Hemant the hero at Meadowmill Armo-geddon.

Baino's Blog #1
I was once given some good advice “don’t ask a question if you don’t want to know the answer” with this in mind Bass Rock somehow qualified for the LMS Scottish final weekend without seemingly winning a game since May.
Never one to worry about details your author has been telling all and sundry how we had qualified for the national limited overs finals this weekend, a Scotland cap is surely a hairs breadth away.
In classic BRCC style no one was quite sure how many players were available for the
weekend’s games, estimates ranging between 6 and 12 and indeed who was captain. The later issue was swiftly dealt with when everyone realised Murdo would do it anyway regardless of who got to lift the cup and be interviewed by the The Courier.
Selection worries increased when it was revealed the LMS East Lothian League No1 rated player and BRCC Dangerman (LMS Scotland’s words) was struggling for fitness. Luckily the inaccurately named Armstrong’s tennis elbow recovered through the week and he declared himself fully fit for Saturday. His team mates’ relief was palpable.
Murdo worked his magic and 8 sturdy North Berwick stalwarts were cajoled into playing. Future hall of famer Hemant Verma realised the foolishness of concentrating on the 50 over format and curmudgeonly tweaker the accurately named Kye Woodmanside negotiated a rare pass, packed his suitcase and headed for Meadow Mill. A strong looking squad, furthered bolstered by club stalwart Dudley Milne, everyone’s favourite Hagan, Stuart, and everyone’s favourite Amis, Jake (Hagan Snr long since having cracked under the pressure of captaincy, preferring to chance his arm in Trump’s America and Amis Snr quashing rumours of next season’s captaincy by electing to run around a grim Northern wasteland instead of doing his duty. Their treachery cannot be forgiven or forgotten).
The team’s mood was bolstered further by news emerging from LMS HQ that Sunday’s final in Glasgow was likely to be postponed until next year due to, shock, a water-logged pitch. Delighted to not have to emerge from their middle class North Berwick bubble and encounter “real” Scots, the team vowed to leave everything on the pitch, and in the Nether Abbey afterwards.
Arriving via chauffer at Meadowmill skipper Murden was delighted to see his young charges completing a lap of the outfield. Milne’s claim to have already ran 3 laps and been at the ground since 9 were undermined by the snout hanging from his mouth, clearly not his first of the morning. Our first opponenets and good friends Haddington had struggled for numbers and were initially down to 7, however they had “recruited” LMS supremo and Semi Pro Paul Reddish, probably on back of him flaying our “attack” in La Manga earlier in the season.
Skipper Murdo won the toss, promptly hid himself at number 4 in the batting order, asking your author and legendary batsmith Verma to open, allowing the stroke players to come in later in the innings…….. Bainbridge and Verma vowed to make him eat his words.

Verma was in immediate great touch, blasting his way to an unbeaten 50. Bainbridge had spent most of the innings trying to get the class Verma on strike and fell shortly after Verma’s retirement trying to up the rate for 46. Leaving the “strokeplayers” of Amis and Murden to mop up some runs towards the end of the innings. Murden ruined that not playing a stroke to one on middle stump for 25, somehow with a run rate of 193…..25* from Amis Jnr and 3* from Milne left BRCC with 157 from the 20. A decent score given the pitch was wet, the grass was long and had one boundary so large it was in Edinburgh. Our optimism was swiftly dashed. Armstrong’s back took umbrage at bowling first change from the wrong end and swiftly downed tools. Despite half a can of deep heat and 10 fags the back wasn’t for shifting. Backstrong returned to field but a diving, full length, one handed attempted catch off Woodmanside wasn’t what the back wanted and a sub fielder was graciously offered by our opposition.
A notable spell from Milne who looked back to his very best with a 3 for at 4’s was the highlight of tight bowling display where Haddington were always behind the rate and didn’t help their cause with 2 run outs. When Scott Logan who had scored 60 odd against us just the week before and the Pro Reddish were out cheaply the game was up. A good win for BRCC. Other highlights include Hagan Jnr showing a comparable temperament to his brother in a wonderful glove throwing outburst. Given a few years and a wider vocabulary I have no doubt he will be an excellent gloveman.
When it was confirmed a further 20 fags hadn’t sorted Armo’s back BRCC went about securing the services of Logan for the next fixture, we offered the services of Amis in return for Haddington’s final fixture after it emerged their opener had taken such severe umbrage to his run out he had gone home. Deal done.
Our next opponents the unknown quantity Dundee Stallions were very late for the 2nd fixture. Skipper Murden called on all his experience of growing up in the Yorkshire leagues and stuck the unfortunate Dundonians in within 2 mins of them getting out of their cars.
When the opener pulled up injured after 1 ball this appeared to pay dividends. Murdo made sure the umpire was aware of the rules and the runner was swiftly dispatched to put on some gloves, small margins matter at this level. Some lusty early blows indicated the Stallions were capable of putting on a big total but wickets fell regularly and their boundaries or bust policy meant good catching was required. At one stage Dundee took a liking to Amis Jnr’s spin who was rewarded for keeping tossing the ball up with a couple of wickets. The fact they went 40 off his 4 will be softened by the fact they appear to have gone against Amis Snr on the LMS website, justice for the aforementioned treachery.

Your author did well to get a hand to a very difficult chance again off the unfortunate
Woodmanside but with 3 catches held and another run out it was another good bowling performance again by Bass Rock. Wickets shared around but Milne’s 2 for 8 from 4 was again the pick. Stallions all out for 113. Other highlights were the miserly Woodmanside nearly exploding after being hit for his first ever 6, probably.
Bainbridge and Verma again opened up for the reply. Watchful against some early
movement whilst putting away the odd short ball, an opening stand of 70 odd, 36 for
Bainbridge another unbeaten 50 for Verma, left Jake, Murden and Milne to comfortably mop up the remaining runs and Bass Rock were 2 for 2, qualification for the knock out stages to be held early next season. complete.
In fitting style the sun came out as we returned to the Nethers, the season for once finishing on a high. Highlights of the pub include Armstrong’s team mates showing grave concern by insisting he text upon his safe return home…..reasoning the walk would do him good, Woodmansey complaining about the 3 dropped catches from his bowling, to be admonished for not bowling better so more could be dropped and Amis Jnr’s poor attempt to mock your author over his earlier miracle stop. Our success was toasted long into the early evening.
Hemant was certainly the player of day with an unbeaten 100 runs, 3 wickets and a few catches. Superb performance by the BRCC legend. A great day were everyone contributed. Next up awards night where we can review and ridicule our performance over the season, and the AGM where we try to stich up a new captain. Good times!