Against the odds, the rain stayed away for what was a ludicrously windy game. Even the heavy bails refused to stay put and were removed after a few overs, giving the game a beach cricket feel but without dogs chasing the ball and Frisbees hitting the batsmen.
Mermaids batted first, Ansh having 'volunteered' to play for Wolverhampton. Tony opened and continued his rich vein of form before being run out for 22. Ansh bowled John W for a swift 14, leaving Jon and Haroon (run out for 38, 18 of which came in sixes) to up the scoring in the middle order. Jon was eventually caught for 20 off the last ball of the game in an average-sacrificing final effort to bring us to 120 after 15 eight-ball overs.
In near-dark and howling gale, Mermaids bowled and fielded very tightly, putting a great deal of pressure on the Wolves batsmen. Simon's 3 overs deserve special consideration. His practice before the game helped him to bring him figures of 3-0-10-2, which in the inclement conditions was terrifically tight. Tony gets people caught at point, but this time Nick was the catcher (airborne and in the fingertips, apparently, but modesty precludes him going on about it, unless you really want to know the details) and not the caught! In the Mermaid tradition of blooding children at a young age. Haroon's 10 year old nephew, Bilal, took the final over into the wind and did extremely well to return 1-0-13-0.
