The Ship Inn

Date: 03/09/22 | Location: Elie Beach | Wicket: Sandy (shock) | Conditions: Windy and Overcast | Overs: 30 

After a stomach churning journey at the hands of Mika Häkkinen in his bus turned sauna we arrived in Elie for DCC’s 12th annual trip to the seaside to try and regain the Dollar Shell, a trophy generously donated by club legend Bob Sheriff. As we found our feet, off the bus, the wicket was being raked and rolled while the stubborn puddles atop the sand were manoeuvred out of plays’ way. After picking up a last minute knock Adam Buchanan-Smith relinquished his role of Admiral of the (DCC) Fleet and Cameron Glasgow filled his shoes as he kept his streak of lost tosses alive and The Ship’s skipper, Graham Bucknall, elected to have a bat. As per the laws of beach-cricket each bowler was given a maximum of 3 overs a piece and it was to be a 12-a-side contest.  

Experts at finding a length in the sand Simon Breasley and Phil Rorke were tasked with the first set. Ship openers, Hunter and Bodger adopted a calculated early approach as they were faced with some economically tough questions. A run-out attempt from Charlie Dunn that fell a whisker wide of leaving Bodger marooned came the closest to breaking the early stand, but as Breasley and Rorke rounded off their spells the openers remained in with the score at 17 for nought after 6. 

Chris Hadley took over from the sea-end and Paul Symington subbed in for Rorke. By this stage Hunter had his eye locked on the luminous plastic pill and started to scatter Hadley. At the other end Symington was keeping the arial assault at bay through his fizzing right-arm-round action and forced a huge appeal from all directions around the stumps as the ball echoed of something the umpire ultimately deemed was not the bat. He would get his reward his next over as Bodger chased after a wider one and the ball ballooned up and into the flowing hands of Nichol Wheatley at 2nd slip. Both polished of their spells and score sat at 43 for 1 after 12. 

Gregg Dunsire and Marcus Tinsley took over and the former quickly got his name announced over the tannoy as Hunter miscalculated his shot and the ball lost its momentum inches before reaching the rope and made acquaintance with Breasley at long on. Tinsley carried on with the stifling inroads made by Symington and bogged the hosts down in the saturated sand. Dunsire would make it 2 in 2 as Anderson took a big swing of his ore but the ball came crashing down like a wave on the high seas and George Buchanan-Smith darted round from the deep (mid wicket.) Score after 18 overs, 71/3.

Dunn took over initially from the Town-End, but swapped sides after falling foul of overstepping, and was supported at the other end by Alan Douglas. Once Dunn tightened up his run up he began repeatedly hitting a crucial fuller length and the bats were left blocking. Douglas was posing all sorts of question as he pulled out the pin and lobbed down a series of lively grenades. With the final ball of his spell Dunn would leave the hosts 4 down as Spilsbury looked to send the ball of an flighted path over the on-side, but it lacked the required gusto and Rorke calmly positioned himself under the kamikaze-dive for a fine catch. Score, 95 for 4 after 24. 

For the closing stages George Buchanan-Smith was tasked with a complete spell, while Richie Nicholson, Nichol Wheatley, and after gifting his gloves to Symington the skipper too joined in on the act. Buchanan-Smith loaded up the chamber and began firing off the cannon as he hit the target in his second after he torpedoed the high scoring Williams stumps. Wheatley showed that his talents are not resigned for canvas as he made full use of Rorke’s mitts after Burger got his order wrong. Nicholson too would get in on the act as Bucknall looked to send him into the on-looking gallery but only found the nerve cancelling hands of Symington at straight mid-on. Score, 125 for 8 after 27. 

Buchanan-Smith would join Dunsire in the double wicket brigade after leaving Riddle pondering what could have been after he glanced one to Glasgow behind the sticks. Glasgow would bowled the 30th and final over and like many of his crew the skipper too would here his name echo around the beach-front as Dath hooping edged one behind for Symington to take a bouncing catch on the last ball of proceedings. A shipshape effort with the ball to leave our hosts with a total described as being ‘under-par.’

The Ship Inn 132 for 9 after 30

Best Figures

G. Buchanan-Smith: 2 for 11 from 3 | G. Dunsire: 2 for 20 from 3 | 

P. Symington: 1 for 3 from 3 | C. Dunn: 1 for 9 from 3

Top Scorers

S. Hunter: 32 | J. Williams: 23 | Spilsbury; 14

Simon Breasley and Marcus Tinsley walked out to open the innings and quickly darted through for 3 consecutive singles to start the effort. However the Ship would not take long to get wind amongst their sails as Dath found Tinsley’s starboard edge and the ball set coarse for 1st slip, Tinsley gone for 1. 

