Hong Kong 6s

A hardy band of Scottish cricketers is fleeing the rapidly darkening evenings and mornings for a few days in Hong Kong carrying the Saltire at the international Hong Kong Sixes.  Fantasy Bob wishes them the best of luck and is sure they can give the folks back home something to be proud of.

In the group stage, Scotland have to play Sri Lanka and New Zealand and the Woodworm All Stars - a squad including Shahid Afridi, Herschelle Gibbs and Sanath Jayasuriya.  So not much by way of a challenge for the Scots boys.   So Scotland will not play against a weel kent face unless they get through the group stage for Peter Wooden who was pro at Carlton for a couple of seasons now plays successfully in Hong Kong and is part of the home team. 

The Hong Kong Sixes have been on the go since 1992, a complement to the jamboree of the Hong Kong Sevens - the top event in international rugby sevens.  Scotland have yet to win the Hong Kong Sevens so here is an opportunity for our cricketers to out do their rugby colleagues.

Over the years since 1992, the Sixes tournament has attracted many great stars - either on the way up or the way down from the pinnacle of their career.  Lara, Tendulkar, Richards, Flintoff, have all appeared among many others. 

Poster lacking action image of FB

Regretably Fantasy Bob has yet to grace this tournament.  He did remind the organisers that on his last appearance in 6-a-side cricket he outscored Mark Ramprakash.  Carlton readers will need no reminding of this great event in the history of cricket, but other readers will find some of the story on this link.  FB has to acknowledge that Ramps took 2 balls to score his paltry total while FB, batting in the grand Trott style, carried his bat for the 5 over innings.   But this cut no ice, either with the organising committee or the Scottish selctors and FB languishes at home. 

Another factor may have played against FB's selection.   6-a-side cricket reduces radically the number of fielders.  This is all very jolly for the batters but it imposes a lung bursting burden on the remaining fielders who have vast acreages to cover.  FB's presence in the field, which these days is mostly stationary, would give the batting team an unfair advantage, cancelling out and more the devastating effectiveness of his contributions as batsman and as bowler. FB suggested to the Committee that to address this unfairness and in view of his seniority and immobility FB could be accompanied on the field by 2 younger aides who would do the necessary running and throwing under his supervision.   FB would specialise in clapping his hands,  general exhortation and fulfilling his new specialist role in the field as a navigation point around which younger players can orient.  Anyone who has observed his efforts in the field in recent seasons will know how theatrical and entertaining this can be.  This would be a treat that the Hong Kong crowd would not easily forget and would add considerably to the cachet of the event.  But the organisers, as unimaginative as administrators everywhere, declined this offer and FB is left to enjoy the dark mornings. 

So good luck Scotland - FB is clapping his hands and exhorting from a distance.