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IN HONOUR OF ADE ‘POF POF’ LAWAL
Sad news from Kent
After meeting him at our first-ever match at Matfield CC in 2009, where he was Club Secretary, Ade Lawal subsequently helped The VCC out as one of the very first members of our ‘Hit Squad’, the informal reserve group of players called upon when we were short - playing 2 games later that season for The Currymen, at Brighton Exiles and at Hit & Miss in Buckinghamshire. The nickname we gave him was inspired by the lovely Nigerian mini donut-style snacks, Pof-Pofs, that he told us his mother had provided for our tea that first time at Matfield. Although we did not know him well, he was a real cricketing character – of the type that makes the amateur game such a special thing in all our lives. On our return to the lovely Weald village of Matfield 2 years on, we learnt from club captain Simon Knott that Ade had died of an asthma attack in London during May 2010. He was just 47.
VCC President at Lords for England v India
Since accepting the Club’s Presidency 2 years ago little has been seen of swashbuckling keeper / batsman Farokh Engineer yet TV sightings of the great man are not uncommon. Here he is with another Indian legend at Lords, no doubt ruminating on the amount of captains and vice-captains the Currymen have had this year.
Co-Captain Hurd takes a long walk, he could be some time …
In June Chris Hurd took up an offer to work in Outer Mongolia. Strange but true. Captain Pink is at heart an adventurer. Like all leg-spinners he finds the constraints of ordinary life to be wearisome. Outer Mongolia’s gain is undoubtedly the VCC’s (and the fragrant waitress at Chez Nous’) loss. And if there isn’t a pot of gold in the second largest land-locked country on the planet then there’ll be a pint waiting at The Stag on Hurdo’s return.
9th July 2011 — VCC All-rounder R Barker weds sweetheart at Radley
Yes, on 9th July a slim, shaved and very un-Beastlike Rik Barker placed the ring on his resplendent Roisin in the chapel at Radley College. A picture-book wedding reception followed on the lush lawns of the school. The big man’s dorm-buddy and Curryman colleague Ben Madden performed the Best Man’s duties with panache and perhaps a tear or two in his hooded eyes.
Everyone at the Club wishes the couple great happiness for the future.
Legends Chris (Skip) Williamson and Karen (Kaz) Moloney enjoyed the festivities and added glamour to the occasion.
The bride looks stunning in lace
26th June 2011 — Victory over Soho Collective in Suffolk
Currymen win in style against Soho-based communist willow-wielders in sun-drenched Suffolk.
Left to right Back Row Stockman, Ted Edwards, Nice, Flew, Sam, Muller, Graham Front row Miss Edwards, Theo Edwards, Queenie, Atif Mughal, Sale-Harper, Fredie Edwards
M Stockman reflects on his 63 not out with WAG of the Year (2010) Ms E Gokturk
Match reports
26th June Soho Collective v VCC (at Brockley Green CC, Suffolk)
SUFFOLK SUBLIME
VCC triumph in perfect setting for cosmopolitan clash
The Pink ‘n Greys had set a ridiculous early pace: 12 off the first Soho over, and 21 off 2, after a dizzy Cobra’s fall off the 12th ball of the innings. With Vuvu rampant we passed 40 in 5, then 50 in 7 before Capt Green’s timbering. In the 9th, the lunatic cake-quaffer scythed wildly again, but this time only managed to haplessly skew the cherry into a tragic up and under space-age parabola toward the oppo keeper. Amid Vuv’s latest vile outpouring of guttural language, which scores of perplexed shrinks and endless sweaty Bikram yoga sessions with bikinied Notting Hill lovelies have failed to quell, Muller trudged off blathering into his dummy-like mouth guard. 65-3 - and Sat Nam Sam marched in to join The Horn, the Sri Lankan maverick briskly instructing the bemused broker to “Shut up!” before Hornay could even complete his trademark welcoming advice. The bemused broker duly silenced for once, Kankan smashed a straight drive for 4 off his first ball. But sadly these 2 firebrands were not destined to repeat their sparkling 88-run middle order partnership at Coleshill of just 3 weeks before: Sam fell swashbuckling in the 11th and – after exerting his steadying Chairman’s influence on his cruelly-usurped kingpin officer predecessor Stocko, Nicey in the 18th. With The Currymen’s incoming number 7 Tiger being the last remaining established bat to join the impish boutique financier, the score of 99-5 was seriously worrying…
This was supposed to have been a cakewalk, but now – shockingly - our newly-formed opponents had blown out nearly all the VCC’s big candles. Stocko and Atif were the only flames left flickering and the Left-leaning Collective, with their exulting shouts of “C’mon Comrades!” were clearly closing for the last-slice kill.
Puffing out his magnificent chest, Hornay steeled himself for the challenge: Reluctant to share his thoughts, possibly for fear of further rebuke, he – the umpires later reported - now resorted to talking to himself…
“Right – nothing in the air for the next 10 overs.”
