If anything sums up what this club is about, it’s Harry Penney getting 2 golden ducks in Saturdays 6-a-side followed by a sublime 106 not out on the Sunday in the blistering June heat. Great knock HP!
Tour got off to a flyer….with golf…overlooking the City and the sea – what better place to start things off. Bandit O’Reilly led the charge, having ‘not played for 4 years’. Saddle up Chris? Friday night was the usual eat, drink, be merry and find an appalling night club which ended in tears but was fun while it lasted
The morning dawned early….very early…..as in 7.30, so we could get to East Meon (home of Noel Gallagher apparently), who hosted their annual fantastic 6-a-side. The Hares took up their usual spot under the newly christened ‘Barford Oak’, fielding 2 ‘strong’ sides. And we won both opening fixtures! Clearly the win went to our collective heads and we got a pasting in the resulting games, including some horrific dropped catches from – and lets name and shame – Tim and Grriffff. Undeterred, The Hares ramped up the consumption of beer and cider and finished with a rendition of Parklife to a great band in a marquee in a field in the middle of Hampshire. Well, maybe not finished, despite a lot of sleep in the cabs back to Pompey , the boys made it to Tokyo Joes for some late night partying. It did’nt end well.
Sunday took us all the way to Chessington in Surrey. 30 deg heat, hungover and not really with it. Well, what a game….The Hares were 80-3 after 10 overs, when Warwick school’s finest took to the crease and put on 100+ in the blistering heat, finishing on 204. As we took to the field, Skipper Tobin took the ballsy decision to open with Chris who’d finally dismounted his horse….only to blag a wicket with his 3rd ball! The game progressed with Tour Sec Lish visibly fading as the hours ticked by. It went down to the final over, 10 needed, when our hero of the day, HP was given the challenge of finishing what he started. And he did, including a key wicket, held by Phil ‘call me Jamie Smith’ Morris. Harry then suffocated the poor lad who needed to score 4 off the last ball to leave the oppo stranded 4 short. Brilliant end to a brilliant tour.
The M25 home was Sh*te