Hey Bombers! It's Pup here with a bit of a wrap up of country week in Bendigo...Got on and off field covered, tried to remember as much as possible and also tried to not go into epic essay writing mode, think I fail both! But hope you enjoy it anyway!

The Team

Lou Caluzzi (C)
Ash "BamBam" Bamford (or is it Sarah? Or is it Bramford?)
Erini Gianakopoulous
Candace Hulett
Hayley "Humphrey" Irvine
Melanie Jones
Sarah McCann
Lizie-Marie "STEVIE!" Mitchley
Jane Neil (Janice Ian)
Monique "Facebook" Sabatino
Molly Strano
Natalie Schilov (C)

Sunday Arvo

After watching Smitty and Beamsy bowl for the Spirit on the CA live stream -very cool! Dad and I head off to Bendigo. We arrive at Elm motel in the arvo where Mon and Molly have already made themselves at home in the spacious (cough cough) room 10. Ditch dad and hang out with the two Italians and Lize-Marie until Jane and then Jones arrive. Think the poor kid did not understand a word Molly and Mon spoke, they did seem to converse in another language and I don't mean Italian..I mean a random form of ‘teenage girl'

We head to some pub for tea, where Jones stares down/sledges the Tassie team (proves ineffective the next day!) I have to drive Mon's car coz she's misplaced her glasses, get in and smack my knees on the wheel, grow a little Shrimpy!

After dins the Terrible 2s players arrive, and we have a quick team meeting. It becomes apparent the ‘hitting over the top' was a good choice of goal when the 3 nuffies that chose to work on ‘strike rotation' realise that means lots of running! Heh heh heh! Huey maintains that she is sitting on a 'squeaky chair', but for some reason the fan is now on at full speed....

We disperse after the meeting and it seems that Pom, Jones and Stevie draw the short straw of sleeping with 10 cm between beds, until I realize and freak out at the fact that I have to share a bed with Strano. Oh no.... I'm not sure if it's me or Brammy who have the rawest deal, Ash has to share with Huey, but when Strano announces she didn't bring PJs I have definitely lost! Luckily the Donza in me came out (my mum always over packs) and I leant the freak some spare clothes to sleep in. Eventually get to sleep on the edge of my bed under the tiniest bit of blanket after a few stern words make us quiet down, sounded like we were moving furniture, apparently...

Monday

Game 1 vs Western Waves (aka Emma and Loretta Kearney)

• Enjoying the condensed warm up and trying to loosen up my crook back, Lou wins the toss and EMP are going to kick of their country campaign with a bat
• Strano and Sabatino take on the opening role getting a few runs on the board before Moni is dismissed
• Molly and I bat together for a while and share almost 140 run partnership, which is nice. Just growing together as a team after our night together, lols!
• Batting against the Waves was strange when I hit a four and hear someone yelling out "Great shot Natty!" from fine leg. Thanks Loretta.
• Bowling against the Waves = even stranger, Flem got run out by Hayley which was a bit cute, and Loretta ran out some poor kid and walks into our huddle and says "You can call me Bunsen!"
• Ended up with a good win to kick things off, wickets were shared with Janice, Humphrey and Lou each picking up 1 and Stevie getting right amongst it with 2. 
• I actually have no idea why Stevie is called Stevie, something to do with Malcolm in the Middle? Maybe I'll YouTube it, but ask Jones and Huey they can fill you in
• Keep a count of Hayley's fielding stats, 2 run outs and a catch in game one - ball magnet!

After the game the Bombers don't really get the indulgence of a ‘lunch break' as we finish game 1 at 12 and are due to start game 2 at 12! Pom Pom is outraged, a few have suggested it is a biggest loser style 3 day camp, as rations of one only lolly each seem to be provided!

