Venue The Brook
Opponents SKK III
Date Saturday 14 August 2004
Result 
Captain's Report:
What a day.
Yet again match day rolled around with the sun in the sky, and a promise of more to come. The usual suspects were at The Brook two and a half hours prior to kick-off, erecting tents, laying flicx mats, basically getting the place sorted. Thanks to Lloyd, Marcel, Tommi and Niklas for fighting the wind that started blowing out of the West, and finally getting the tent up - albeit temporarily!
At 10:45 I once again lost the toss - this is getting embarrassing - and Maija asked our openers to get padded up. Lloyd and Tommi did the honours, with yours truly at number 3 again, and as in the encounter with SKK in July, the runs flowed steadily from the seniors. An excellent knock by Lloyd - 43 - laid the foundation for our finally tally of 136 all out, but the contribution of the juniors was in no way insubstantial, with the first ever boundaries hit by juniors at The Brook - superb job, Marcel and Niklas! One point to mention here - FIVEstumpings in one innings?? Work to do there chaps.
Deja vous applies for the bowling - some very good, accurate stuff mixed in with some bloody awful efforts - yours truly being one of the biggest culprits in the WIDE!! category. The real plus for this though, was the fielding. Two brilliant run outs by Marcel & Phil, (teamwork!) three very tidy catches, and all round good fielding meant we restricted the opposition to 102 all out - a first innings lead of 32.
Oh yes, remember the tent we so carefully anchored to the ground? It disappeared off toward Helsinki somewhere around the 10th over; it was quite amusing watching everyone chase it across the field (I was batting!) and grab on to it before it actually took off for Estonia - thanks guys!
LUNCH!
And so on to the afternoon. By now it had turned quite nasty, the cold wind bringing stinging little showers with it, and a fairly muted effort with the bat saw us post a total of 112 for 8. I say muted, but yet again the juniors MORE than held their end up - proud of you boys, well done. So SKK needed 147 off 20 overs to proceed to Suomenlinna for the final on Sunday.
To be honest, it was never going to happen. More than seven an over is a tall order, and by the 9th over the rate had increased past ten. It was only a matter of time before they succumbed to 70 all out, with much tidier bowling from all of us, and a repeat of the 1st innings excellent fielding. For the record, ECC beat SKK III by 76 runs in an excellent all-round team performance which showed just how much the juniors have come on this year.
One point to make - and this is what this team is all about. During the SKK innings a batsman was given run out by the umpire - several unsighted fielders had appealed, which is fine - and the batter began to walk (leave the field). The fielder involved in the 'run out', and a couple of those who saw the whole thing stopped the batsman, and spoke to the umpire. We told her that it was Not Out because the fielder didn't have the ball in his hand at the exact second he hit the stumps, although it was bloody close, the decision was reversed, and the batsman returned to the crease (continued to bat). "Huh, no more than you should do" some might say. Fair enough, but trust me - it doesn't happen that way, and we know it. Excellent sportsmanship, Tommi especially; well done.
Venue Suomenlinna
Opponents Thinking Mens' Navy (MTK)
Date Sunday 15 August 2004
Result
Captain's Report:
This was always going to be a different prospect from SKK III, especially as seven of us had played for seven hours in the cold and wind the day previously!
For reasons best left buried, and hopefully forgotten, I decided to relinquish Captaincy for the day to Nick 'Golden Balls' Burton. Amazingly enough he won the toss, and as the team had all agreed previously, invited our opponents to bat first (something to do with wanting to get down the pub early to watch the Man Utd - Chelsea game??). Anyway, bat they did, and we promptly rolled them over for 60 runs in 13 overs, with Phil & Reesh taking three wickets each. There was some very tight bowling from the aforementioned and Lee, and with everyone MORE than pulling their weight on what has to be the smallest cricket 'field' I have ever seen, it was a great effort.
We knew the job wasn't even half done, and we all said so, but I would be lying if I said anything other than we all thought Lloyd & Tommi were setting off for the middle for the one and only time on Sunday. "I want at least 150 out of you lot" were the exact words I seem to recall from our esteemed skipper-for-the-day. As it was, Lloyd got out for single figures, Tommi and I weighed in with less than 20 apiece, and when Marcel strode out we were 60 for 6 after 14 overs, looking at a very meagre lead indeed. Skipper Nick joined him two balls later, and for the first time in a long while, didn't get out first ball. Okay, so he got out SECOND ball, and the first was a wide, but hey - when Golden is your nickname, every little helps.
