Putting your money where your mouth is
I recently made sport of our Prime Minister's shambolic cricketing skills. However, as Andrew points out, you don't have to be good at a sport to love a sport. And if you're going to talk the talk, you should be able to walk the walk. So I joined a cricket team and yesterday played my first game of club cricket in two decades.
Our team batted first in a 35 over one day match (or to be more precise, a one afternoon match). The first thing I discovered was my team were expert at sledging. But the sledging was directly at their own batsmen, particularly if they faced more than two consecutive dot balls. It was entertaining stuff as just about every member seemed to have the Bill Lawry, Richie Benaud and Tony Greig impersonations downpat. Interestingly, sledging the opposition was frowned upon but our own players were fair game.
I was pretty nervous going in to bat - the only real cricket I'd played over the last 20 years was a 3 ball duck in a church game. The first bowler I faced delivered a dibbly dobbly on the pads which I gratefully nudged away to square leg for a single. Okay, I broke my duck, good start. Next over, I faced a bowler who was a bit quicker with the ball moving through the air. Second ball was short of a length - from the bowler's hand, it looked like it was going past off. However, it swung back in, through a huge gap between my bat and pad and middle stump went cartwheeling through the air. When I got off the field, one of my teammates commented he thought the stump would never stop somersaulting!
Taking the field, I notched up a bad misfield in the opening overs where a well struck ball went right through my hands (damn, that leather ball is hard). Other than that, I managed to get through the innings without humiliating myself too much (certainly not at John Howard levels). All in all, it was what Australian cricket is all about - mates enjoying each others' company and no shortage of light hearted sledging. I just have to figure out how to deal with the swinging ball before next time.
| Posted by JC on Sun 7 Oct |  9 comments |
Dunno JC but a ping pong ball or two might help with the swinging ball. Closing your eyes is another option. Perhaps a reverse sweep?
Posted by TA on 2007-10-07 21:25:06
Posted by TA on 2007-10-07 21:25:06
Always a danger coming out of retirement JC.
To quote the bumper sticker, the older you get, the better you were.
I'd contemplate a return only the game involves running. Thirty plus cigarettes a day for the past 35 years has put an end to that nonsense!!
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-10-08 09:08:31
To quote the bumper sticker, the older you get, the better you were.
I'd contemplate a return only the game involves running. Thirty plus cigarettes a day for the past 35 years has put an end to that nonsense!!
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-10-08 09:08:31
Sounds like you had fun at least JC. Always wanted to play some club cricket, but my batting skill/technique/ability requires alot of work.
Besides I think my poor suffering wife might have issues with me playing a 4th sport. Plus she might have to watch...
Posted by Andrew on 2007-10-08 10:30:18
Besides I think my poor suffering wife might have issues with me playing a 4th sport. Plus she might have to watch...
Posted by Andrew on 2007-10-08 10:30:18
Good on ya for getting out there JC.. I've been keen to make a comeback for a few years but just can't commit the time, though I'm going to call the local indoor centre and see if they have a reserves list.. might try and get a few sub games after work on a Tuesday/Thursday arvo.
As for the swinging ball, good luck there! If you can grab a swing king and have a bit of hit against it in training, or be a man and tape up half a tenno!
Otherwise you could build a 3D virtual batting studio and practice against real bowlers before you go out to face them... half blacked out glasses...
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Beer and Sport blog
Posted by Moses on 2007-10-08 10:57:57
As for the swinging ball, good luck there! If you can grab a swing king and have a bit of hit against it in training, or be a man and tape up half a tenno!
Otherwise you could build a 3D virtual batting studio and practice against real bowlers before you go out to face them... half blacked out glasses...
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Beer and Sport blog
Posted by Moses on 2007-10-08 10:57:57
How much beer is involved in the pre-match warm-up? I've heard there's a mandatory sixpack at some matches. Could be a factor...
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-10-10 19:11:18
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-10-10 19:11:18
Our team had nothing but I did notice the opposition arrived with an esky full of cans and bottles (I didn't look close enough to determine the alcohol content). But we did thrash them so I'm guessing a few beers were consumed :-)
Posted by JC on 2007-10-10 20:03:41
Posted by JC on 2007-10-10 20:03:41
I imagine there are plenty of frustrated 30-50 year old's loking to slip the pads on again. I'm tempted myself but am stuck out in Germany.
I think the batting would be OK - though it would be the fielding that scares me. Infact it always did. It was only in a few games in my life that I believed I was Jonty Rhodes or Derek Randall.
The last game I played was a Stag cricket match (most people in Europe go to Amsterdam or Prague but he wanted a stag cricket match).
Anyway, I bowled this terrible ball which bounced a couple of times. This bloke leans back and blasts it straight back at me. I try and catch the bastard but it whacks me on the head and loops up over me. I've got blood gushing from my head and they start running!
Is this betting
Posted by Dave on 2007-10-11 05:13:26
I think the batting would be OK - though it would be the fielding that scares me. Infact it always did. It was only in a few games in my life that I believed I was Jonty Rhodes or Derek Randall.
The last game I played was a Stag cricket match (most people in Europe go to Amsterdam or Prague but he wanted a stag cricket match).
Anyway, I bowled this terrible ball which bounced a couple of times. This bloke leans back and blasts it straight back at me. I try and catch the bastard but it whacks me on the head and loops up over me. I've got blood gushing from my head and they start running!
Is this betting
Posted by Dave on 2007-10-11 05:13:26
JC,Good on you mate!Man of the match maybe?!
Regarding the swinging ball...
Standing outside the crease would help...thats if the bowler isnt too fast! Also always keep your eyes on the ball to see which way it would swing..but maybe that too isnt possible following your post world cup eye twitch!
Nice to see you come out of retirement!If possible post some photos of your sensational strokeplay!
I'm jealous of you JC...I had to retire recently to concentrate on my studies,so am stuck to tennis ball street cricket for the time being.Really looking forward to feel the leather on willow again,but tis mostly a long time away....
Posted by Ajesh Nag on 2007-10-15 04:57:28
Regarding the swinging ball...
Standing outside the crease would help...thats if the bowler isnt too fast! Also always keep your eyes on the ball to see which way it would swing..but maybe that too isnt possible following your post world cup eye twitch!
Nice to see you come out of retirement!If possible post some photos of your sensational strokeplay!
I'm jealous of you JC...I had to retire recently to concentrate on my studies,so am stuck to tennis ball street cricket for the time being.Really looking forward to feel the leather on willow again,but tis mostly a long time away....
Posted by Ajesh Nag on 2007-10-15 04:57:28
Re keeping your eye on the ball, I've always wondered about that. Do you mean actually watching to see which way the shiny side falls? As that seems to be the way batsmen pick a ball's swing (and what makes reverse swing so dangerous). But I don't think my eyes are good or quick enough to pick that kind of detail up - I just go on the movement of the ball (with the expected result).
I thought about taking the camera to last week's game but decided against it - it would be just too nerdy a thing to do for the cricket team's newbie - taking snaps for his cricket blog.
I might have a crack at the standing outside the crease idea though, depending on how quick he is.
Posted by JC on 2007-10-15 06:55:40
I thought about taking the camera to last week's game but decided against it - it would be just too nerdy a thing to do for the cricket team's newbie - taking snaps for his cricket blog.
I might have a crack at the standing outside the crease idea though, depending on how quick he is.
Posted by JC on 2007-10-15 06:55:40
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