Buckingham Town Cricket Club - July 6th 2005

Ballinger Waggoners vs Buckingham Town U15 (County Cup)

(The Battle of Ballinger Common)

It was a fine July evening, crows were observed pecking at the popping crease, and the omens were good. The troops of Richard Pengelly and Colin Kangol were in a mood like thunder as they posed for the pre-match photograph.

BTCC U15 ready for the Battle of Ballinger Common Back row: Colin Kangol, John Smith, Mike Heath (Capt.), Oshy Ryan-Pont, Chris Coxhill, Matt Faulkner, Matt Rowlingson, Richard Pengelly Front Row: Mikey Younghusband, Andy Norman, Jimmy Coxhill, Matt Coxhill, Simon Taylor

Little did the team know what was to be in store.
Batting first, Ballinger proceeded to smack cricket balls like cannon balls around the ground. Car owners looked nervously to their windscreens. The balls decended like angels of doom onto the roof of the clubhouse. Ballinger finished their innings after 20 overs on about 165 runs.

But BTCC were uncowed. They struggled manfully against overwhelming odds. Mikey Younghusband fell off a playground swing and twisted his neck in preparation for his innings. The balls flew like butterflies among the Ballinger fielders. The BTCC scorer was heard praying for a thunderstorm to put an end to the carnage.

But soon it was all over, and dreams of the County Cup Final faded for BTCC U15. They ended on a creditable 75 (ish) runs.