Cricket is back!
And after a savaging at the antlers of the Antelopians at the weekend, we move onto something much more agreeable this Sunday - the 2020 Intraclub.
This year the Team @PeterJEastwood takes on Team @ChrisBrown303
Draft to commence at 6pm...

The captain's are here, away we go...

First up in the draft, following a classic late wobble from Robbo, it's Pinkney vs Sherman, in a face off of the greatest historic Road batsman, vs the reigning batsman of the season...

Browny wins the toss, and selects Pinkney, citing Browny's own lack of batting form and a desire to shore up what is therefore already a wobbly line up.

But has he missed a trick by not pitting Sherms against the man who triggered him at the weekend...? Time will tell...

Next up, in a battle of the Merry Men, it's Sam Castle, who doesn't have an average for the Road after one red inker above 50. And Andy Day, who has bowled well, but batted like Keaton Jennings in his two Road appearances.

PEJ's pick this time...

And he goes for Castle. PEJ confident he's got the wood over Andy after dismissing him LBW last year.

Quote: 'Team PEJ wants big game players, not flowers who wilt under pressure. Hence, Sam Castle'

Next up it's the war of the immobility scooters: Rossi vs Keats.

Let's hope Browny can pick one faster than it generally takes their deliveries to arrive at the batsman.

Browny swiftly picks Keats, citing some impressive winter netting performances.

As the weekend result at Antelopians showed (78 all out), winter nets count for precisely FA.

Huge dilemma for PEJ with the next lot: @Matt_Smally vs Josh Huckin, another merry man.

Smally has lost every intra he has appeared in, but he did bowl PEJ, for a filthy last year.

Decisions, decisions...

PEJ is a superstitious man, he passes the Smally curse onto Browny, and picks Huckin, who he has never seen play.

Journeys to matches going to be awkward for the Oval boys for the rest of time.

Nikhil or Bibby up next.

A bit like Sam Curran or Mark Wood. One is rapid but injury prone, the other a bit slower but metronomic and left arm variation.

Browny's pick.

'Bears are notoriously messy eaters, I'm going to need a Bib'.

PEJ happy with that, can now use Nikhil's left arm against Browny, who has zero leg side shots when he bats.

Mandy vs Oscar now, this is being billed as 'The Golden Ticket' round of the draft.

Simply, whichever plays better, probably wins.

Holder vs Stokes, but with more riding on it.

PEJ picks Mandy for the second successive year, backing the talent despite a poor return in 2019 Intra, where Raju ensnared him in the first over.

Oscar's lack of netting and long journey from his home planet to South London also a factor.

From the sublime to the ridiculous. Now it's time for the LEFT ARM WILDCARD pick.

Admiral Mahony, already established as a loose cannon with bat or ball, or Karl Larsson, set to debut at nets tomorrow and a complete unknown quantity...

Browny up

Browny really stumped here, on the one hand, naval supremacy through the Admiral. On the other hand, the raiding qualities of Viking Supreme Karl Larsson.

What to do...

Browny eventually plumps for Mahony, better the devil you know.

Though how the irritable Australian reacts to the sheer level of deliberation remains to be seen. He's a confidence player, has the skipper mishandled him?

A real battle of the timelines now. Aging great and political supremo Dave Hughes, or Woody.

PEJ's pick.

Despite reservations, and a belief that Woody has a problem with authority that will need stamping out, PEJ plumps for him.

He showed lots of enthusiasm in the field, and his bowling is sheer Raju **** takes wickets energy.

Up next, two of the Merry Men!

Pete Sainthouse, who wrote his name into intra folklore by dismissing Charlie Kay for two golden ducks in one innings last year, or complete newcomers Tommy Ryan, a pinch hitter who has been known to strop out of nets, rather than bowl at others.

Browny: 'I'm immediately drawn to a man who has a strop, it has to be Tommy Ryan.'

Good pick for both sides that, and another douse of gasoline, to the flaming inferno of Team Bear's team spirit.

Not sure the point of this pick. It's Lax, or Pinkney's mate Jon.

Lax has never been the same since being bounced by Smally at indoor nets, but is velcro hands in the field. Pinkney's mate Jon opens the batting and averages 12.

PEJ at a complete loss.

Tough, tough call. PEJ banking on Lax still buying both teams beers even if he doesn't pick him, so goes for Pinkney's mate Jon, in the hopes that he raises his game against his friend and rival.

Final pick: Tim Fallon, a recent net debutant not dissimilar in style to Woody, and Robbo or other, here meaning Robbo likely to spend Sunday banking, and thus be replaced by someone else.

Browny to take a leap of faith one way or t'other.

Browny rolls the dice and hopes that this will be one of Robbo's three games per season.

'The Bear and the Horse shall frolick in the fields once more.'

LINE UPS