Round two saw the Marcellin Planning Partners third XI down at their forever uneven home deck of McCutcheon Oval against Ashwood’s 2nds. With the toss won by our fearless skipper P-Dinny, and the message of “bat the full 80 and we win the match” being drummed out; the boys warmed up their forward defence ready for a long grind. As many players had never played C grade cricket or an 80 over match before, it set the scene for a game of firsts for many of our players.

The 2015/16 season started for the B turf defending champions with a humid and muggy one dayer at Glen Iris. It got off to the worst possible start with news that the umpire had called in sick. It had already been a rough morning for opening bowler Day whose hopes that, “Shaving my head will be fine, I’ll probably end up looking like Juddy”, were sadly misguided.

We kicked off our second and final practice match against Maris Stella College, Sri Lanka. We were going to be a player short for the first hour or so it was decided that we were going to bat first.

Beautiful day and great conditions greeted the 2nd/3rd XI at Carey on a thin pitch that gave Massarotti his weekly chance to claim that the pitch was too long.