Yet another delightfully scenic drive to the small Indian Ocean seaside town of Fishoek for the Cryptics fifth and final match of the Club’s Centenary Tour of S.Africa.

Another toss won by tour skipper Tom Swerling and despite a rather weakened batting line up, with John Hamilton, John Carroll and Joe Ireland having to return home for school duties, he decided to bat first, perhaps not realising we were up against virtually Fishoek’s  1^st X1.

We welcomed to the side Francois Wainker, a former St.Edward’s School, Oxford talented cricketer and rugby player and David Fawcus’ second cousin Oscar Sanders, the third generation great grandson of one of the original founders of the Club to have represented the Club. Oscar, a handy medium pacer is training in South Africa for a career in the theatre.

Openers Tom Swerling and Ben Smith walked to the crease accompanied by bagpipe music from three local highly competent performers practicing. However this serenade merely served to inspire the home side’s opening bowlers and it was not long before the Cryptics were reeling at 15-3.Tom Swerling however stood firm but with runs hard to come by. With help from Francois Wainker they raised the total to 53 before Tom fell for a fighting 24.

Sadly there was little assistance to Francois from the remaining Cryptic batsmen and when he was smartly stumped for 22 the visitors quickly slipped away for a meagre total of 73 in only 36 of the available 45 overs.

Tom Pugh opened the Cryptics attack with the left arm spin of Francois Wainker at the other end but neither  made much  impression, especially to the hard hitting Fishoek skipper Brandon Miller, who has played for Studley in the Birmingham League for the last nine years.

The odd difficult chance went down in the field but the Cryptics were resigned to the inevitable at an early stage and with Miller striking boundary after boundary Fishoek were home and dry by 8 wickets in a mere 14 overs, with Miller left 48 n.o.