In pursuit of cricketing nirvana, the Lanna squad will travel thousands of metres to assemble at Gymkhana – the hallowed turf we’ve called home for eight seasons. We’ll look to exploit our intimate knowledge of the ground with carefully directed mis-hits and field settings based primarily on shady spots around the boundary.
Last year, after failing to register a win until Thursday, we stormed home to claim the Bowl and learned that at the Sixes, fitness and freshness do not necessarily lead to good form. Our working theory is that the opposite might be true and that a day or two of diligent self-abuse might kickstart the campaign a bit earlier. Scales and Ballantyne have been assigned to investigate further.
Richard Young returns in full health (which is a worry because his best cricket has often been played on one leg), along with maniac preacher Shine Thomas, umpires’ darling Elliot Lodge and Richard Cowles who, like all wicketkeepers, firmly believes his bowling is the secret weapon the team has been missing.