Iscape Christmas Outing

Well, it wasn't quite Dublin, Prague or Budapest but neither was it The Cricketers, rather the football team ended up with the surprise call of The Coach and Horses in Wimborne where we adjourn each Monday usually to lick our wounds after another defeat. However, Kev did us proud and organised a Manchester derby for the boys to watch before the journey to Ferndown for indoor cricket and a return to the pub for the evening game of football or how to say thanks to Kev for the day by nicking his phone and making prank calls/texts.

Matt I, Matt C, Kev, Iain, Hen and Dave enjoyed the first football match with a prime seat in front of the tv and a lovely spread of food before the drive to Ferndown where Dougie and Dom joined us. With 8 of us playing we organised pairings with everyone bowling in an enjoyable if somewhat dangerous game of cricket complete with life threateningly hard cricket ball. Keeping count of the runs proved a complicated task but we just about managed remembering that each wicket cost the par batting 10 runs. The opening pair of Matt and Dave were minus 30 after the first three balls with two run outs and a bowled wicket but they recovered well to post a magnificent total of 8! To be fair, they had the disadvantage of batting first and others follwoing learnt the lessons from their errors. That is apart from Dom and Matt I who ended at minus 17 I think it was.

Matt C Dave 8
Matt I Dom -17
Iain Hwn 32
Kev and Dougie 44

There were bruises aplenty for Matt I hit in the nipple, Hen hit in the chest, Dom hit on the knee fielding close in, Matt C hit on the wrist. Kev's attempt to kill me with a head high beamer prompted my fastest reactions since the 1984.

Kev and Dougie batted very well chasing 32 to win and Simon hit a couple of sixes aided by the weight of experience off the front foot.

Astonishingly everyone bowled well including Spanish Dave who learnt the lingo of cricket as he tired to hit the 'sticky' wicket.

A quick game of football to finish off saw us back to the pub and we settled into the Linford and Colin camp(!) for the evening admiring Dom's ability to drain a pint glass at twice the speed of anyone else. Kev entertained the pub to his all round ball ability as he dominated the pool table but left his phone. Several iffy messages were sent and after an initial strop about it, Kev settled on a plan to ruin Dave's life and business forthwith.

The most disturbing aspect was that going through the names, the first female was Rachel which doesn't bode well, although perhaps he has lots who are called Samantha or Tracy.

Will Dom be fit for Monday night - he has knee knack from the cricket ball. Will Dave still be in business? Will Rachel be speaking to Kev? Does the barmaid fancy Kev?

All will be revealed next week.