Cardiff Cavaliers Cricket Club

Captain’s log, star date 24-7-03

"Thursday 24 July 2003 was one of the proudest days of my life. Thinking back, the game itself was something of a blur but I have a snapshot of memories surrounding the game.

I well remember myself and my two co-selectors meeting in the Rummer Tavern one lunchtime a few days before to select the team. We agreed to come with our preferred selections and it transpired all three of us had exactly the same eleven! I recall ringing some who had been selected including Wayne (Childs) who was on tenterhooks as, he thought, a borderline selection and his excitement on learning his fate.

July had seen beautiful weather but it ominously started changing 24 hours before the game. As we assembled at Penarth, the skies were leaden and steady drizzle fell and I feared a postponement would weigh heavily against us. This was a team at its peak and we had to maintain the momentum.

I had spent a number of hours pondering batting and bowling orders – indeed, I had different orders for fielding first or second. Happily the game went ahead and I lost the toss, with the opposition skipper tossing the coin. I felt an early psychological reverse as I walked back into the dressing room having felt I had been ‘done’ real Hustle style.

We had to bat, we scored 158, and we took a long time to make the breakthrough to remove their two star openers. Eventually on about 70 we got one of them and I felt the floodgate would open and the game would be ours and so it proved.

The locker room after was manic. We showered and went into the Penarth clubhouse with a feeling of quiet satisfaction. Then on to the City Arms until 2am, ith the game re-run in minute detail and every nuance analysed. It meant nothing to the other people in the bar, far less the outside world, but for the club this was our FA Cup final, a holy grail reached.

Four years on, I feel that buzz again as we approach the final. This is a better squad but we must beware as complacency could be our undoing."

Grizz