Andy's first match @ Jabiru,

written by NCC, Growl Editor,


A Bus drove away in the glare of the rising sun and full of collective hope. A Bus came back again carrying a victorious NCC D-Grade cricket side, full of song, cheer and beer.

After falling for the oldest trick in the land when he called the toss before the coin had left the hand of his Jabiru counterpart, skipper Johnny Fryar readied his charges for a field. Brad Hatton and journeyman Anthony Snell combined for a sound opening spell, which placed immediate pressure on the Big Birds (Jabiru) and should have yielded more than 1 wicket after an edge off Hatton’s bowling unfortunately found its way back down to Earth. The “Velvet Sledgehammer” Nathan Jury (2 or 3 wkts) and NCC Action hero Brion Foley (3 wkts) then combined for an outstanding spell in tandem to first dry up the runs, and then the wickets began to fall. 4-63 at drinks then became 116 all out as the Jury/Foley show continued, before ‘Danny’ Glover chimed in with one scalp and pocket-rocket Andrew Moore on debut dismantled the lower order with a few tracer bullet like deliveries, one in particular shattering the stumps and effects mike.

The NCC innings started steadily but after a few wickets Brion Foley (31) then steadied the ship and played a sheet-anchor role that almost saw the boys home. Foley combined with skipper Johnny Fryar who carved out a dazzling 44, to take the game right away from the Big Birds and ensured a happier bus travelling home. The baby was put to bed with some Andrew “007” Moore pyrotechnics (including a brutally whacked six!) and it was a merry Tigers’ outfield that travelled home again – save for a small outburst from the President following a would-be assassination attempt on the bus (later downgraded by the Tribunal to a grade 1 ‘icing’)…no culprit has yet been caught, but safe to say the Jury is out in this Who-dunnit on wheels!