The Archives lose to both Merrion (4 wickets) and the Theatrical Cavaliers (7 runs)
For a while it looked as though fire might stop play in the first of the Archives' two losses in this year’s Handbags. However, in the end it was Merrion’s brutal batsmanship that brought things to an end. Pressed into action for the final overs by an injury to Lewis, the Director started to understand how a seal pup might have felt in the “glory days” of seal-fur coats.
The Handbags Tournament is an oddity in a season of head-to-head clashes: a triangular event hosted by the Theatrical Cavaliers and featuring the Archives and the Merrion CC Fourth XI Taverners side. First up, the two visiting sides did battle. There was a late change to the line-up as Harrington politely reminded the Director that he had previously indicated his availability (see observations elsewhere about the latter’s obviously failing powers), so the Director stepped aside in favour of Harrington.
A lot of the Handbags is about a decent narrative arc: the first time the Archives won it (in 2015 or so), it was the end of a summer during which the team nearly blinked out of existence: a patched-up team took lucky wickets and held every catch. Could something like that happen this time around? In a word, no.
Not that the first match against Merrion didn’t have its own redemptive tale: the (almost) ever-present Hill finally reaching his first retirement, with 16 scoring strokes and every one of the runs an actual run.
Gordon works hard for glory
Bajpai and Musale also retired (the latter, unusually, on 16) while Soni and Tratalos came close. E.X. Tras also shone with 23. No one else made double figures. Musale returned with a ball or two to go, in the hope of getting to his 20, He didn't and 130 did not look enough against a very adept-looking Merrion. All of this happening as smoke rolled off the nearby Kilmashogue hill and water-carrying helicopters rushed to and fro. A more cynical Archives outfit might have appealed for the light, or depleted oxygen levels.
And it proved to little to defend. Had any of the 4 (5, maybe?) catches been taken (of which two would have gone down in Archives legend; the others were a little more humdrum) then perhaps retirement would not have piled upon retirement and perhaps Merrion would not have chased down the total with 4 overs to spare. But they were not taken and Merrion eased to victory. Injury was added to insult as Lewis pranged a calf with a few overs to go, leaving the previously-umpiring to participate in the administration of the coup de grace.
The second game, against old friends the Cavaliers, was a closer affair. An unorthodox tactic by Bennett (captain for game 2) was a near-reversal of the bowling order. It is hard to say whether it worked or not: but early wickets did not come, although an initially terrifying run-rate (80-ish after 10 overs) was certainly slowed down once the better bowlers came into play. The Cavaliers have found a couple of new (to me, at any rate) batters who can muscle the ball to the boundary from everywhere: Bajpai nearly lost a finger or two attempting a brilliant/foolhardy catch on the boundary, while the Director’s bowling was treated with even more contempt than usual (“He does that to everyone”, came the not-particularly-comforting words from the Cavalier umpire). 137 seemed quite a lot.
The Archives’ reply got off to a wobbly start at Tratalos departed for 5. Soni and Musale steadied the ship and Bajpai chipped in a useful 10. The Director came to the middle to see veteran Cavalier (and excellent artist) Fay take his 99th wicket (Beamish, subbing in for Harrington and departing 2 balls after an immense 6). The Director set about not being Fay’s 100th scalp and, as his second over came to an end, breathed a sigh of relief, expecting the bowling to ease. In the distance, Hubris and Nemesis cleared their throats pointedly and the ever-dangerous Tim Stott came on to bowl.
The director riding his luck
Although not quite as hostile as in previous years, Dunphy and the Director struggled to get him away and it was only when he completed his spell that any real progress could be made. Hope hung in the air as both batters closed in on retirement, but then Dunphy fell to Magennis and the Director retired with 15-ish needed off the last 2-ish overs. Hill could not repeat the heroics of match 1 and while Hunt scored off every ball he faced, it was skipper Bennett who hit out: a boundary, a single, a two. There was a chance, and then there was a heave to the legside boundary that in 8 Taverners games out of 10 would have been misfielded for 4 or, at least, dropped. Neither happened: a distressing competent Cavalier dived to take an excellent catch: no four, no hope. Cox and Hunt did what they could but the Cavaliers edged home by 7 runs.
Alice losing hope
(Footnote: although it doesn’t ultimately matter who wins this most social of tournaments unless we win it, it was Merrion who prevailed in the end, chasing down 110 in what your correspondent understands to have been an occasionally tetchy - and fairly low-scoring - affair).
[Text: Simon Mills; Pics: Sushant Musale]