In praise of Currie and Balerno CC

Readers will be astonished to learn that Fantasy Bob has another cricketing loyalty in addition to Carlton.  They might well ask what team could be desperate enough to call upon the services of a has been such as he.  But FB's commitment to Currie and Balerno CC predates his arrival at Carlton by several centuries (in the temporal sense, nothing to do with batting of course).

Indeed, it was from the obscurity of the C&B team that FB was plucked to the big time by celebrated Carlton recruitment agent and cafe entrepreneur Akeel Aslam.  In a game on that epicentre of good wickets - er....... the Meadows, where else - FB was playing for C&B in an evening match against Price Waterhouse Coopers Carlton.  Opening the bowling, he quickly despatched 2 Carlton stars with phoney PWC residential qualifications - Guy Williamson (whose shame has been such that he has barely been seen at GL since) and young Boydy (who still wakes in the night as a result of this traumatic fate). C&B strode to victory.  Akeel, standing as umpire, inquired whether FB fancied a game at the weekend now and then.  He has turned out every weekend since.  Whether he has fulfilled the potential that Akeel saw in his play is another matter.

Currie and Balerno play evening T20s through the season and a fine body of cricketers and gentlemen they are too.  Unfortunately they have no website, but they can be found on that modern Facebook thing.  Last season they won the Metcalfe Trophy (no, FB had never heard of it either until it was won ); this year FB thinks they won the mid week league again.  So, having FB in their ranks does not seem to hamper them unduly.

But C&B came a bit unstuck this year in the various cup trophies, coming up against Standard Life twice.  FB played only in the first contest.  He came on first change and made the tragic mistake of snaffling SL's opener in his first over.  This brought one of Carlton's all time greats to the crease - Rob Thornton.   Er..................no contest - FB ended up 4-0-1-48 (ouch).  R Thornton 100+ in 15 overs as SL racked up 190.  C&B did well to get to 140.  So in FB's defence it was a belter of a batting track............

All power to FB's many friends in the Currie and Balerno ranks - see you in 2011!