Top marks to PricewaterhouseCoopers batsman Syed Iqbal this week for a memorable course cricket feat.
Batting at Britannic Park, Moseley, in the opening match in this summer's John Bright Trophy, Iqbal produced a pioneering way of avoiding a certain run out when his sprawling dive ended a foot short of the safety of the batting crease.
Falling to the ground, he managed to fling his bat forward sending it crashing into the stumps. This left the puzzled bowler no time to work out he had to uproot a stump to get the run out and Iqbal managed to scramble to safety. Can anyone recall a similar masterful example of bat throwing?
The opening week in Birmingham's corporate cricket tournament brought emphatic wins for trophy holders PwC, who beat newcomers Shakespeare Putsman by 64 runs, and fellow 2006 finalists KPMG with their trouble-free ten-wicket win against Pinsent Masons.
A week of welcome sunshine also saw Bond Wolfe beat an inexperienced Drivers Jonas side by 64 runs. Full marks for bravery to the defeated side's keeper though for heroically keeping wicket wearing batting gloves.
Tues May 1- PricewaterhouseCoopers 176/4 in 16 overs (S Matharu 38 retired, S Abbas 36 retired, J Barr 2-12) Shakespeare Putsman 112/8 in 16 overs (J Robertson 34, J Barr 18, A Watts 15, S Abbas 2-0). PwC won by 64 runs.
Wed May 2 Pinsent Masons 72 in 12 overs (A Edmondson 21, M Patel 2-11, S Javed1-6) KPMG 75/0 in 8.5 overs (C Hughes 38*, L Soden 20*). KPMG won by 10 wkts
Thurs May 3 - Bond Wolfe 126/4 in 14 overs (J Mattin 28, R Daly 19, B Murphy 2-20) Drivers Jonas 62-5 in 14 overs (J Reilly 2-3). Bond Wolfe won by 64 runs.
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Birmingham businessman Tony Taylor has two dogs.
Anyway, there he was buying a large bag of Winalot in Tesco waiting in a queue at the till.
And here's the story in his own words:
"A woman behind me asked if I had a dog.
"On impulse, I told her that no, I was starting the Winalot Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.
"I told her it was essentially a perfect diet and the way that it works is to load your trouser pockets with Winalot nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry, the food being nutritionally complete.
"So I was going to try it again.
"Practically everyone in the queue was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a guy who was behind her.
"Horrified, she asked if I'd ended up in the hospital in that condition because I had been poisoned.
"I told her no, it was because I'd been sitting in the road scratching my backside and a car hit me. I thought one guy was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard as he staggered out the door.
"Stupid cow . . . why else would I buy dog food?"
Bow, wow, wow.
Tony, you will understand, is completely barking.
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From what I remember of it, the Press Ball was an excellent night.
But sadly no show from that old swinger, Roger Monkman, one of the media pensioners at Birmingham Chamber.
Absent because of his son's wedding - I mean, what sort of excuse is that?
What has happened to the famous Monkman staying power, I ask?
No doubt spending the time negotiating an exclusive deal with Hello magazine.
So the poor lad missed seeing the heavily tanned Jenny Chatham, another PR scribbler, back from the latest of her many holidays, this time in Grand Canary.
Where, it is rumoured, she took the opportunity to indulge in a bit of topless sunbathing.
"And if you put that in the paper you're dead," she informs Bright.
Oops.
And Monkman also missed the sight of Steve Pain, deputy business editor of this organ, in his specially acquired new DJ.
Except the store forgot to take the security tag off, and our lad had never noticed it dangling at his side.
Naturally, he took plenty of stick, prompting the wags to suggest he'd done a runner and never paid. Sadly, though he may be a skinflint, he did. Though not a lot.
Lichfield-based PR guru Ian Strachan was there along with guests from his newest client, stationery and gift company Eximius.
Eximius were generous enough to donate £400 worth of personalised stationery as a Press Ball raffle prize. And who won the prize? None other than the person sitting on Ian's left, Sharon Lawton, wife of one of Corus's top metal bashers, Reg Lawton.
Profuse denials that the raffle had been rigged.
Still, the Bright "Disgrace" award of the night goes to publisher Mark Dorey.
He fell asleep on the stairs of the Burlington Hotel where the event was held in a general state of over-indulgence.
That's the spirit.