Boney Muflins - Murrayfield DAFS CC 2008 Somerset Tour |
Ok - it took a while to post these up - we were waiting on someone to write the Tour report - it never arrived. Anyway enjoy some of the fun and games as we drove the length of the country to take on ex-Muffer Andy Cook's new team, Middlezoy CC, in a 20/20 match that had a nail-biting finish in the pitch dark; brave the lunacy of the Minehead Butlin's Disco Inferno Weekend, feast on the wonderous OMH breakfasts; see us take on a team even more hung-over than us on the Saturday (a touring side called Lenches from the Cotswolds) in glorious sunshine; boogie away to Boney M; get clobbered by Dulverton CC on the Sunday in the scenic midst of Exmoor with the compensation of a super BBQ and beer, boogie away once more to Bjorn Again; drink, smoke and eat plenty; and some of us get eaten half-alive; and then we drove all the way back-again. It was marvellous fun.
Day 1 - Thursday - early meet (except JP who decides it's a good day to sleep in). Drive 500 miles or so to Minehead (via Bridgewater Railway Station to pick-up a large South African) and erroneously detour via a couple of industrial estates (a recurring theme). The tour party is staying at two Minehead BnBs - evening spent at local pub consuming beer and pub-food. Dazza narrowly avoids fighting the locals. Scrumpy consumption - limited so far.
The Meeting Point - a van of Carlsberg makes a head-start on us
The trusty steed - surprisingly nippy. With Melvin's Special selection of tunes ("Suck My Rock" etc) playing the miles just melted away...
Day 2 - Friday am - drive to Butlins Minehead, after hearty breakfast and check-out of BnBs, and then return to BnBs as Belly still had his key. Return to Butlins - however - too early to check in. So impromtu "beach-cricket" session held. Until rain stops play. Beached South African whale found on Minehead sea-wall.
Harder than you think is this beach cricket milarky.
Beached whale found?
Pickles contemplates calling Greenpeace....
... but the whale washes up ashore next at Butlins with a Shark
The Touring Party's base for the next few days... peaceful during the day... certainly was not at night!
Friday pm.... as the wild hordes descend upon Butlins for the mad hedonistic weekend ahead, we departed/retreated at haste in the other direction for the hour trip to Middlezoy - or it would have been had we not navigated via some more industrial estates. The game was a nailbiter - finishing in the near pitch-dark with Mufs needing a run to tie, 2 to win. Tom Wheeler at the crease, charges the bowler in the gloom, heaves and misses, his stumps rattle in the dark, and a loss by 1 run is the result. We retire to country pub - consumption of scrumpy increases. Was good to see Cooky.
Full scorecard available here of Middlezoy v MDCC
First action on tour as Daddy bowls to the Middlezoy opener - Cooky is at the other end.
Shannon "Rasputin" Bonfield, honorary Muf for the weekend, prepares to bowl to ex-Muffer Andy Cook....
...and unleashes...
Cooky takes on Clench
And the ladies patrol the outfield
Paul Leonard in action.
Cooky shocked by his dismissal by a rank full-toss delivered by The Wheeler. A fine 22 for Andy with some stylish cuts.
Banksy is bendy
Tom back in the action in the late summer sun
JP steams in
And Regan (not Ray-Gun) spins a few down
Dazza's active tour duty lasts for 2 balls (mine didn't last much longer mind)
But there is always the compensation of lager.
JP deftly cuts.
Regan batting in the gathering gloom (what idjit decided to make us bat second)
Heave ho from the Kiwi
And a swish from OMH.
Ump-cam sees Charlotte in action
Bonfield in the dark
And it wasn't much lighter than this when the game came to its nail-biting conclusion as Mufs lose by 1 run.
A feed en-route at Bridgwater in the van
JP seems less than impressed by his Chinese takeaway.
Day 3 - Saturday 13th September - AM
After a breakfast feast courtesy of Old Mother's culinary expertise, a chance to sample some of the fun and games at Butlins before we set off to Minehead CC's ground (a local college) to play another touring team, Lenches CC, from the Cotswolds.
...have to say a certain experienced golfer fairly disgraced themselves with the putter.
The interior dome of Butlins
Boys will be boys...
......And girls will be girls.
Brighton and Hove Albion take on Newcastle United
Killer dodgems... Ian Hewson ready to attack.
MDCC v Lenches CC at Minehead.
Full scorecard available here of Lenzies v MDCC
Dazza and Sharky (and a wig) observe Mufs impressive warm-up routines....
