A somewhat slimmer fixture list in 1998 was further reduced by five games being rained off. Fresh opponents this year were Royal Grammar School, Kenton School, and Durham University Staff.¹ Of the ten games played, involving a total of 22 different players, four were won and six lost. This included two epic games decided only by the last (v. Davipart, won) and second-last (v. Kenton School, lost) ball. The win against doughty (not to say, irritating) opponents, Adders (88-9 and 86 all out), was particularly gratifying, given our past record against them, but Westgate School taught Mallards some lessons in winning by 76 runs.

Fewer matches meant smaller seasonal run and wicket totals: 716 runs (av. 71.6 per innings) and 55 wickets (av. 5.5). These averages sit between the good and poor results of 1993 and 1995, respectively, and broadly reflected the win/loss ratio of 1998. For once, the main run scorer was also top in terms of average; Chris Gibbins (132 runs from 6 innings, with one not out, and a highest score of 46). Ian Morgan, once again, made a good contribution (87 from 7 innings), followed by new recruit, Alasdair Douglas (72 from 5 innings). Eleven of the 22 batters had a top score of 15+.

On the bowling front, the donkey work was done by newcomers. Bowling 42 overs, Tim Hall took 12-201 (liberally interspersed with no balls (9) and wides (8)), while Andy Moores bowled 40 overs to top the averages with 14-151. Alasdair Douglas managed 6-125 off 27 overs and Chris Gibbins 3-68 off 15. Previous regular bowler, Ian Stone, frequently unavailable through work commitments, sent down only 11 overs (3-27), but, along with Nick Constantine, was very economical at 2.5 runs per over, while Dick Buswell’s beguiling spin-bowling was relatively inexpensive at 4 runs per over. Phil Holmes, too, was less frequently involved, turning out in only three matches. Gareth Taylor’s batting average, helped by his 29 runs, continued to move inexorably upwards, reaching 4.83.

In 1998, the committee took the view that it would be inappropriate to award the Swoop Fielding trophy this year, on the grounds that no feat could remotely compare with those of Colin Wymer at Cochrane Park, or Dick Buswell and Gareth Taylor at Close House (in 1993). It was a gesture akin to retiring a footballers shirt number. Despite Chris Gibbins having a top score of 46 n.o. and average of over 26, in a narrow committee decision, after much debate, Tim Hall took the Cross-Bat Award for exceeding (just) with the bat the (considerable) total of extras off his bowling. Sheer improvisation with the bat (rather than any runs from it) earned Dave Millan the Asti Spumanti accolade, and the 21 runs contributed by no. 11 batsman, R. Ansell, on his solitary appearance for Mallards – which sealed a win against the often obnoxious, but seldom defeated, Adders – made him the unrivalled winner of the Notable Achievement award.