After rain fell throughout the week leaving the pitch looking, and acting, like brown playdoh, a fresh new Pelican skipper walked out to do the toss… and promptly lost. Guess the era isn’t all that different from the last. With Holmer Green looking confidently at the weather they proclaimed they would bowl first, much to the Pelicans disgust, although that disgust turned to gratitude as the clouds opened for the first hour but play continued.

It must be understood that for the first 12 overs, to say the pitch was slow was the understatement of the century, and all the credit must be given to Asad and Ali as they moved the run rate along at a sedate pace, but ultimately setting a VITAL 36 run platform for the first wicket. Ali, unfortunately the titan to fall, walked virtually straight up to the skipper and stated that with the stumping off a wide he had just fallen victim to, he had now completed the full set of stupid dismissals.

With that VITAL… I say again, VITAL 36-run platform set, the Pelis set about proving they were Pelis, and lost four more wickets over the next five overs for a grand total of nine runs. 36-1 had suddenly become 45-5 and the skipper had a very good idea of what Joe Root must have felt for 17 tests. In the middle of the aforementioned collapse, it should be noted that Tony was given out LBW. Before the bowler had even turned around, Niron’s finger was already raised to sky and Tony’s disbelief was complete, especially given the ball was probably closer to hitting his head than the stumps, it was so high. Ah well, we move on.

Jalil and Niron took on the task of rebuilding, with Jalil displaying some of his swashbuckling best and Niron standing vigil, Pelicans began to settle down a bit. Finally, Jalil fell, when he decided to play the exact shot he had been telling everyone else not to. Then Niron, who on his 25^th ball got off the mark, was caught on his 26th. Shame that.

This brought to the crease Hasan and Josh with the score 74-7. They proceeded to take the attack back to bowlers and in the 11 overs they were in the middle together put on 85 runs before Has launched a ball into orbit. He called Josh through with a swagger, “he has no chance” he said, having already been put down by the same man that day. But that man clung on and Has trudged off for a very well made 50.

Felix came out to join Josh for the final 2.1 overs and ran his heart out as Pelis finished on a very respectable 180 – 8.

Tea was a delicious chicken curry with plenty of extras made by Ali, spectacular does not come close to describing how good it was. Shame the Oppo turned it down before they even arrived.

Marching out to bowl, in the absence of Waz, Josh tossed the ball to Harrison, a man known only to Ali…. And maybe his daughter. He apparently hadn’t played cricket since school, not that it showed. A beautiful spell of swing bowling and after the openers walked away from the first 11 overs they had kept Holmer Green to a miserly 33 – 2. Solid start.

Replacing Josh at the bottom was Has, who did as Has does and spun webs for the batters, but this time to little reward. His partner in crime, however, was the young 16-year-old Felix Harris, this was the man who really stole the show. Fearing where the ball would go, Josh packed the leg side and Felix dutifully put 7 overs of metronomic bowling on middle and leg. Our very own Chris Woakes took 3 wickets in a brilliant of spell of control either side of drinks, never letting the Oppo get away from him. Now, to say that Pelis fielding can sometimes be hopeless would be putting it kindly. Catch after catch after catch went down, but still the bowlers soldiered on and finally the ball found, incredibly, James, who when he held on, lifted his arms to the sky and ran around screaming.

Drinks came and the Holmer were sat on 75, Pelis were on top, but skip knew that things could get away from them at any moment. Time for Niron. Four overs of tantalizing medium pace left Holmer wondering how they were ever going to get another run. These fears only increased when Ajmal and Asad came on to really apply the pressure. 12 overs and a sensational bit of Felix fielding later (honestly this guy had a day to be proud of) and the Oppo were dragging themselves into the last over 160 – 9, needing 20 to tie. Cometh the hour, Cometh the Harrison. Our opening bowler of magical hair came on and cleaned up the opposing skipper and victory was complete. An all-round wonderful day.