Sunday morning required an early start, the call was downstairs at 8:00am for an 8:15am departure. As occurred in India (hey Sherro) someone always gets confused about the time and what the term departure means! This time it was the Cougar, first on the taxi to the Padang but last on the bus to Johor Bahru. But at least the Cougar had a good excuse! Arrrgh!

We had two mini buses, this time the Wall was first aboard in the best bus and in the front passenger seat . Some things never change.

The roads were quiet and we made good time through the west of Singapore and over the Second Link Expressway into Malaysia. The difference over the border is startling, things aren't crammed together and while there was lots of development going on, everything was just a little bit haphazard.

We got to the Johor Cricket Academy Ground well before the time required and before the opposition. We wandered all over the ground and its facilities. Only 8 years old, the local climate had taken its toll on the buildings, but it was good setup with a open air pavillion and air-conditioned change rooms. Very comfortable, only the rat running through the kitchen sullied first impressions.

The ground itself was superb, large, well grassed and level with a nine wicket centre square. The pitch itself was grassless, near white hard clay.

Our opposition were the Jolly Wallabies, a local team made up of expats and locals and in today's game visiting students from Pakistan . Ralston the skipper, was from Sydney originally. He had everything well organised, drinks, ice, soap and TP. We would want for nothing. Some of the supporters decided shopping in Malaysia had more appeal than staying to watch their partners display their fading masculine prowess on a Malaysian field of dreams. So off they went, only Tina and Margaret elected to stay watch what turned out to be a thrilling game. 

We were sent in to bat by agreement and I managed to hit the first ball, short and wide, for four through backward point. The first over by Sagi was of acceptable Masters standard, enough to keep us honest but also enough to score from.

The second over I also took first strike, but this time the bowler was sprinting in from 20 metres away from the bowler's stumps. What the? The ball swung very quickly and wide down legside past the keeper to the BACKSTOP! It turns out some of the opposition had not played a lot of cricket on an oval and were learning the various fielding positions .

Sufi, the Rawalpindi Express, was an MBA student from Pakistan. He bowled a lot of legside wides, and I wore a full toss on my stomach, but he also bowled to me four perfect inswinging yorkers and at a good pace. I flashed at the only one he bowled wide of off stump to me and dragged it on to legstump to be out for nine. Which was a pity because it was a great pitch to bat on. 

The Major came in hit a four and then promptly got castled by the Rawalpindi Express. Sufi was a dangerous bowler at times, but he also turned out to be our second top scorer with the number of wides he bowled!

The Duke was definitely the Wall today, he wasn't going anywhere or getting out. Unfortunately the rest of us were not so obdurate. The Wallabies had two classy spinners in Viki and Lefti who proved to be too good for us. Chopper, Simon, Sherro, Skip and Wayne all came and went without troubling the scorers too much . In addition to the Wall's 30, only Morrie (19) and Steensy (13) managed to hit out a bit and get to double figures. Cougar was stranded on 4 not not when we were all out for 122 off only 31 of our 40 overs. Not our best effort.

We enjoyed a good lunch and then took to the field hoping that the Wallabies batting would not be as strong as their bowling. Forty overs to score 123 should not be too difficult on such a good pitch.

Frank and Wayne started well, bowling straight and not giving too much to hit, but a breakthrough proved elusive, and the opposition seemed to know how to go about the chase.

However, the formerly great Morrie Todd, who had kept (sort of) in Singapore came to bowl first change. In four balls Morrie became magnificant as he bowled the opener, got smashed for four second ball , tangled up the batsman on this third ball and then bowled him with his fourth ball . All of a sudden the Wallabies were wobbling at 2/35. Sherro replaced Wayne and took his obligatory wicket, bowling the number four. And then Morrie took another wicket. The Wallabies were four down. Sherro shared his years of experience saying we were still in it, and he was right!

Then Skip came on and in an even more remarkable spell of bowling than Morrie, took the Masters to the verge of victory by taking 4 for 9 in four overs including a fell, caught and bowled (f,c&b). Suddenly the Wallabies were eight down and needed 22 to win. Tight bowling from Catto and Major couldn't wiggle out the final wickets needed.

In a final masterstroke with two required to win, Skip called on the Hero Of Singapore, Steensy. First ball a single was taken, the scores were tied. Second ball Steensy digs in short one, the ball is lofted and the Wall completes the catch. 

 One wicket to tie! Steensy, the Duncan of the Team, the Hero of Singapore, ball in hand with only Sufi to beat . 

 Steensy, cometh the hour, cometh the man. You can do it.

Steensy runs in and bowls....

the widest wide of the day, it doesn't even hit the pitch!

Steensy, no longer Duncan, you are drinking on your own!

It was great, thrilling game with a very funny ending. Well done to the Wallabies for winning such a close one.

Fifteen minutes later at 4:45pm the heavens opened and rain pelted for 30 minutes turning the ground into a lake. So if we had batted longer we may have salvaged a draw, we still need to learn how to occupy the crease.

Afterwards we enjoyed another balmy evening with excellent hospitality from Ralston and his team. The tandoori and curries were excellent (dare I say they bested the SCC?). We presented ties to Prakash for the ice and Viki for being man of the match. While Wayne deservedly won the Jolly Wallaby gold shirt for organising such a great fixture. Ralston was presented with our specially minted gold medallion and jarrah case.

All in all it was a great finish to our mini tour.