Six overs later, 26 not out, Marcel walked off having added a further 60 runs to our total with help from Laurence, Daniel and Paul (who scored double figures for the first time- well done!) and we were in a very healthy position. Instead of being a couple of runs ahead, we had doubled MTK's score, and settled down to a very welcome HOT lunch!
After which it just got better. for a while. Tommi, Phil and Reesh had the opposition reeling at 50 for 6 after 10 overs, the fielding was dynamic, and we were BUZZING. Four more wickets for Phil (season's best), and two more for Reesh. At this point MTK were ten runs adrift of our first innings, with just three wickets remaining; the rain was tipping down, and we thought "We'll only need to score a handful, job done".
So I don't quite understand how it was that they finished with 146 for 8 after 20 overs. 96 runs for only 2 wickets in ten overs. Hmm.
Oh yes - another point to make here. There was an odd situation where an MTK (opening) batsman was 'bowled' - that is, the umpires were sure the ball had hit the wicket, one of the bails was dislodged, and the batsman, given out, walked. It was clear he wasn't too sure about the situation, and none of ECC were happy with it either - the wrong bail had come off. So we talked about it, conferred with the umpires, and for the second game in two days, we recalled the batsman. I wonder if there's a fair-play award...
Anyway, in rain that was now approaching monsoon strength, the mainland totally obscured from view, Tommi and I set out to score the 86 we needed to win the Plate "properly" (I'll get to that). With some ferocious shots from Tommi - one six that actually ended up in the Baltic - 30 were knocked off in 4 overs, with my wicket the only loss. This was when Yas & Steve (the umpires) decided the situation was beyond insane, and called a halt to proceedings - no complaints, it was ridiculous to carry on, but everyone wanted to 'finish the job'. We huddled in the changing room and the MTK equipment van - thanks for the beers Slugger! - watching the downpour for 45 minutes until we agreed no further play was possible and the match was called off.
We needed 56 runs from 16 overs, with 9 wickets in hand, and it was generally agreed all round that we would get them, but in any case the rules state that a result can be declared after each team has batted the first 20 over session. It was an unsatisfactory end to the day - and season - but Empire Cricket Club had won the FCA Plate in their first season.
We won it, and I believe we deserved to, but that isn't the important thing. What matters is we played OUR way, we maintained the Spirit of Cricket throughout the season, and our two forfeited games notwithstanding, did the club proud. The boys - the juniors - were the biggest plus point for me. They practised well, they listened to the senior members' advice, and without exception, they came on in leaps and bounds. I for one am looking forward to next season, to see what this bunch can REALLY achieve. Well done Empire.
Job Done
Phil D, Helsinki, 22 AugustVenue The Brook
Opponents Vantaa
Date Saturday 17 July 2004
Result 
Captain's Report:
We had to forfeit - second week on the bounce.
Phil D, Helsinki, 15 July
Venue Ruskeasuo
Opponents SKK II
Date Saturday 10 July 2004
Result
Captain's Report:
As we only had six available players, I was left with no option but to cancel and thereby forfeit the game.
Phil D, Helsinki, 9 July
Venue The Brook
Opponents SKK III
Date Saturday 19 June 2004
Result
Captain's Report:
Unlike the previous week, the outlook was encouraging from the get-go. Blue skies, a light breeze, and a sausage egg 'n' bacon breakfast at 7a.m. - the perfect start to the day.
Ariving at "The Brook", Laurence & Lloyd, with help from Marcel, Tobias & Daniel had the pitch and the 'pavilion' set up by half past nine, by which time the light shower that hit us about 8:30 had drifted away toward Vantaa, and the sun shone for the remainder of the proceedings. The details were added - tea, coffee, the Union Jack -and by quarter past ten Viikki Brook could have been misaken for any English village cricket pitch on a Saturday in June. Half a dozen ready willing and energetic kids, and half a dozen willing seniors were warming up for the serious action to come.
At ten to eleven I lost my first toss of the season, and we were put into bat on our as always unpedicatble mat. Lloyd got himself out cheaply, and then Tommi and I took the score smartly along at eight an over and in to the 80's until a stupid call from yours truly at the non-striker's end, with the ball in front of the wicket, led to Tommi being run out on 31 when he was surely heading for a second successive 50. The first home six was hit during the partnership, but with only four recognised batsmen, the innings petered out at 105 in 17 overs - although a 200+ total for 40 overs is never a bad knock, so we took to the field in good heart.