At the other end, too, big-hitting Tiger was also showing superb restraint and discipline. An excellent 14-over partnership of 69 ratched the score up to 168-6 at Mughal’s dismissal for 27. Stocks had meanwhile passed 50 - perhaps one of the most important half-centuries of his glittering Curry-career: One that could potentially save us from inviting a humiliating defeat. But the oft-cravated roué wasn’t finished yet – a last, bittersweet fling with Adelaidy ensued, before he graciously retired on 63, to allow the 3rd Aussie of the day’s line-up, ‘Queenie’ – aka Rachelle from Queensland - in to bat with her fellow countrywoman. As a final theatrical flourish, gentleman actor Sir Tedward Edwards of Valetta, marvellously returning to the VCC stage for the first time in 21 years, shortly joined Rachelle. With the score finalising on 203-6, a reprise reading of The Bard’s classic ‘Leather Taunter’ was promised by the booming-voiced thesp – who’d long ago written himself into VCC legend with his Richard Burton-esque interpretation of the club classic poem, read to a rapturous restaurant audience on the Malta Tour of April 1990. All these years later, The Horn bristled once again with star-struck pride.
But first, there was business to attend to: Tea! One of the finest we have ever enjoyed…even the notoriously faddy Vuvu threw his customary caution to the wind and gorged himself on scones, choccie and coffee cakes. Thank you Mrs Blackedge of Brockley Green!
As they had with the ball, with the bat Soho again showed they were going to be no pushovers, reaching 40 in 10 and 71 in 20. It was only another great performance by the ever-quicker Qantas – this season’s top wicket-taker to date with 9 – that, with a 3-for including the scalps of the dangerous father & son team of Mark & Buster Blackedge, laid the groundwork to make any chance of Soho accelerating to victory look unlikely. Capt Green’s compatriot Adelaidy also had a stormer - her Third Way bowling stultifying the middle of The Collective’s innings, with the most economical figures of our entire attack. This display was not even tarnished by an admiring Captain Cappuccino’s ludicrous attempt at a music hall-era ‘joke’ on completion of the South Australian’s long spell:
“I look forward to studying your figure – I mean figures – later!”
For this sexist outrage, Gé was roundly admonished in the field by that widely-acknowledged beacon for feminism, The Horn - before the 2 ageing dandies combined for stumpings in 2 successive balls, ‘keeper Stocko pouncing like a gloved tomcat on a double-serving of Graham’s Colombo and Kandy-honed ‘lugubrio’ ball. The Currymen’s very own father and son combo of Ted & Freddie Edwards (who’d nobly rotated fielding duties with his brother Theo) chipped in with the final 2 Soho wickets – the former making a sharp caught and bowled look easy, while the Fredster struck with just his second ball, His Modness The Nice coolly snaffling another difficult one in the deep.
On this gloriously hot day in the idyllic, deep countryside of sleepy Suffolk, against delightful opponents whose sporting spirit and approach mirrors our own at its best, cricket was truly -the winner.
Scorebook
| VCC Batting: | 203 – 6 | in 40 overs |
|---|---|---|
| Muller | ct | 31 |
| Graham* | ct | 4 |
| Flew | b | 4 |
| Stockman+ | retired | 34 |
| Kankanamge | b | 8 |
| Nice | ct | 8 |
| Mughal, Atif | b | 27 |
| Sale-Harper | ct | 7 |
| Queenie | not out | 0 |
| Edwards, Ted | not out | 0 |
| Edwards, Fred | dnb |
Soho Collective 127 all out in 30.2 overs
| VCC Bowling: | O | M | R | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nice | 5 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Kankanamge | 5 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Flew | 7 | 1 | 22 | 3 |
| Sale-Harper | 7 | 2 | 17 | 1 |
| Graham | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| Edwards, Ted | 3 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Muller | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Edwards, Fred | 0.2 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| VCC Fielding: | Catches | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|
| Stockman (wkt) | - | 2 |
| Edwards, Ted | 1 | |
| Nice | 1 |
Result: VCC win by 76 runs
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Injuries
Injuries are mounting.....
Metalhammer has received a direct hit on his big toe (see image). Puppy Walrus (alias The Beast) has done some unknown damage to his left shoulder in attempting to stop a boundary. His surrogate Father “The Walrus” has strangely damaged his shoulder as well whilst failing to grasp slip catch (must run in the fishy family) and Poff Poff has bruised his left instep. The Cobra is also nursing a bruised hand and has recoiled into his basket. ↑ Back to the top of the page
Useful information
Lift Curry Stains from Washable Fabrics
- Step1
- Mix a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water for colour-fast items of clothing that cannot be bleached. If your hydrogen peroxide is 20 percent volume (which is standard strength), you'll need to combine the two in an approximate ratio of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 9 parts water, or a 10 percent proportion of hydrogen peroxide.
- Step2
- Soak the item in the hydrogen peroxide solution, letting it sit for at least a few hours.
- Step3
- Rinse the item of clothing thoroughly in warm, clean water, then wash it as you normally would. Make sure you follow all of the care directions on the clothing label to the letter.
- Step4
- Use a biodegradable laundry powder that contains bleach, if the item is bleachable. Simply wash the item in the bleach detergent in your washing machine as soon as possible after you've stained it.↑ Back to the top of the page
Get Curry Stains out of Non-Washables
- Step1
- Take 1 tbsp. of borax. Stir it into approximately a half-litre of lukewarm water (roughly 1 pint). Be sure to measure carefully, as borax is a powerful cleaning agent that may leave a mark of its own if you don't dilute it properly.
- Step2
- Use a sponge to apply the borax solution to the stain. This can be used on non-washable items of clothing as well as your carpet, if you've spilled some of your take-out curry on the floor.
- Step3
- Try not to get the stain too wet. Let it dry, and repeat this process as needed until the stain lifts out. If the stain remains on your carpet, consider calling a professional carpet cleaner to come to your home and treat the stain with industrial-grade cleaning equipment.↑ Back to the top of the page
