Mells 2009: Match Report 
As tradition would have it, the Strollers skipper lost the toss and was surprisingly put in to bat, probably fearing that Holliday was hiding behind a tree. Not to be outdone by these tactics (and more to the point, not having Holliday up his sleeve) Duffus decided to take advantage of the weak Mells opening bowlers with the might of (non-cricketer) Allen and Young. This decision proved a good one and the Strollers set about the 11 year olds' bowling with relish. At 43 without loss they were looking to put together a solid 200 plus off the allotted 40 overs.
The rest is now history: the Strollers collapsed to 151 off 40 overs with the only real resistance coming from the tail end, Paul Mason and Paul Hill, a Channel Islander and a South African. Needless to say, the opposition reached this measly target with about 12 overs to go, having lost only 7 wickets. The only hint of optimism would be the discovery of Mackintosh, a true Stroller who knows how to get an extra yard of pace when bowling at an 11 year old in a helmet and quaking in his boots and the debut of Jay Mason, one to watch in the future.
A skipper can only do so much. He can mentally prepare his batsmen before they go out to bat, but once at the crease, the Stroller must rely on a combination of his own wits, deep concentration and the long hours spent in the nets during the cold winter months. In other words, each batsman must take responsibility for his own personal runs tally and not make excuses for poor performance. The ensuing batting collapse at Mells proves that on this day, the skipper was hideously let down by his team. Look back in the Strollers archives. Duffus took full responsibility last year for the miserable performance at Mells but he has spent most of the off-season brushing up on his captaincy (Saurav Ganguly's guide proved particularly useful) and is surely not guilty for this low-point in Strollers/Mells history. Of course, as ever, his fate remains in the hands of the inner circle.
At times like these one has to look to others for inspiration. To finish, an extract from a speech by T Fletcher (former strollers skipper), “And so, my fellow Strollers: ask not what the Strollers can do for you - ask what you can do for the Strollers.” It is indeed time for each Stroller to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask himself some difficult questions.