From the Lion' Den - Victoria University of Wellington Cricket Club

FROM THE PEN OF THE PRESIDENT

Morry, our Skipper

The Lions of ‘06 had a year of toil and graft,

Spending Saturdays in Wellington, avoiding the shaft,

With bat and with ball, the boys consistently fought,

Being led by a skipper, handsome and well-taught.

Our Skipper Morry, inspired us all,

Lifting our spirits with the ferocious LIONS call,

Away from the field we rested and waited,

While Morry drafted players, even buzzards we hated,

From October to March, the Lions played but never knew

The recruitment process our skipper always went through,

The Thursday email and then those that were phoned,

Always questionable whether their skills had been honed,

But then came March 18 and our relegation battle,

Morry had a team that Hutt could not rattle,

The Lions would fight for survival, with pride to restore,

Morry led us bravely, a winning history our core,

The Akina boy had us bowling with passion and desire,

While our batting was aggressive, our blades were on fire,

A win was required; a draw we received,

And all the Lions thought the 2A grade conceived.

Then a gift from the gods of cricket’s folk-lore,

Cricket Wellington dumped the Valley, we were Senior 3 once more,

Morry our skipper had succeeded all season,

And led a team of Lions who’d follow without reason.

Our skipper Morry is one we shall all buy a beer,

And we hope he will lead us again, with great pride next year.

Thanks Morry, from your 2006 Lions team.

When a team enters a new grade for the coming season, they can sometimes claim inexperience or over confidence for their mishaps early on. This always depends on whther it was last season promotion or demotion that has them joining the Lions in the Senior 3 grade, season 2004/05.

What can completely shaft teams early on in a season is facing a rejuvenated Lions side, fresh from a kill at Easts, hungry for more. Petone turned up to the Fortress dispelling rumours of such a turn in Lions fortune, they believed their playing whites (kindly donated by the Salvation Army, Jackson Street) would not need a dose of napisan come Monday. Oh, how terribly wrong one can be. With Akil elected to play a wristy, Ganguly-like innings, the Petone lads ran away from Day one to the comfort of their corduroy sofas and foster mother's takeaway Fish & Chips.

Day two I fear will hold even less for the Petone crew. The Lions, I am told are well prepared for a second onslaught, more lethal than the first. And once a Lion has his claws in you, you best lay down faster than the red-head at Mermaids.

I miss the excitement of a two dayer, the knowledge that if you play poorly on day one, Wellington will produce the best weather in history on day two just to make you suffer and in this case lads...well when you have completely f*cked I team as you have, my prediction is for rain all day and a significant innings at the Occidental!

Good Luck Lions.

This last week I have learnt of kinship, strength, determination and humour, all from a quick read through the Varsity website (what about those bloody spartans...crazy buzzards!)