The first super cup match was a trip to Northampton to face a team lacking stars but not effort. One change to the side saw Jellett replaced by Gray, who had been impressive for the second team.
Northants won the toss and put us into bat. According to Sean Bennett we started like a house on fire, and since he's the only one with a conviction for arson we were inclined to believe him. half way through the 7th over we were 61-0 but then Vimes edged Anderson behind for 26. While Bennett merrily continued on his way wickets fell at the other hand, though we reached 183-4 after 28 overs. Then Innes bowled a wicket maiden, including Gray for a duck. Bennett was finally out for 108 from 73 balls with the score 214-7. Sadly we were all out for 254 with over 6 overs unbowled.
Northants got the start they wanted through Loye and Rollins and Warren continued the good work after Rollins departure. Cloete tried to pull the Web back in to the game taking 4-42 but it was the failure of the other spinners to stem the runs that lost the match. Halsey in particular took some punishment, though he did try his new self titled 'magic ball', a variation on the long hop that bounces twice. Northants got the runs with 4 wickets and 10 balls to spare. The web's inability to bat for the full 50 cost them.
After the match it was time for the new boys in the squad to have their induction night. Camps and Scott didn't quite know what hit them. First off it was to the bar for the preliminary drink both to be chinned of course. In Scott's case it was an Irish Yoghurt (Guiness and Baileys) and for Camps it was a 'Time of the Month' (don't ask). More drinks and then we got on the coach for the journey home, during which the newbies were forced to do funnells and Camps became the first to chuck.
Back home we went to a bar, Ash Chaulk had arranged for the 2 ugliest girls in town to be there and the lads were made to dance with them to soppy songs such as Westlife's flying without wings, Scott seemed to be getting in to it so it was time to move on to the next phase of the plan and the dirty pints. 16 shots of various spriits in one pint glass topped up with wife beater, instant wastedness. To finish the evening off we moved on to the peppermint hippo club for some high class lap dances.
Now accepted in to the squad Liam and Nick were fined for non attendance at training the next day.
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Northamptonshire v Cricket Web
Super Cup - group match - 28 Apr 2004
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Cricket Web - 1st Innings
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S Vimes c Warren b Anderson 26
S Bennett c Brophy b Brown 108
N Nichani b Cawdron 13
A Cloete c & b Anderson 18
D Richards b Innes 10
BlueFox c Brophy b Innes 27
J Gray b Innes 0
D Kearsley lbw b Brown 19
T Halsey c Loye b Brown 24
M Wright c Brophy b Swann 2
D Chapman not out 0
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Extras (nb4,w1,b1,lb1) 7
TOTAL (all out, 43.4 overs) 254
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O M R W
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J Brown 7 1 20 3
G Swann 6.4 0 36 1
K Innes 10 1 57 3
M Cawdron 10 0 56 1
R Anderson 10 0 83 2
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1-61 2-89 3-121 4-135 5-183
6-183 7-214 8-239 9-254 10-254
Northamptonshire - 1st Innings
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A Rollins b Chapman 47
M Loye not out 132
R Warren c Bennett b Cloete 34
R White b Cloete 0
G Brophy c Gray b Cloete 13
A Penberthy b Wright 9
G Swann c Bennett b Cloete 5
K Innes not out 0
M Cawdron
R Anderson
J Brown
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Extras (nb3,w2,b2,lb8) 15
TOTAL (6 wkts, 48.2 overs) 255
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O M R W
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A Cloete 8 1 42 4
D Richards 8 0 45 0
D Chapman 10 1 51 1
T Halsey 8 0 50 0
M Wright 8.2 0 29 1
D Kearsley 6 0 28 0
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1-109 2-179 3-179 4-217 5-239
6-250
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Northamptonshire won by 4 wickets
Man of the match: M Loye
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2nd Team
Brad Smith (103), Ash Chaulk(10), A Ferd(19), Blewy(4*), BK Smith(64), Eclipse (2), Hoy(56), Jellett(13), Age Master(8), Weber(6), Craze(45), Hall(8, 3-60), Nath(18, 2-44), Thomas(13, 4-48),Pickup (0, 1-25), Camps(54*, 2-56), Scott(40, 2-72)