Coming out of retirement Part IX - the 3:30pm deadline
I went into this weekend's club game with a problem. Our church organised a Christmas Carols event and Wendy volunteered to do face painting. This meant I had to leave the cricket at 3.30pm to babysit. Considering the game started at 12.30pm and the opposition had 8 wickets in hand, I wasn't sure we'd even start our innings before the deadline, leaving the Cavs another batsman short (we were already down to ten men). It didn't help that most of the team was fashionably late (again) - we didn't even have the minimum 7 players until 25 minutes after start of play.
Fortunately, Errol was in white hot form and took 6 wickets. With the opposition 9 down, I was asked to bowl. Surprising considering last week's pie-fest. My first over wasn't too bad apart from one embarrassing double bouncer. I started the second over with another double bouncer, cursing loudly before the ball even reached the batsman (then profusely apologising to the lady umpire for my potty talk). Several balls later, the #11 batsman skiied to mid-wicket to end the innings. I'm liking this bowling to the tail - despite several shocking deliveries, I got away with figures of 1 for 4. If I play my cards right, I might snaffle the plum role of mopping up the tail-enders (good for the bowling average).
By the time Piney and I got out to the middle, it was 2.55pm - 35 minutes before Wendy arrived. I told Piney I'd take a couple of overs to get my eye in, then go the tonk. Piney said he'd do the same. First ball of the innings, full ball on off stump, Piney drives it over mid-off. Next two balls, boundaries. By the time Piney gets his eye in, he's already 30 runs.
My first ball was short and wide, cut for four. Several balls later, a similar delivery was cut in the air, parting the hair of the point fieldsman - another lucky boundary. I continued to swing wildly, missing more often than not. It was uncultured stuff - almost trying to get out but somehow surviving (I was dropped twice). I kept asking the umpire what time it was - she asked if I had a date that afternoon.
At 3.35pm, I looked up and Wendy was there on the boundary. Okay, this was my last over, time to make hay. A half volley was lofted over the bowler's head for four. Mid-off went back 20 metres. The next delivery was in the same juicy spot and sailed over deep mid-off's head. I'd never hit the ball so cleanly (and probably never will again). With each boundary came ironic cheers from our teammates. Or as Wendy later described it, "incredulous laughter".
At the end of the over, I heard calls from the boundary, "keep batting!" Apparently, Josh did some fast talking with Wendy and convinced her that I had to continue. So she left and I pressed on (a little anxious about whether I'd be in the doghouse later on). My scoring rate slowed dramatically to the point where during one cautious over, I heard another call from the boundary, "John, your missus is back!"
The consequence of the pre-Wendy slogging was the field scattered whenever I came on strike, largely due to that one mad over when I thought I had 6 balls left in the game. Ironic considering my batting style is modelled on the Jason Gillespie forward defence and main scoring stroke is the nick through slips. With the field spread, any full ball on the stumps was easily pushed through mid-on for a single. Those two boundaries over mid-off ultimately earned me 30 odd runs in easy singles.
A legspinner came on. I'd been keen to face a leggie ever since I got stumped in the last over of the day. This guy bowled a lot like me - lots of long hops and full tosses. Plenty of scoring opportunities if you waited for the bad balls (you didn't have to wait long). The only difference was his captain didn't take him off. It made me realise there is a bright side to ending your spell as soon as you bowl a bad over - your bowling average never blows out!
Meanwhile, wickets kept falling at the other end. We managed to scrape past the opposition total to avoid an innings defeat - now it was a matter of batting on and staving off an outright defeat. The day must've been the hottest and most humid of the year - I was exhausted. Stumps approached - with half an hour to go and 70 in front, I figured we were safe. On 84, I was finally bowled playing a tired defensive shot. But importantly, we chewed up enough time so the opposition needed 80 runs off 6 overs to win outright. They only managed 30 and we saved the game.
Cricket tragic Gaz stood on the boundary video taping for nearly the entire Cavaliers innings, several hours in the hot Queensland sun (he did come prepared with a modest supply of VB). He even ran out of tape (so was consequently changing the tape when I got bowled). I picked up the video mid-week after it took him several days to edit together over an hour of footage. I'm still trying to persuade Gaz to play - even though our personnel changes from week to week, we always seem to be one man short. Of course, if Gaz did bat, I wouldn't be surprised if he went out with his camera taped to his helmet to obtain more footage.
When I finally got to the Christmas Carols, Wendy was happy I got my maiden half century so I dodged a bullet there (but to be on the safe side, I've been giving nightly foot rubs since). So a wicket taken, match saved, doghouse averted - a good day!| Posted by JC on Thu 13 Dec |  12 comments |
Looks like you gotta work on your stamina a little bit but it was indeed a commendable performance considering all the 'external' factors involved!
You should've gone for the 100 mate, but never mind...there is always next time!
Considering your success with an aggressive frame of mind, I guess you need to switch your batting style from Jason Gillespie to say...Adam Gilchrist?
Posted by Ajesh Nag on 2007-12-13 01:49:51
Posted by JC on 2007-12-13 08:58:55
Posted by TA on 2007-12-13 10:49:54
Posted by TA on 2007-12-13 10:51:50
Posted by JC on 2007-12-13 12:05:37
Wonderful work Gaz.
Word of caution though JC. Ahem, it's about that wife of yours, Wendy. Mate, nothing gets to interfere with a man's game of cricket. Xmas carols, taking a child to Hospital Emergency, childbirth etc Not on! Have a word to him will you Gaz. Man to man. Else Uncle Dan might need to intervene!
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-12-13 13:46:50
Posted by JC on 2007-12-13 13:56:09
With hindsight, just how I am still married to the same woman is a mystery.
Second thoughts, stick to being a s.n.a.g. But foot rubs??? Guess if it satisfies some sort of fetish...
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-12-13 17:07:04
DT, rest assured, Mrs JC was bombarded by all the classic commentary you'd expect from 10 blokes sticking up for their mate to his missus.
There was the old 'he's nearly got fifty'...
Then 'he'll only be another 5 mins' routine ...
'We'll drive him up to meet you...'
'He can take my car'...
'We'll look after Gaby (daughter)...'
'But he's got his highest score'...
'He's saving the match for us...'
'I'll take Gaby home with me...'
'Leave Gaby here and we'll drive them both up in 10 mins'... etc, etc.
In fact there were car keys, gold and onyx pens and phone numbers flying everywhere at one stage.
Look fellas, no one was caught more by surprise with JC's 84 than me. I mean, I've seen this guy in the nets - he's gotta be 48-49, he must be pushing 180kg, his eyesight's shot and he needs oxygen every 6 minutes on a hot day.
Anyhow, I sauntered up to the oval fully expecting him to be either already out fraaaduck or still fielding after dropping several catches. Now I'm here to tell you that there's no way in the wide world of sports that I would've only taken 4 beers with me if I thought he was good for 84! I ran out of shade, tape, out of battery AND out of beer!
What a marvellous knock that was however by our hero. 'Absolutely brilliant' as someone once said. In fact I'd go one step further than that and suggest that JC is The Cavs' answer to one A.Symonds as pointed out by DT!
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-12-13 17:20:20
Posted by T11 on 2007-12-13 20:32:45
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-12-14 13:32:05
Post New Comment
You need to be logged in to post a comment. If you're new, register here. Existing users, login via the right margin.