Some very good bowling interspersed with some horrendous stuff - the wide ball count made up more than HALF their first inning's total - meant that SKK were dismissed for 74 in 19.5 overs. The highlights were Niklas' catch, a couple of smart close in catches, and Marcel's miserly bowling. A comfortable-but-not-at-all-safe lead of 31 for ECC at the break, with runs off the bat being kept down at a very creditable rate of 2.4 an over.
Lunch, provided once again by Lloyd (thanks mate), was just perfect. Light but plentiful, it left us ready for the afternoon's endeavours to come.
ECC's second innings was very much "as you were". Tommi and I opened, Tommi got himself out trying to put the ball OVER the brook on 19, and the second wicket took us smartly past 80 with just 11 overs on the board. A gentleman's agreement among the senior players saw the bat being swung freely after we reached 90, and as a result it was left to the lads to see us through to the close - a job they did admirably, as we closed the innings with wickets in hand. 4 to be precise.
125 - 6 (Phil 31 Lloyd 26 Tommi 19) meant SKK needed 157, or a run rate of just shy of 8 an over. As they scored well under 4 an over in the first innings, this was always going to be a tall order, even though we did agree to Jonathon opening the batting for the visitors - it's the spirit, not the letter, that counts.
Once again, it was deja-vu for the bowling. Some really good stuff, especially in the field, and another horrible wide count meant that at the end of their allotted 20 overs, SKK had reached 94 - 6, short of our total by 66 runs. And by rights, we should have won it by 3 figures, if not for some suicidal activities in both innings - but what the hell, we won!
Highlight of the innings, a stunning run out with a direct hit from mid wicket by Tero. And a mention for "it was in the air to long" - taking away the wides he bowled, Max's figures were as follows: 8-1-2-8. Which means he was actually hit for one run an over exactly. Not bad for a dodgy knee, Max
This - was a success. Not just in terms of the result, which was our first full game victory, and well-deserved, but everything. The visitors were well impressed with the ground, (a grass stain on the knee of one fielder prompted the comment "I'm not washing these all summer!") the weather couldn't have been better, the atmosphere was superb, and our team spirit just seems to grow and grow.
The Sixes to come after Midsummer, and then it's on to SKK II on July 10th. Let's keep this up - we can do even better than this, I'm sure.
Well done - everyone.
Phil D, Helsinki, 21 June
Venue Turku
Opponents Turku
Date Saturday 12 June 2004
Result
Captain's Report:
The day began very badly. At 7:00a.m., just as we were due to set off for our IKEA rendezvous, we discovered we were two players short. Max "it was in the air to long" Kerninck had a recurrence of an old war wound, and was ruled out. Olli "it's too far" Karanko couldn't come for other reasons. Added to that the fact it was barely +10 degrees (50F to us oldies) and greyer than charcoal, it was not an inspiring beginning to the day.
Not to be downcast, we headed off for Turku packed into two cars, with "Slugger" making his own way, looking forward to a good day out. And we got one. Sort of.
I won the toss (okay, okay, so it's the only thing I HAVE won) and because we were still a man short - well, two actually, as we only had ten to begin with - chose to bat. I opened with "Midnight" at the other end, and facing some very good, accurate, and reasonably quick, bowling, we put on 18 in the first 6 overs. We finished up 28 all out - which meant 8 wickets lost for the paltry sum of 10 runs. Still, 8 or 10 wickets makes no difference. We capitulated, pure and simple. And against a side like Turku, that is not a clever thing to do. The first 12 overs saw them at 116 - 2. Not THAT bad from our point of view, and the thought of keeping them to under 200 was a definite possibility. How they managed to score 154 runs without loss, in the last 8 overs, I will never know. But they did, and their total was 268 - 2. 
And then came lunch.
I don't know what they put in that food - which was wonderful by the way, many thanks to the Turku chefs - but after lunch, Midnight & Slugger strode out into the middle, took a look around them, and put on 110 in less than 12 overs (see Turku's first innings!). For the record, Tommi hit 59 and Lloyd 39. After that we sort of slowed up a bit, but a special mention should go to the Burton Brothers for their running and calling in the last couple of overs. We lasted 20 overs for the first time in 4 attempts, and we ended up 150 - 6. Turku started their second innings and moved to 104 - 3 after 13 overs before the rain came. And considering we were experimenting with our bowlers in the second innings, that is pretty impressive. So we lost. Again. But this game - and especially the second innings - was a turning point for The Empire. We believe in ourselves, in our batting, and we will NOT go down against SKK III next Saturday. Watch this space!
All told it was a bit , but with a definite confidence boost in the second innings. Better things to come for ECC this week - for sure.
Phil D, Helsinki, 16 June
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