CUP CHALLENGE ROUND EFF! ROUND UP:Quick ramble (promise). Stuck in traffic and horrible heat on the way back from Liverpool (thankfully four wheels on our wagon –still) on Thursday afty, was tuned into TMS. Just after Leach fell heartbreakingly just short of a night watchman’s century (never done in Test history), talk shifted to the one time Phil Tufnell stood up as a batsman. ODI, over to go, six to win, on strike, five dots. Final ball – miraculously a six. A listener’s doggerel verse was read out (if illustrated, you could see it as a children’s book in the mode of “tortoise and the hare” or “every dog has his day”). Title? The Day Tuffers was IN. Well this was the round that Budgers was IN....
...and, eventually, ‘Tommers. No sign of the leader though, costly dropped pass!
Two great semis on The Beeb on Saturday as Bongser emptied a crate of 1698 down his throat. Only three correctly picked the recently out of form Wire. Vanners closest, just one point out on the margin (58 points), followed by Bongser (56) and Chazzer (48).
Over to Beeblecee 2 for an Herculean effort from ‘Fax .
Expected to be a walkover for Saints, this clash was relegated to the nether channel. No such walkover. Two apiece after 34 minutes!! Saints prevailed in the end (ten points to all assembled at that time) but Bongser for one was happy to be way out of the margin zone. Bonus points to only Vanners (playing a blinder – 36), Budge (32) & Zools (24).
Sunday saw another two hard fought semis. Sheffield in the end got the trip to the way over budget architectural orgasm. All again correct. The now present Atomic made up for lost punts with a bang-to-rights margin and a maximum points haul of 60. EVVO Matched the feat and Bongser (54) took the lowest of the rostra.
We’ll not speak about the final semi-final.
This week’s results: Van the Man can allow himself and his missus a chilled jeroboam of Brasso this (for them) evening. 138 points appended by a WWB of 50. Bongser second (120) and weaning himself off the Milk of Magnesia. Chuck third (98).
RANKINGS:Vanners – 772
Chazzer – 677
EVVO – 661
Atomic – 637
Zools -631
Bongser - 626
Chayders – 625
Pubbers – 598
Wanderer – 581
Budge – 64
Chayders, top to seventh in one “fell swoop” (apposite twice over). To use the catchphrase of the spirit-swilling snooker commentators in “That Mitchell & Webb Look”, “...and that’s a bad miss!” Hope to have you back next week.
