than the scoreline would suggestTemperature measured in centigrade rather than KelvinWhilst the spirit of the Nelson Cup is as robust and healthy as ever the same cannot be said for the trophy itself. Ex skip did a fine job in rescuing the Lord Nelson cellar in the close season but it had clearly resteded in a puddle of mild for the last 5 years. Renster spent a lonely Saturday locked in a darkened room furiously polishing his trophy but the sad truth is it looks a sorry affair now. Trudi has already expressed some concern that its sat on the kitchen table too long already so the odds of it making it to the mantlepiece look slim. The engravings end with Ac... 2010-6-8 09:30:16 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#66776 A week off cricket at the Whitsun bank holiday when planned back in March might have seemed like a good idea but fate as always conspires against the best laid plans. Who would have thought we would have to wait until the week before to record our first victory only to have any momentum cruelly whipped away by bank holiday weekend of inactivity. This irony was not lost on me as I drove the family Dane down to Bluewater in the spring sunshine. On the plus side the day was relatively cheap and I now have a stack of brownie points stored in the bank ready for cashing in later in the season.Former skip and I took the opportunity to check out club favourites from the Black Boy in Winchester Polly amp the Billets Doux at the Sheepwalk on Saturday night. Polly Perry was in fine voice the band in playful mood the Guiness flowed bountifully and an excellent evening all round was had by all. The Billets Doux if not exactly tight provided a fine platform over which Polly layered her bountifu... 2010-6-2 11:27:27 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#65887 Saturday morning sun shining head thumping mottled recollections of alfresco dining drinking TT Landlord and red wine a cycle ride home and now paying the ultimate price. Ho hum to the English summer a belated welcome. Just thought Id better post an update on my elbow as there had been some concern that my attendance tomorrow might be in doubt. Whilst the pain brought on by the festering wound would have floored an elephant I was always going to turn up at Greenford. I always had total faith in the National Health Service or at least I do until the coaliton partners work out who really wears the trousers. Even then we have been assured there will be no cuts in front line services so Ill be able to get world class treatment out of a portakabin somewhere.Speaking of trousers still no sign so my day may involve a search for a sports shop in north London. If only it were Conrad first edition I need Id be spoilt for choice. See you all tomorrow for fun in the sun a hearty breakfast a... 2010-5-22 08:47:29 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#65587 Bollocks double bollocks. Bollocks because we lost the opener in the Bob Ashton trophy and bollocks because my PC has just crashed forcing me to start this blog from scratch again. Sundays game is covered in detail in the BDOCs excellent match report. From my perspective it was considerable improvement on previous outings despite not getting close enough to our south London rivals. The rain made the final quarter of the game a tad miserable and very challenging for both batters and fielders. Whether the result would have been closer had the rains held off is up for debate but ultimately we fell some way short despite late innings heroics from ex skip. From a captains perspective the biggest positive was in our bowling where every bowler hit their targets making captaincy far easier and less stressful. Setting field positions is more of a science and less of a lottery when the slinger puts the ball in the right spot. Despite the 3 dropped catches fielding was an improvement. Th... 2010-5-18 16:31:29 http://www.west11cricket.com/page3.htm#65586 2010-5-18 16:27:25