SCORECARD

Fitmen go in search of WMD but fail to find win.
First day on the 2019 Ashes Series down the road at Edgbaston coincided with the Fitmen’s penultimate evening fixture of the season.   A venue change 24 hours before saw the team arrive at Kings Edwards Girls School, Handsworth for the annual blast again WMD.

Weapons of Mass Destruction were downgraded to a field of Landmine as Fitmen employed Princess Diana and Angelia Jolie in full UN blue armour to pitch report.  The problems was compounded with the fact that school grounds seldomly have a bar.  We believe was the main reason for 12th man TC absence.

It was the usual, unusual mixture of backstories of Fitmen assembled to commence battle:
Sammy Moore - straight from a wedding
Smouldy chomping at the bit with new bowling boots
Rich and Ade doing a uncanny impression of Waldorf and Statler after a sleepless night
Rob Nutt – traffic jam magnet
But the winner for most unfit fitmen went to DDH straight from the Ashes with eyes pointing towards ten to two.
Toss was won (Cynffonau am Cymraeg) and the skipper had a moment of panic, looked Smould ager to bowl and inserted the Docs. Eye brows were raised by some of the senior members of the team but a spirted 9 Fitmen took to the field.  
Unfortunately Waldorf and Statler reservations about bowling were backed up after 4 overs when the score was 50 odd.  The minefield pitch is not much of a minefield when we don’t pitch it.  Smould’s Jimmy Anderson inspired new boots suffered from a sympathetic calf strain and Faraz fail to find line and length. WMD unleash hell with the ball flying to all parts.
Control was brought back with the introduction with the introduction Ade (1-22) and Shariff (1-25) into the attack who both slowed down the scoring rate and each took a wicket. A great, dexterous 8 over spell between the veterans, which kept the Fitmen in the game.
New shoes Smould came back into the attack to finished his allotted overs with far more control eventually finishing with 0-30. DDH was rested (to sober up) for batting duties at his request. So the Skipper Jonesy brought himself on for the “Martin Overs” (trademark 2019) and took 3 cheap wickets digging the ball into the uneven surface. One hand on the midweek bowling trophy notwithstanding Smouldy saucepan hands best attempts to sabotage.  
Sam got smacked for more more more at the death and Faraz returned at the end and took a well deserved wicket.
WMD finished on 162-5. Respectable effort from the Fitmen.
Opening the batting we went for muscle with Bicey and newly back in the room DDH.  Bicey smacked the ball to all quarters for a quick fire 20 off 13 before being triggered IBW by Smouldy. DDH misfired and got bowled aiming for the fence for 2, then went AWOL.  

WMD bowled well and the awkward bounce was tricky and when Green (another Smouldy trigger) Nut and Moore fell cheaply the Fitmen were on the rack.  But with Harris still in, there was still hope.  A six wicket partnership of 43 off 27 balls between Harris and Jonesy gave the fitmen a glimmer. 

Harris timed the ball well but was finally caught and bowled for 40 off 34.  The Ade and Sharif shared a hundred partnership in years not sadly runs and the boundaries dried up.
Fitmen saw out the overs and finished 34 runs short of the target.

We all had fun and we go into next Tuesday final game at Solihull hoping to finish on a high.