San Francisco Tour

The Labor Day weekend provided the occasion for a highly enjoyable visit by 17 SICC members to San Francisco for a combination of sight-seeing and two matches with the Marin Cricket Club at their gound in Larkspur, a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Thanks are due to our hosts Marin C.C. for their exceptional hospitality and the opportunity to enjoy cricket on their picturesque ground framed by Mount Tamalpais, the highest point in central California.

The inconsistency of SICCÕs play, especially in the Saturday game, signalled a lack of match or any other practice, most of our players having not been on a cricket field for more than three months.

Marin won the toss on Saturday and elected to bat first, having good naturedly agreed to let SICC rotate 13 players so all could have a chance to bat and bowl.Our opening bowlers, Sri and Lomesh, found a good line and length and contained the Marin openers to 26 runs from eight overs. Indeed, if we hadnÕt put down several hard chances, the Marin innings may have unfolded differently. As it was, the follow-up bowlers quickly lost the plot, bowled too short on a slow pitch, and were punished by a succession of Marin batsmen. Marin cruised to 234 for the loss of two wickets in 40 overs.

The superb lunchtime catering by our hosts might have been designed to induce some lethargy to our batting, but in the event, we started out at six an over and with 49 runs on the board before the loss of the first wicket, were on pace to match Marin. Don (30), Chris (28) and Gerry(34) all cotributed runs at a brisk pace before falling to injudicious shots. Unfortunately the middle and later order batsmen failed to apply themselves, and with the exception of a spirited knock by Dusty (28 n.o.), gave their wickets away cheaply. SICC was all out for 190 in 36 overs leaving Marin the winners by 44 runs.

SundayÕs sunshine was a repeat of Saturday and again a demonstration how conditions can vary dramatically in just a few miles around San Francico Bay. Both days we left a fog-bound city for the sunny shores of Larkspur only seven miles to the north.

SICC won the toss and batted first, grinding out 160 for the loss of nine wickets in 40 overs against some steady bowling by Marin. Chris with a stylish 46 and Lee with 47 n.o. headed the scoring.

After a patchy start the SICC bowlers found some rhythm and we were in the game after 21 overs with Marin at 106 with five wickets down. Indeed with Ram and Chris bowling to a tight line and length we claimed five wickets in 11 overs for just 35 runs. The subsequent bowlers, however, repeated SaturdayÕs error and the Marin middle order gained the ascendency and accelerated the scoring as we dropped the ball too short. Marin were home comfortably with 161 for seven wickets.

But as we all know a successful tour doesnÕt depend on success on the field. The good company of our hosts at Marin C.C., some convivial cocktail hours (entertainment by Laurence and Gerry), team dinners (one complete with belly dancer) and the joys of a great city more than compensated for any shortcomings in performance on the field.

Some final words of thanks to Laurence for arranging the invitation with his old buddy Mike Miller at Marin C.C., to Dusty, our principal organizer, to Yvonne for scoring -- what would we do with out her, to Peter our dependable and impertable umpire, and to Chris, Gerry and Dusty for driving duties.