Manchester: Lions roar in the sun..

The Lions enjoyed a successful Manchester tournament despite a slight miscalculation which led to them winning too many games on Saturday and ending up in the Cup rather than the plate (Oops!). Three Sunday loses on the trot taught us the error of our ways but following a morning after the night before performance against the Runners we restored respectability with close games against the Swingers and Angels, then rounded off the weekend by turning over the Dalmeny Dodgers.

Saturday had seen a couple of good, well played games against the two Raiders teams (1-1), a closer than it looked win against the Sting (rolling back - what a fine idea - not a stupid, idiotic rule at all !) and a highly creditable draw against the Creamers, a game which we unlucky not to win.

Gill and Kelly showed how much they have come on in their first year. Felix overcame flu to give the ball its customary beating. Boomer and Brian provided a formidable starting rotation. Fred tried (again) to field all 10 positions at once while helping the umpires out on ball and strike calls. Lindsay is now happily married and Nicola showed why she'll make the Cubs a fortune on the transfer market this off-season.

A wasp got a close up view of the inside of Gills shirt (and caused a break in play as both shirt and intruder were removed). Caroline looked like she'd been playing for years rather than days, Ben hovered up the balls in the outfield, Darrell mashed the ball and provided his customary entertainment on the bases (So you have to *touch* the bases eh ?). Nhan (nnnnnnnnng) showed us how a good catcher can strengthen a team and Thida hit with deceptive power.

And finally for one moment it looked as if Tony might have to have his leg amputated (but it turned into a flesh wound when he realised he was going to be replaced).

Leeds 2004

After chalking up a respectable 2&2 record on the Saturday the Lions were undefeated in the plate competition on Sunday with 3 wins and a tie giving them the title (& the trophy !)....

The Lions put in their best ever tournament performance as they won the Plate competition at Leeds. A 'keep it simple' style in the field and impressive pitching put pressure on every team we played whilst strong batting throughout the side racked up the runs. Tony (Boomer) La Fave pitched like the ace he is. Felix kept everyone calm whilst hitting a storm. Thida got on base consistently. Gill showed the Growlers what real drinking is all about. Darryl scared the opposition (and sometimes his own team) with his daring do on the bases. Ben and Nicola were deadly in the outfield. Aya and Jo each gave us a day of solid play. Manda and Nhan hit well. Rob showed off his own special sliding style while covering many miles in the field. Everybody worked together to produce a real team performance that it was a privilege to be part of.

Many thanks to all the Cubs, Gamblers, and others who turned out under the Lions banner.