Game 2 vs Tasmania Under 23s

• First game I've captained in a while started well, lost the toss and made to bowl. Bummer
• Lucky our secret weapon - Jones, knows most the two headed players so there's lots of help for this rusty skipper! 
• Huey is thrown the new pill, opening the bowling alongside Moni (genuine all rounder, opening the batting and the bowling in both games!) and Hue gets us off with the first wicket. Huey, Lou and Jane pick up 1 wicket each, and congrats to Molly Strano and Ash Bamford who collected their first wickets for EMP! Wooh!
• Hayley amongst the ball in the field again, diving around making things easy for the captain, where the Humphrey goes, the ball goes, and she stops it! Ripper! 
• Props to the Pom (or is it Crackers? Do a little freak out when I see Binch 23 on her back, when did she get here?!) who has the fastest hands I've seen in her two stumpings
• Go out to bat on THE WORST pitch I have ever seen, which certainly did not make life easy for the girls brought up on Spider's fantastic wickets... To give you an idea Jane got bowled off a grubber that bounced in the exact same spot as the ball that got Huey out which pitched on a good length and nearly smacked her in the head!
• Therefore run chase never really got going, Stevie, Pom and Brammy gave it a whack down the order but Jones failed her goal of 'not having to bat' and went in at number 11 and hit a few shots off a young girl to whom the Coco Bear is probably a hero! (not that you're not my hero too Jones, just you're a Tassie legend now, probably more famous than Beamsy..)
• Lose to Tassie by 36 runs, obviously not ideal but the girls are still feeling confident, intent on revenge, hopefully in the final!

Anyway so we finally get lunch at about 430 pm - nice! Jones has the weirdest salad sandwich ever, Pom a 'cloob' sandwich while everyone else bails to Hungry Jacks (solid form).

The Slappers Inc. crew is then born in the car of fun, Huey, Brammy, Strano and myself singing epic loud tunes on the way to the pool for a recovery sesh, accompanied by Jane and Mon....and yes we did know where we were going! Someone's underwear was seen on the ground in the car park of the motel as we were leaving..........and we may've done a tour of Bendigo on the way home..... after a naiicccee pool sesh

Get back and Princess arrives :) she has to snuggle with Jones, cute. We then head out for dinner, I begin the 'honesty hour' in the car with Jones and Reens, hmm. I am then too chicken to send my cold lasagne back, lucky Reens is there to do it for me!

Brammy has the weirdest garlic pizza I have ever seen, but come to think of it, who eats just a garlic pizza?! Jones has her first Cold Rock experience, had no idea what was going on. Strano and I class ourselves as experts and try to explain to her the process of cold rock, by the look on the face of the bloke who worked there and the confusion on Jones', we weren't real good at it! I recommend Baileys and fudge - qual.

Stop off at the super for supplies and Huey does the washing with the assistance of Brammy and Janice, cheers!

We then watch a bit of Clea Smith vs Erin Osborne in the tennis (Molik looks like Smitty and whoever she lost to looked like Osborne!) and Mon puts the phone away early then it's basically off to snooze-vill with Strano - cute as :(

Tuesday

I wake up in the morning feeling like P-diddy. And apparently I talk in my sleep, all lies.... Smash a couple of up and go's and we're ready to go go go!

Game 3 vs Kangaroo Flat

• Win my first toss as skipper woo hoo we'll have a bat thanks
• Huey and Louie (haha) open up with their 'working on singles' game plan, all going well until Lou departs for 10.
• Stevie, Jane and Reens make 16 each (including a one bounce 4 from the Princess) and BamBam chips in with 5 not out to see the Bomber total reach 135
• Huey makes a very nice half century and finishes with 58 of the most un-Huey-like runs ever, but still awesome to watch!
• Another Monsab fan club arrives, committed!
• Kangaroo Flat get a taste of every EMP bowler except for the Pom and myself but Humph is the main destroyer with 3/16 off 4
• Kangaroo Flat also get a taste of the EMP way, sledging our own more than the opposition with Mon copping a belting from everyone and the opening batters were spotted in fits of laughter!
• Huey, Brammy, Rinz and Moni = 1 wicket each
• Reens = 1 catch, 1 run out
• Lou = 1 catch, 1 drop
• Strano = 1 drop off own bowling, 1 fine
• HUMPHREY = 2 catches, 1 run out
• Jones = one very neat scorebook with EMP 

Bombers lucky enough to indulge in some lunch today, head to subberz yay! A few sleepy girls take a nap, Strano and I taking the opportunity to sleep properly without each other! Wasn't the same...lols :)

Game 4 vs Pakenham Upper Toomuc

• Lou takes over the reigns and the toss is lost but EMP begin with a bat, yay!
• And yay it is for Lou and Moll who murder the oppositions bowling until Lou departs. It takes the 'almost' catch of the tournament to dismiss her, a ripper 1 handed fluke of a catch taken by some chick on the boundary, with the co cap unlucky to miss out on the half century with a cracking 46!
• Strano and I share another partnership until I fail at hitting 'over', and hit 'to' a fielder instead! Strano bats through and finished up with an unbeaten 62, excellent work roomie! Empy finish up at 4/154
• Well in control from the get go with Stevie having an impressive opening spell of 1/6 including a maiden! Lou forces me to open the bowling as well...I really didn't want to ;) Rinz takes a super grab to allow me to claim a wicket! Then I get dragged, relief!
• Mon with 1, and Brammy with 2, and Janice Ian with 4/6 off 4!!!!! Well and truly stitch up the Pakenham Upper Toomuc (what a mouth full!)
• Humph takes a catch, surprise surprise, BamBam chats up the umpire, surprise surprise, while much sledging takes place, surprise surprise! Even though they were bowled out for 52, I'm pretty sure the opposition loved it!

