Chris-Toff Martin-Junk-Innings reporting from a damp bit of Martindale Dry Pond

After succumbing to 2013 champs Sunshine, Royals drew 2013 big-hitting runners-up FC Coyotes in round 3 of their Weekday Evening league campaign Monday. Not the easiest road to hoe on the high-scoring Martindale ground, yet with Arthur Affonso and Ross Sutherland pumping out the runs, a third straight last ball thriller seemed on until, with 8 wanted from 3, Art unluckily chopped on, leaving Adib the almost-impossible task of striking 2 boundaries.

Full of promise and, once again, runs, 15 year-old Robin Sekhon (30 n.o.) along with gentle giant Arnab Biswas (10) had got Royals off and running. After Arnie holed out and Ajay nicked one, George (13) and Robin kept things ticking before Nabil Ayubi (17), Ross (29 n.o.), Rafay (19) and Arthur (13) teamed up to deliver the requisite late innings fireworks, continued in style when Arthur, with 16 needed from the last over, opened 4-2-2, using Muzaffar's pace and completely fooling Coyotes forward boundary-riding field with some elegant late cuts.

But Muzaffar, best Coyote with the ball, forced Arthur to play the favorite shot one too many times and Royals bright hopes were rudely extinguished.

As they have done with the ball every game this season, Royals leaked early runs with Muzammil (31 n.o.) and Nabeel Khan (30 n.o.) leading the way, but persevered to pull Coyotes back to 162, about par for Martindale's bouncy pitch and hard, fast outfield.

Many runs were saved by Royals fleet, young boundary fielders while the aging Williams held a one-handed stunner at 3rd slip and the even more elderly and much-maligned 'keeper Pasternak took regulation catches off the bowling of Jenna and that of the most elderly of all cricketers, Senhor Affonso. A somewhat incomprehensible stumping off the same soon-to-be-septuagenarian Arthur-bhai completed a shockingly good night for Bonezer, who, a bit like George, is not out all season with bat but, wildly unlike George, has not yet faced a ball.

Royals may not quite have put an end to Glenmore's not-unprecedented 11 game club losing skein, but future opponents (apart from Taverners) should not take this budding bunch of week-nighters lightly.