Back in 2006, the Chinese cricket association set some ambitious goals which included:
Some, but not all, of these goals were met: the Badgers have a flourishing Far Eastern contingent in the form of Blake, Lee, Thomas, and Cade. All are still awaiting call ups to their respective national sides (with Cade coming the closest as a water boy for the Thai national side) and are instead, making do with playing cricket at the recreational level with some stints of scoring and umpiring thrown in for good measure. It should be noted that, whilst Cade’s ethnicity is yet to be proven, his love of scoring and Japanese cars leaves little doubt as to his true origin.
Little was known about the Interlopers. But plenty was known about Dundonald Recreation Ground and her wonderful toilets. The Badgers opted to bat first and with urgency. Assisted by an outfield which was as fast as Blake’s ability to locate nightclubs, boundaries came thick and fast. In the end, the batting total was 297 with almost two-thirds of those coming from boundaries.
The total proved to be a little out of reach for the Interlopers with Blake and Maxwell finding their rhythm with the ball and taking 4 wickets each and keeping the opposition to 35 overs.
This came as a relief to the infants of the team who had come to spectate (Baby Lucia, Sophia, Grace, and Pete Cade) as it meant that they could return home in time for bed to dream about the day when they will follow in their fathers’ footsteps and represent the Battersea Badgers.