George Buchanan-Smith joined the proceedings and immediately got umpire to lift both hands skywards as he launched his second ball clean over the man at deep mid wicket. Breasley was not at any risk of catching scurvy as he saw and played the ripe orange with ease. Unfortunately Buchanan-Smith’s first knock of the summer would end all to soon as Hunter took out his off-stump with a clean kill, gone for 7. Paul Symington entered at 4 to face Hunter who had another shell locked and loaded and fired it off through his stumps, quack and the customary walk of shame for all those who fall scoreless on the beach. Score, 15 for 3 after 6. 

Alan Douglas was the next man in. By this stage Breasley had his eye in and was eagerly awaiting a partner to start the beach offensive and commence operation overlord. Unfortunately Douglas would not be the man for the job as he could not get any toppings on a beaut from Burger and was bowled for nought, quack. Phil Rorke was tasked with salvaging the impending wreckage. Unlike some of his predecessors he managed to get off the mark, but alas could mange no more and he too was bowled by Burger for 1. Score, a worrying 24 for 5 from 8. 

Charlie Dunn walked out at the non-strikers end and initially enjoyed his role as first mate as Breasley started to push the score towards the increasingly distant horizon. Facing his first ball Dunn unearthed a hidden treasure chest as he found some gold… in the shape of a duck, quack. The DCC vessel was taking on water and running out of crew to plug the holes. 

Richie Nicholson entered at 8 and he and Breasley started to form a resemblance of a partnership. Breasley adopted a more venomous approach, while Nicholson showcased his fluid shot making prowess. However after sailing through 5 uneventful overs another DCC soul would be lost at sea as Breasley was finally given his orders to walk the plank and fell after edging one from Mennie to 2nd slip, out for a well played 19. Score, 41 for 7 after 16. 

After strategically placing himself down the order newly promoted Admiral Glasgow entered the scene of the apparent Dollar mutiny. Nicholson whacked a powerful 4 over the undulating outfield and just as a whiff of a match saving partnership was given off he too would be sent packing after Williams found his outside edge, gone for 8. 

Gregg Dunsire joined the skipper. Glasgow then fired one off towards cow that settled just before the rope and the pair raced back for a second, much to the surprise of the announcer. Then to her shocked horror they attempted a third and in a completely unsurprising turn of events Dunsire was run out miles from his ground, a very unfortunate and rare diamond duck – one could say the Titanic’s captain had better awareness than ours… score 53 for 9 after 20. 

Chris Hadley was the penultimate man in. With the chances of victory at the bottom of the Mariana Trench attentions turned to bettering last season total of 56. Hadley bided his time and took the safe singles on offer. Just as the score matched the 2021 effort Hadley was bowled by Bodger for a determined 2.

Nichol Wheatley joined the Admiral as the only members of the visiting flotilla not resigned to the abyss. Glasgow dropped all caution from his approach and started to pepper the beach with fluorescent bombs. Wheatley calmly held his end and the score finally started to take the required leaps up through the overs. Glasgow had all the answers for Riddle’s questions and had him taken off after one 21 run over. Bucknall too was on the receiving end of the increased impetus. As the required total started to revel itself on the distant horizon the atmosphere on the adorning veranda from the DCC contingent vaulted into life.  

Glasgow continued to give the hosts a bout of seasickness as he dropped an anchor at the strikers end and rattled off a string of boundaries. With 40 required from the final 3 overs it was integral that play was rooted firmly in risk. Ultimately the risky approach would fail in paying dividends as Wheatley set off for a ‘quick’ single, but just before he could draw a line in the sand with his bat the keeper whipped of the bails and finally sank the DCC vessel. 

Dollar Cricket Club 93 all out after 27.3

Top Scorers

Admiral C. Glasgow, 38* | Commodore S. Breasley, 19 | Captain E. Xtra, 16*

Result

The Ship Inn victory by 39 Runs 

BSB (DCC) MOTM

Cameron Glasgow

38 not out | 1 for 3 from 1 | 1 catch

Yet another great knock from this seasons leading run scorer. He almost single handily push the score away from the realms of embarrassment and even gave hopes of the unlikeliest of comebacks. 

We offer endless thanks to the first class establishment that is the Ship Inn, in particular to owner and captain Graham Bucknall and his wife Rachel, who served brilliantly as scorer and announcer. The hospitality and endless supply of refreshments makes this contest the occasion it is. We wish them luck with any remaining fixtures they have and on their tour to Ibiza, great minds etc.  

Thanks also go to Bobb Turner, his partner Eva Cortes, Pete Matthews, Nicholas Schellenberg, Adam Buchanan-Smith, and of course Chairman Mike Donaldson for joining the side in Elie and offering their raucous away-days support. 

Season Record

Played 14 | Won 8 | Lost 6