Coming out of retirement Part V
During this golden age for Australian cricket, I rarely spare a thought for the misery heaped upon opposition sides. However, this weekend, my club cricket game followed a similar pattern to Australia's 1st Test thrashing of Sri Lanka. The only problem is our team played the role of Sri Lanka.
Last week, our bowlers copped a shelacking as the opposition declared at 3 for 400+ then took several quick wickets before stumps (including yours truly stumped in the last over of the day). This week, we battled to avoid the follow on and like Sri Lanka, didn't even come close, all out for 280 (in club cricket, a 100+ run deficit ensures a follow on). So our team were sent back in and I padded up as the #5 batsman.
Like Sri Lanka, we showed more fight in our second digs. The openers kicked off with an 80 run opening stand although curiously the opposition didn't open with their notorious speedster. Nevertheless, inevitably, wickets started to fall. I came in 3rd drop to face a dibbly dobbly bowler who delivered a juicy full toss straight up - I sent it past point for a single. Always good to quickly break the duck. However, Mr Dibbly Dobbly was immediately replaced with the Brett Lee wannabe. My worst nightmare! Had they been reading my blog? Bring back Mr Dibbly Dobbly!
Wickets continued to fall. Piney, our best batsman, was caught behind. Tiny, a huge South African, went the tonk from ball one and soon skiied one to cover. I faced one ball against the tearaway which landed short of a length, squared me up and smacked into the right thigh (the one without a thigh guard, of course). Stinging like hell, I rubbed at it furiously, grimacing. Ironically, the only cherry I got for the day was on my body.
In the speedster's next over, Belly was similarly struck but stood there stoically. In between overs, he said to me "got me between the box and the thigh pad. Not gonna give them the satisfaction though." I thought back to my girlish reaction. Mental note - when struck by a bowler, never show pain!
Meanwhile, I faced a lot of balls from the medium pacer at the other end. He bowled a short ball that sat up - I pulled it over midwicket to the boundary (the first pull shot of my career which was a satisfying moment). Next over, he bowled a wide one which I cut for four. He wasn't moving it around too much and I started to feel a little confidence, at least at that end. His next delivery was a good length outside off stump - I edged it through to the keeper. Out for 10, again!
Another disappointing dismissal. It wasn't over confidence or poor shot selection - the technique was good, it was a solid forward defensive shot with the full face of the bat. The only thing I did wrong was nick the damn thing. Replaying it in my head later, I couldn't think of anything other than maybe not watching the ball closely enough.
More disappointing, our team collapsed badly after that as the medium pacer went on to take 8 wickets! We were all out 30 minutes before stumps, only 17 runs ahead (at least we avoided an innings defeat). By the time we took the field, there was 15 minutes to go. But a six and a four in the first over put paid to any ideas of restricting the run chase. The winning total was polished off in the second over.
A crushing defeat a la Sri Lanka in the 1st Test. If we had a post-match press conference, I'd blame the muppets in the middle order (with me as the head joker) for not holding out for several more overs.
| Posted by JC on Tue 13 Nov |  9 comments |
Can't believe you rubbed it! As a Queenslander you'd better hope that AB isn't reading your blog or a disowning would be in order..
Posted by Moses on 2007-11-13 10:47:07
Posted by TA on 2007-11-13 10:56:41
Is there anyone in your team who is qualified to play for NZ?
We’re used to big defeats
Posted by sportsfreak on 2007-11-13 11:19:15
TA, just looked up Murali's stats. Batting average: 11.73. My batting average after 4 innings: 11.75. Egads, I pip Murali by .02. Thanks for ruining my day!
For the record, my goal for the season is to have a batting average greater than my bowling average (which is 14). I needed to score 20 this weekend so failed my short term goal, dangit!
And I rubbed the sore spot! Really let the team and myself down. :-(
Posted by JC on 2007-11-13 11:42:16
I recall an episode in my playing days when a teammate got hit in the gonads. He buckled over and, realising the pain was only going to get worse, went to throw his box away in disgust at its uselessness. Alas it had split and his scrotum had been tightly secured by tight, unyielding plastic.
This was not a pretty sight. But eleven fieldsman, two umpires and the off-strike batsman, all writhing on the ground in fits of laughter, made it a memorable day. For most!!
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-11-13 21:10:34
Posted by JC on 2007-11-13 21:43:29
All and sundry are dually bound to laugh at your mis-fortune
Posted by Moses on 2007-11-13 23:04:53
Never seemed to work out due to miscounting the balls in the over when looking to take a single or getting too excited when the poorer fella came on to bowl.
Best way, I think, is too forget about the bowler and concentrate on each ball.
Is this betting
Posted by Dave on 2007-11-16 06:03:15
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