Coming out of retirement Part III

I'm not sure if anyone is interested in hearing about a mediocre cricketer coming out of a 20 year retirement and stumbling his way through club cricket. But personally, I'm enjoying blogging about actually playing cricket rather than just watching it (it sure beats flogging MonkeyGate to death - move on, people). So I'll keep at it until I get shouted down. Last week, I barely survived to stumps and in a fit of hubris planned this weekend's innings. Surprisingly, the plan almost worked.

Stage 1 was to block out the first few overs, get my eye in. I half expected to have my stumps spreadeagled in the first over (there's positive thinking for you) but employed a technique I heard Greg Chappell describe on ABC Radio once. He said every champion batsman played each delivery, inclined to get on the front foot first - if it pitched short, they'd adjust but were rarely caught on the crease. I'm not sure I'd take Chappell's advice on how to handle the politics of Indian cricket but as far as batting goes, the theory is sound. While I sustained a few LBW shouts, they were generally outside the line or going down leg thanks to being so far down the wicket.

Stage 2 was to target the V of mid-on and mid-off. Unfortunately, this didn't pan out. It turns out all my scoring shots (bar one to mid-wicket) were behind the wicket - my wagon wheel would look more like an inverted V. I just couldn't generate the timing or power to penetrate the covers or push past the bowler - something to work on in the nets. Nevertheless, Sam, my more experienced, aggressive and skillful partner (not a tall order) was supportive, encouraging me in between overs just to keep surviving. He was scoring freely so it was a blow when he was given out caught behind to a dodgy umpiring decision.

In came Piney, our usual opener and the team's best batsman (at least according to Piney). He started by asking if I could get a single quickly - he usually opens the bat and was keen to have a hit. Throughout his innings, he kept supplying a running commentary of his score - "halfway to 50", "only 18 to the half century". In between overs, with me to take up strike, he asked "could you do me a favour and get a single early? I'm on 42 and would really like to get my 50 this over". I got a single off the second ball, then he hit 4, 2, 4 to notch up the half century. Classic Piney!

Stage 3 was to go the tonk. I even started to middle the ball and hit a few boundaries (all behind the wicket, of course). At this point, I got a little excited and slashed at a wide ball outside off stump, nicking it. The wicketkeeper fumbled it but first slip pouched the ball just off the grass. The bowler set me up and I fell for it like a sucker! In the end, I reached 26, batting for 36 overs (I seriously need to find a way to score quicker).

The match was a draw but the opposition had an hour of batting before stumps. Everyone had a bowl and even I got an over. I bowl leg spinners with a style similar to Warnie although without the prodigious turn, unerring accuracy, mental domination of the batsmen and wicket taking ability (hey, you can't have it all). My first over was shambolic - the first 4 balls went for 9 runs including a long hop down the leg side that was appropriately dispatched to the boundary. The 5th ball was a loopy full toss that struck their slightly overweight opener. When I apologised, he was more frustrated that he didn't put it away, replying "don't worry about it, that was a pie!" My sixth ball was on a good length and he miscued it to cover who took the catch. Eat that pie, tubbie!

So although I finished a little dazed from batting 2 hours in the hot Queensland sun, I savoured every moment - the gladiatorial exchange with the bowler, watching my batting partners go the tonk and listening to the slip cordon's sledgy comments. Nothing nasty, just subversive stuff like "squared him up good!", "ooh, just outside the line that time" and "I can feel a nick coming on". My leggies didn't come off quite so good but leg spinning is a difficult art at the best of times, let alone after a 20 year lay off. A wicket in my first over is still nothing to sneeze at. Bring on next weekend!

Posted by JC on Sun 28 Oct

9 comments

Oh, how I would love to play again. Had to give it up many years ago when forced to take a job that meant I had to work Saturdays. It broke my heart.

I'm based in Germany now so even though there is no work at the weekend I can't play.

Enjoy it while you can and count yourself as lucky.

Is this betting

Posted by Dave on 2007-10-29 09:25:23

A score in the mid-twenties after a 20-break from the game? I'd take it any day of the week. Well done JC.

PS: I found myself wondering how you were doing last Saturday afternoon. Keep up the progress reports.

PPS: Did you but the new kit?

Posted by TA on 2007-10-29 12:41:37

Good work JC, I've been enjoying these stories as well.

1 over 1/9 are some pretty tidy figures, you can always claim you were lulling them into a false sense of security to set up the big wicket taking delivery.

Posted by Moses on 2007-10-29 13:30:35

Andrew, that is exactly what I told my teammates after I got the wicket - I was setting the batsmen up with a few longhops. For the record, I finished with figures of 1/12 - bowled a second over that was much tidier and even lulled the batsman down the pitch, he missed it but the wicketkeeper fumbled the stumping chance. Heartbreaking stuff - could've had 2 wickets off my first 2 overs! :-(

TA, yes, I bought some pads, gloves and thigh pad during the week - then later in the week, A-mart All Sport had a half price sale on kit bags so I snared me one of those. Next on the to-do list is a bat but that's a bit more complicated than buying a pair of pads. Hope to get one before the weekend at least so I can start knocking it in during the hours sitting watching the rest of the team bat.

Posted by JC on 2007-10-29 14:16:48

BTW, Dave, I did a quick google and there is some cricket going on in Germany - check out the Wikipedia page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_in_Germany. Plus there's always German indoor cricket. I'd advise having a look at least (and let us know how you get on). Now that I'm playing again, my main regret is I didn't start again sooner - 20 years wasted!!

Posted by JC on 2007-10-29 14:22:28

Cheers JC. Will check those links out. I'm moving to Berlin in December and will possibly have more of a chance to play there than where I am currently based.

I played indoor cricket many years ago - a bit fast and furious for me but beggars can't be choosers.

The only place I have managed to watch a bit of cricket out here is in a Irish bar and unfortunately not in an Australian pub in Dortmund where I spend too much of my time.

Thanks again.

Is this betting

Posted by Dave on 2007-10-30 01:52:11

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Coming out of retirement Part III

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