... guaranteed to (not) strike fear in opposition batsmen.
They had more to fear (maybe) with the Belly being unleashed with the ball...
.. as Ump-cam captures a nice shot of Belly's arse.
Ian Hewson in action
Lenches were considerably more worse for wear than us... even before they consumed their "funny" cake (as did some Muffers unknowingly)
Wheeler spins for glory.
Once he partially sobered up, Lenches batsman G Hall proved more than handy with the bat with 56.
And although unconventional in technique, S McNally hits 47.
Daddy Coull practices some shapes for Boney M later on.
fine follow-through here.
Give it some air, son. It kind of worked as Tom takes 3-40.
The title says it all.
Coull steams in again. Lenches finish on 210 (ao) off their 40 overs.
Regan opens for Mufs...
with JP - they score 24 and 23 respectively.
The Pink Hat is some form of Lenches tour punishment for misdemeanors.
Whereas the Mufs headwear was in demand. Pickles goes for the Beyonce look.
The Mufs crowd are a contented bunch as we cruise along nicely with Banksy to the fore...
with CB hitting a fine 46.
Melvyn Clench achieves a personal landmark as he hits his first ever 50 - finishing with 58 not out - well done fella ...
And Shannon with 49 not out as he rapidly drew the game to a close with a series of maximums and boundaries.
Mufs celebrate their win by 7 wickets with beer and the unveiling of the Muflins Tour T-Shirt for wearing later on.
Before the evening's entertainment, nourishment came in many forms, some less heathy than others.
Boney M's "Brown Girl in a Ring" brings em out onto the dance floor.
You treat me like a foooool. Whoa Daddy Cool.
Yes... its Boney M.
A Boney M singer
Err.... A Boney M singer
Boney M milk the delirious applause as they close their set.
Shamefully Lea and Charl were not wearing their tour T-Shirts on the Saturday night.
Day 4. Sunday 14th September.
With bodies and minds recovering from the day and night before, another Hubbard special breakfast fuels us up for the trip across Exmoor to the very scenic Dulverton to take on the village team. They were.... ahem... quite handy with the bat and set us a total of 192 to chase off 40 overs - local captain Carl Hooper (no relation) hitting 79.
Link to MDAFS v Dulverton CC Scorecard
After the quick dismissal of Belly in a running mix-up, Ian Hewson was next in to lead the batting chase for Mufs - perhaps he looked more sober/less drunk than most - with the exception of OMH, but Mother was incapacitated not by the evils of drink but a knackered foot, courtesy of a stray ball while keeping at Middlezoy.
And big Ian goes large.
Daddy's footwork seems much less impressive off the dance floor....
...and so it proves.
Wheeler is at the crease to lead the recovery .
Belly's running between the wicket had drawn imitation...nay...mockery from the watching local wildlife.
Regan smashes this to the boundary - nearly taking out the photographer.
But sadly edges behind in fine style shortly after.
Charlotte tries to dig in to stop the rot.
And Tommy rides his luck with a flier.
Charlotte's defences are breached.
And out strides Lea for her first bat on tour.
Wheeler unleashes the fury.
Lea's first and only ball faced on tour is less than triumphant.
Enter the Mad Monk.
Middled.
Middled again.
Can Melv and Shannon snatch an unlikely victory?
Muffers watch on as Shannon continues his fine tour form with 35.
Switch the M for a L perhaps.
Melv's resistance is ended on 27.
JP joins Banksy to continue the wagging of the Mufs tail.
CB hits 41 not out as Mufs finish on a sort of creditable 177 from our 40 overs with JP on 13 not out.
And with the distraction of cricket out of the way, now to the serious business of food and drink.
A (fool)hardy few ventured back out on Sunday night at Butlins to see Bjorn Again in action.
Stuart soaks up the cheesiness of it all with the aid of some silly specs.
Day 5 - Monday 15th September.
The return back home. After polishing off the last of the breakfast provisions, it was time to pack and then wake Dazza. Unfortunantly for him the night's kip on the chalet floor had encouraged many of the local beasties to help themselves to a bit of special Biltong.
That'll be a sore one.
Half-way home... and time for a rest-stop and fag for some.
And after the final weary drive back, a wee drink was held to celebrate the tour was held at the Murrayfield Hotel with a presentation to OMH (Tour Mutha) and Belly (Tour Fatha) for their efforts in organising the tour. But we were too knackered to bother to take a photo of it all.
And so it was over but a jolly fine time was had by all on the Muflins Tour.
Thanks for our hosts and thanks to all on the tour who made it a great trip.