In a rain-affected match, the Battersea Badgers narrowly lost out to first-time opponents Faire is the XI, a musical reference that left Warman giddy with excitement. With both sides reduced to 20 overs each, the captain of Faire took leadership to the next level, arriving in top hat and tails to Barker’s shell-suit. The psychological battle had already begun.
As the Badger bowlers slipped and slid around the muddy popping crease, the Faire batsmen found boundaries easy to come by and sauntered to 158/4 off their 20 overs. In return, quick-fire 30s for Lee, Morse and Warman kept Badger hopes alive and a new fashion movement was born when Warman elected to wear his waterproof for the duration of his innings.
However, forced retirements and quick wickets slowed the Badger progress and, with 12 balls remaining, 24 runs were still required. This soon became 16 off 6 and 7 off 1. Managing only a scrambled 2 off the final ball of the match, the Badgers were forced to concede defeat and dry off their black and white fur ready for the final home match of the season.