Lumberjacks Chop Us Down, But The Goose Lives On!

Matchday: Saturday, July 19, 2025

Opponent: Lumberjacks CC

Result: Lumberjacks CC won by 6 wickets

Scorecard here: https://cricclubs.com/YorkCricketClubYCC/viewScorecard.do?matchId=986&clubId=1001384

The YCC lads headed into battle last Saturday with good weather, decent form, and the legendary “Goose Plan” already bubbling under the surface. But first — the cricket.

YCC won the toss and batted first, and it was Sathishraj Mohanraj who led the way with a scintillating 65 at the top of the order, peppering boundaries and launching maximums. Pratha opened with intent (17 off 13), while Dominic, Harry, and Echi got starts but couldn’t quite convert.

A late-order rebuild rescue mission was engineered by Rafi (48) and Venkat (43) with a fantastic 96-run stand, pushing the total to a strong 262. Despite a mid-innings collapse that saw YCC slump from 138/5 to 166/9, that final partnership put us back in the game.

Lumberjacks’ bowling was led by Harsimran Singh, who ripped through the middle order to take 4 wickets and deservedly walked away with the Player of the Match award.

In response, YCC’s pace attack struck early — Rafi knocked over both openers to leave the Jacks at 15/2. But a monster 99-run partnership between Azhar (81) and Harpreet (71)* took the game away from us. Echi chipped in with 2 wickets in his second spell, but it wasn’t enough as Lumberjacks comfortably crossed the target with more than five overs to spare.

YCC bowlers tried hard across the board — all eight used, but the extras (35 wides!) made life just a bit too easy for the opposition.

Off the Field: Tales from The Goose

But fear not — while the scoreboard showed a loss, the spirit of York remained unbroken. Like a scene straight from a retro cricket movie, the squad made their way to The Goose post-match — a place full of YCC memories for those who’ve been around long enough to remember the wild old days.

While coordinating the meetup earlier in the week, Chris had chimed in with a dose of classic YCC nostalgia. He recalled how the Old Boys used to hit The Goose after every game — sometimes even joined by the opposition — and wouldn’t leave until they were kicked out at 1:30 am… only to turn up the next day and play again. A different breed altogether.

He admitted they never cared what time they got home — which, in hindsight, might explain why half a dozen marriages in the club didn’t make it past their third season! And yes, he did cheekily suggest that if any of us were planning to keep the tradition alive, it might be wise to get clearance from our wives first.

Fired up by all that pre-game chatter, a few of us did make the pilgrimage to The Goose after Saturday’s game — a couple of pints, a lot of laughs, and tales that keep growing with each retelling. The tradition lives on, in spirit and in suds.

With the hangovers (hopefully) cleared and the memories from The Goose still fresh, it’s time to refocus — because the upcoming weekend is a double-header!

On Saturday, we take on Nightwatchmen CC, and on Sunday, we face Masters Foundation CC. Two strong teams, two big games, and hopefully… two wins.

Let’s bring the energy, the discipline, and maybe hold off on the pints until after both matches this time. See you on the field!