After some solid performances on Day 2, we booked ourselves the rematch with Tassie in the GF! Bring it on!

We then head home for express shower before the tournament dinner, no time for hair straightening ladies! Slappers Inc check out of the 'talent' at the boys game, not much on to be honest. As we enter the air conditioned premises I then discover that Huey's Port Power jumper is officially the comfiest thing ever! And I know I look extremely good in aqua....

Award Winners

• Molly Strano; batting average and joint best under 21 player
• Hayley Irvine; (fingers crossed) FIELDING AWARD 
• Jane Neil - outstanding performance with 4/6
• some random with 76 off 46

(this meant that EMP ended up with 5 sets of steak knives...Hmmm!)

• Melanie Jones - boringest speech...Just kidding! Jones spoke very well, I still laugh even though I've heard all the stories...And even though Huey and I nearly missed it on smoko, and Stevie did miss half with a phone call! lols

All in all a good night, topped off with a quick stop at cold rock (peanut butter and cookie dough mmmm) and then ready for bed, my last night with Strano, thank god!

Wednesday 

Ok I just want to say, don't ever share a bed with Molly if you like your space. Night 3 was our closest, I wasn't really feeling the snuggles but Moll obviously was, she just refused to move. To her creds, it only took 5 mins of shoving then she slept right through! Love you long time.

Breakfast of Champions...maccas. 

Empy then go to check out a bit of the Waves vs Mallee game. Loretta is bowling when we arrive. What a star.. Disappointed she got dragged, most enjoyable putting her off! 

Huey and co arrive just as its time to set off to the big game!

Final vs Tassie Under 23

• Lou is skip for the big clash, good toss to win, batting wooh!
• Bendigo Belly hits in the warm up....your diary writer has been taking voltaren for those of you who remember I mentioned the crook back. Anyway, apparently this stuff upsets your stomach. Uh oh.
• Strano and Lou head out to open, yours truly is supposed to be batting at 3..and is no where to be seen when the first or even second wicket fall...evacuate the change room is all I have to say on that matter...
• A solid batting performance sees a fired up Bombers unit post a total of 5/110. Molly capped off her great 3 days with 48, Huey made a quick 21 and Moni played a great innings of 16 finding a much needed boundary in the last 5 overs. Stevie and Jane chipped in with some late runs to get up to the defendable score
• Bowling innings got off to an awesome start with Jane picking up a wicket in the second over! Great catch by Huey and a great call from the co caps to open with a spinner! (Just really want to claim it!)
• Huey then did it again, bowling the other opener in the 3rd over! Tassie are 2/6!
• A run out from fine leg, with Jones bunging her elbow up well and truly, removed another main danger batter from Tassie to have them 3/27 and all the Bombers up and about!!!! Hayley then takes ANOTHER catch but this was catch of the tournament! One handed screamer to her left to remove their last big hitter and have Tasmania reeling 4/42, Bombers well on top!
• Moni bowled a super spell of 4 overs 0/13, really strangling the opposition with perfect line and length! Status update: over 2.4, top nut!
• Strano also bowled well, and put in an amazing save on the boundary as she does best! Banged up her knee but lucky they breed them tough in Werribee!
• Somewhat of an anti climax in the last over, so much so that my old man thought we lost! But when he realized Tassie finished up 5/97, I think a woof was heard somewhere in Bendigo..

EMP are the 09/10 Country Cup Champions!

Can't fill you in on any deets of the after party, as I attended training instead and the tum prob wasn't up for it! :( And for those who did enjoy a team BBQ at Dotty's crib, well I don't know if they can tell you any details either...Coz I believe the saying is, "If you can't remember it, it didn't happen?" I dunno, that's just what they tell me.....

Anyway thanks for reading this epic load of bollocks. If you made it this far...

And thanks to Mel and the club for getting our team together and supporting us to play in the tournament. I had a great time and would recommend that everyone get on board for next year, regardless of ability, age or sleeping habits, every Bomber would love country week!

Catch you around the club Bomber favorites..

Pup 

xo