Monday 5th July
Disaster strikes at 11:00am on the first morning of the tour. Pulling up to the Cockroach & Mallet pub in South Molton, it looks closed with builder’s rubble and a fence blocking the car park entrance. Further examination shows the pub to be open but the Ducklings all park ½ mile away and walk to the pub only to find the entrance open to the car park via a new entrance

The inside of the public resembles Holby General with the Ducklings turning up with various knee, foot and hand injuries and you can tell it is going to be a long week for the fit players who will be pressed into service every day.

Champagne moment of the day comes with Boncey running back to take a catch over his shoulder. All the players could hear was a huge “thwack” sound as he completely missed the ball and headed it thirty yards to the boundary. Fortunately Boncy is normally in a state of anaesthesia so the blow did no damage, although the bump on his head was special. (see picture gallery)

For the first time in many years the Duck remained un-awarded. Last years holder Clive, unable to tour had lent the duck to the tourists in the hope he would be rid of him. Geoff as a debut Duckling was given the honour of opening the batting and despite being the biggest candidate for LBW ever seen on a cricket field and on a low slow damp wicket, he kept scraping inside edges and got off the mark to avoid the duck.

As is tradition, The Ducklings got thumped after setting too low a target and the bowling and fielding efforts were summed up by Ade’s comment after his last delivery was thumped for four “C***” he called himself but as usual at about 120 decibels.

Tuesday 6th July
The Post Office has got a lot to answer for. Since they changed all the shift patterns, their staffs don’t have time to play cricket in the afternoons. This meant that North Devon had only 5 players on Monday and Ducklings ended up loaning two players. Skipper Moods thought he was being smart in lending two of the oldest tourists, “Tumblin’ Ted” and “Stormin’ Norman” North Devon then turned out with 10 players to the Ducklings 9 – nice one Moods - and Stormin’ proceeded to take four catches behind the stumps as he turned back the years. Readers of the proceeding Ducklings diaries will have noticed the resemblance between Stormin and Elmer Fudd and he lived up to his toon brother by “wabbiting” all through the innings with non-stop sledging of the tourists.

On the usual perfect batting pitch at North Devon Tumblin’ Ted bowled a tight spell and then proceeded to bat like a dream dispatching Ade with his favourite cut shot and rattling up an excellent fifty. Just to compound the tourists misery Stormin’ then proceeded to sledge the fielders while he was batting

The Duck stayed in his box for another day. Obviously everyone is starting to play for their first single and not entering into the tradition of the tour. Tomorrow is a double rollover.

Wednesday 7th July
Mid summer (allegedly) and the gale blowing across the South West has only one saving grace in that it is blowing too hard for it to rain.

With a rubbish weather forecast it looked to be just a matter of time before the rain came along and sure enough after tea it arrived with a vengeance the rain coming in horizontally. Shame really with Braunton at 19 for 4 there was a good chance that the Ducklings would have won that game.

No ducks in the game again. The situation is getting serious and if the Duck is not won it will be sent back to Clive by post with a note saying “bad luck, better luck next year”


Thursday 8th July
Although the rain had desisted the wind was blowing a gale still. Westward Ho! In the sun is not bad. On a cloudy windy damp day, it is the best advert for a holiday in Spain that you could imagine. On turning up at the ground the tourists were informed that the game was off, despite a suspiciously dry pitch. Statto, long-term Ducklings opponent and guest player was as surprised as anyone to learn the game was off so proceeded to go out on the lash with Boncey and Moods which says something for his staying power if not his common sense. Bloggy should know better. He turned up for the Thursday dinner after six pints of Stella and only just managed to run from the bar to the gents before embarrassing himself. He managed to eat his dinner but had no recollection of the meal the day after.

Friday 9th July
Duck still not awarded. Shaun as captain for the day decides to fix this and sends out Brando and Russ to bat on a slow wet wicket. It could be said that Russ is not a batsman and in fact Elmer Fudd would wet himself with excitement at the thought of catching such a wabbit and Russ after surviving a few overs was bowled and duly presented with the Duck. About twenty minutes later Brando finally succumbed and to everyone’s surprise had also recorded a duck, a very long one. Typical, just like buses, you wait forever for one then………..

The game looked like being a close one with Victoria Park steadily losing wickets, until Shaun replaced John Gray who had been bowling some economical pies. Moods replacing him went for 22 in his first over and John was bought back only to go for 22 in his over. This rather messed up a good game, Victoria Park going from a target of 60 odd in 9 overs to 16 in six overs- oh dear. Game over but at least we got to the pub on time and in the cars early for the trip home.